Torah Portion/Synagogues

As An Example To The Nations

Shabbat Ekev:
Deuteronomy 7:12-
11:25; Isaiah 49:14.-
51:3.

I

n this week's Torah portion,
Moshe continues his final
address to the Jewish people
before his death and their entry
into the land of Israel.
He emphasizes to them that
(Deuteronomy 9:5): "It is not because
of your righteousness or the integrity
of your heart that you come to possess
their land ..." In fact, Moshe reminds
them of their waywardness and past
transgressions.
He recalls the golden
b
0
calf and the lack of faith of the scouts
and of the people; Moshe berates them
by noting that he repeatedly had to
beg and attempt to convince God not
to destroy them.
Moshe repeats the argument he
used to save them after they demon-
strated their faithlessness (Deuteronomy
9:28): "Lest the [people of the] land
from which You brought us out will
say: 'God was unable to bring them to
the land He promised them and
because He hated them brought them
out to kill them in the wilderness ...'"

Eliezer Cohen is rabbi of

Congregation Or Chadash.

keep them and observe them because
Here and in Numbers 14:13-16,
they are your wisdom and understand-
Moshe essentially tells God: "You can't
ing. In the eyes of the nations that
destroy the Jewish people — what
hear of all these rules; and they will
would the goyim (non-Jews) say?"
say: 'Only wise and understanding is
Once God chose the Jewish people as
this great nation!' For what nation is
"His own" and once He made His
so great that God is close to it like the
promises to them, He no longer is
Lord our God, whenever we call to
completely independent. His options
Him. And what nation is so great that
become limited.
has righteous rules and laws like all of
The events of the Exodus from
this Torah ..."
Egypt were to demonstrate
Thus, God, Himself, and
not only to the Jews, but also
His people, Israel, are called
to the Egyptians and, in fact,
upon in the Torah to behave
to all mankind (Exodus 7:5):
in ways that will impress the
"And the Egyptians will
nations of the world with
know that I am God when I
God's greatness and with the
extend My hand against
wisdom and beauty of the
Egypt and bring out the
Torah — particularly in the
Jewish peciple from their
land that He gave to us.
midst," God's existence and
Such a demonstration of
His special relationship with
God's greatness and the
His people (Exodus 4:22)
RABBI
beauty of the Torah through
have been proven to
ELIEZER
our behavior is called kid-
mankind — whatever God
COHEN
dush HaShem, the sanctifica-
does or allows to be done to
Special to the
tion of God.
His people now reflect upon
Jewish News
Conversely, our behavior
Him in the eyes of all people.
that disgraces God and His
Likewise, as God's own
relationship to us is chillul HaShem, a
people and the recipients of His
desecration of God (Maimonides'
instruction, the Torah, our behavior
Mishna Torah, Yesodos Hatorah 5:11).
also reflects upon Him. We are bidden
The Jewish people, particularly in
(Deuteronomy 4:5-8):
the State of Israel, must behave in
"See, I [Moshe] have taught you
ways that impress all of mankind by
rules and laws as the Lord, my God,
demonstrating wisdom, righteousness,
commanded me, that you must keep
integrity, justice and compassion. Our
in the midst of the land that you are
Torah portion tells us that the land of
coming to possess. And you should

"Lighting Shabbos candles is an opportunity for me to sanctify time, to her-
ald in the Shabbat and welcome Shabbos angels into our home."

— Leba Polter, Bloomfield Hills, mother

To submit a candlelighting message, call Miriam Amzalak of the Lubavitch Women's Organization at (248) 5484771
or e - mail• miriamanualald@jano.corn

CONSERVATIVE

ADAT SHALOM SYNAGOGUE

29901 Middlebelt, Farmington Hills, 48334, (248) 851-
5100. Rabbis: Daniel Nevins, Herbert Yoskowitz, Rachel
Lawson Shere. Rabbi emeritus: Efry Spectre. Cantor:
Yesvey Gutman. Cantor emeritus: Larry Vieder. Services:
Friday 6 p.m.; Saturday 9 am., 8:45 p.m.; weekdays 7:30
am., 6 p.m.; Sunday 8:30 a.m. Aufruf of Jessica Fischer
and Steven Migliore.

