Come HOME for the Holidays
Do you remember the warm feeling of awe and tradition
and of belonging you had when you went to Shul
on Yom Tov with your father and grandfather?
Our synagogue offers a traditional service in a contemporary
atmosphere, which includes family seating and many responsive
readings in English. Let the wonderful voice of Cantor Ben-Zion
Lanxner put you in the proper state of Teshuva (Return).
Come with your spouse, children, parents, or significant other,
so they, too, can enjoy a very inspirational holiday.
Our Holiday services will be held at 6346 Orchard Lake Road,
just north of Maple Road, in West Bloomfield.
Rosh Hashana services will be held on Saturday and Sunday
mornings, September 27 and 28. Yom Kippur services will
commence with Kol Nidre on Sunday evening, October 5,
and continue all day on Monday, October 6. Yizkor will be recited
Monday morning. And you haven't heard anything until you've
heard our Chazzan blow the shofar for the final time at the
conclusion of the holiday service.
Tickets are $100 ($50 for ages 18-25) each. Children 17 and under,
accompanied by parents, are free. To purchase tickets, or for additional
information, please call the synagogue office 248-855-5007.
The office may be reached between 9:00 a.m. 2:00 p.m., Monday and
Wednesday, or between 9:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. on Friday.
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CongrTation B'nai David
Founded in 1892 • Serving the Metropolitan Detroit Area
248.356.6000
wwwjoecornell.com
•
DESIGN • INSTALLATION • SERVICE
utivits pii.A . • • . . Clinical Teachin g
et ..•.. Testing/Evaluation
• ...• •.......
CLINIC
Owner, Director
•.
Acceciteel by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
of freedom depends upon our efforts
to sustain and grow it.
But in sanctifying that harvest, we
also remind ourselves that it is only
because of God that these fruits are
even possible. We ought not think
e are about to conclude
that what we produce is the result of
the Jewish year, and
what we alone have done.
complete another cycle
"My father was a wandering
of Torah readings.
Aramean ..." — our origins are as
humble as they can possibly be. In
This week's parshah (Torah por-
publicly repeating the story of the
tion) of Ki Tavo ( "when you enter")
begins Moses' final instructions
path they traveled, the Israelites of
before the Israelites leave him to
old declared their dependency on
God's blessings. In repeat-
enter their new land. Moses
ing their words each year,
tells them that in the
future, their first-fruit offer-
we do the same.
We come to this Torah
ings are to be presented
portion two weeks before
with the following state-
Rosh Hashanah. As we
ment (Deuteronomy 26: 1-
approach the New Year,
10):
Jewish tradition calls upon
"My father was a wan-
us to examine the freedom
dering Aramean, and he
that has been ours. What
went down into Egypt and
did we do with our choices
lived there few in number
RABBI J OSEPH last year? Were the fruits of
and became a great, mighty
P. KL EIN
our labors of such quality
and numerous nation ..."
Specia
1 to the
that we can bring them
This abbreviated, five-verse
Jewish News
before our community and
version of Israelite history
present them before God?
from Abraham through the
Exodus to the Promised Land, is
In many ways, we are today, like
repeated still, each year at Passover
the Israelites of old, we are about to
enter the promised land of a New
around our seder tables.
Moses' instruction is unexpected.
Year. We are told this week, not to
He tells them that not until they
be so eager to give thanks for having
have brought in the first fruits of the
merely made it into the New Year
land are they to offer thanks for
5764 as soon as we pass into it.
"entering" the land! One would
We must prepare the ground of
think that after 40 years in the
our lives, carefully plant and with
desert, the Israelites, upon crossing
nurturing care tend the fields of our
the Jordan, would immediately cele-
behavior. And then, only after we
have harvested the first fruits of rela-
brate.
Moses tells them that they are to
tionships with family, friends and
enter, subdue and settle the new ter-
community, only after we have
ritory, then prepare, plant and take
inspected those fruits and brought
care of the fields; and only after they
them to the "place of God's name,"
have harvested its first fruit, packed
presenting them before the commu-
nity, may we finally say, "This day, I
it and carried it to the "place of
God's name" and given it to the offi-
acknowledge before the Lord your
ciating priest are they to finally say,
God that I have entered the land
"This day, I acknowledge before God which the Lord swore to our fathers
that I have entered the land which
to give us." ❑
God swore to our fathers to give us!"
The truth is that freedom only
has real meaning when the "fruit" of
one's liberation is finally gathered in.
How would Rosh Hashanah
Freedom itself is only an idea, a
change for us if it became less a
noble notion. It can only have mean-
celebration and more an oppor-
ing and substance when it is used,
tunity? We know what "redemp-
when it is applied, when it is allowed
tion" meant to the Israelites,
to put forth roots and shoots, to
what
does it or can it mean for
blossom and flower and produce its
us?
What
does it mean for us to
own reward. The fruit of God's gift
declare that we are also "liberat-
ed"?
Joseph Klein is rabbi of Temple
Shabbat Ki Tavo:
Deuteronomy 26:1-
29:8; Isaiah 60:1-22.
IV
Conversations
Call (248) 851.2804 for a personal appointment
LYNNE MASTER, M. ED
Torah Portion
As We Enter The New Year,
We Must Nurture Our Actions
To have that feeling again — or if you have never had it
and would like to — join us for holidays services at
Congregation B'nai David.
DiSAbi
Spirituality
UTIES
First fully accredited
Education Clinic in the
United States to receive
North Central Accreditation.
(248) 545-6677 (248) 433-3323
Oak Park
Bloomfield Hills
www.ldclinic.com
Emanu-El. His e-mail address is
rabbi@rabbiklein.com