AHAVAS ISRAEL (GRAND RAPIDS)

2727 Michigan St. SE, Grand Rapids, 49506-1297, (616)
949-2840. Rabbi: David J.B. Krishef. Cantor: Stuart R.
Rapaport. Services: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, 7:30
a.m.; Friday, 7 p.m.; Saturday, 9:30 a.m.

BEIT KODESH

31840 W. Seven Mile, Livonia, (248) 477-8974. Cantor:
David Gutman. President: Larry Stein. Vice presidents:
Martin Diskin, Al Gittleman. Services: Friday 8 p.m.;
Saturday 9 am.

CONGREGATION BETH AHM

5075 W. Maple, West Bloomfield, 48322, (248) 851-6880.
Ritual director: Joseph Mermelstein. Rabbi emeritus: A.
Irving Schnipper. Cantor Emeritus: Shabtai Ackerman.
Guest rabbi: Aaron Bergman. Visiting scholar: Dr. Howard
Lupovitch. Services: Friday 6 p.m.; Saturday 9:30 a.m.,

8:15 p.m.; weekdays 7 am., 7 p.m.; Sundays and civic
holidays: 8:15 a.m., 5 p.m.

BETH ISRAEL (FLINT)

G-5240 Calkins Road, Flint, 48532, (810) 732-6310.
Cantor emeritus: Sholom Kalib. President: Leonard
Meizlish. Services: Saturday 9:30 am., 6 p.m.; weekdays
7:30 a.m., 6 p.m.; Sunday and legal holidays 8 am., 6
p.m. Ivriah religious school (810) 732-6312.

BETH ISRAEL (ANN ARBOR)
CONGREGATION

2000 Washtenaw Ave., Ann Arbor, 48104, (734) 665-9897.
Rabbi: Robert Dobrusin. Services: Friday 6 p.m.; Saturday
9:30 a.m.; weekdays 7:30 p.m.; Sunday 5 p.m.

CONGREGATION BETH SHALOM

14601 W. Lincoln, Oak Park, 48237, (248) 547-7970.
Rabbi: David A. Nelson. Cantor: Samuel L Greenbaum.
Ritual director: Rev. Samuel Semp. Services: Friday 6 p.m.;
Saturday 9 a.m., 6:30 p.m.; Sunday 9 a.m., 5 p.m.; week-
days 7 am., 6:30 p.m. Children's birthday blessings. Bar
mitzvah of Jacob Robert Goodman, son of Laurie and
Jayson Goodman. Aufruf of Kevin Casey and Paula Ann
Newman.

BETH TEPHILATH MOSES

146 South Ave., Mt. Clemens, 48043, (810) 465-0641.
Services: weekdays 7:15 a.m.; Saturday 10 a.m.; Sunday

Israel is (Deuteronomy 11:12): "The
land to which the Lord your God
directs His attention; continuously the
eyes of the Lord your God are upon
it," Aharon and Moshe, himself, were
not permitted to enter the land
because (Deuteronomy 32:51) "... you
sinned against Me in the midst of the
Jewish people at the waters of Merivas-
Kadesh in the wilderness of Tzin
because you didn't sanctify Me in the
midst of the Jewish people."
Sanctification of God is the duty of
every Jew and of the entire nation. If
we would but achieve such an ideal,
the end of our Torah portion
(Deuteronomy 11: 13-22) , which we
recite twice daily as the second para-
graph of Shema, promises us God's
continued blessings upon the land that
He has given to us. ❑

Conversations

Why do you think that God
"chose" the Jews and for what
purpose? How can we sanctify
God and what must we do to
avoid desecrating Him? Why is
the land of Israel so central to
kiddush HaShem? In what ways
does the State of Israel sanctify
God?

8 a.m.

INDEPE1MENT

CONGREGATION B'NAI MOSHE

AHAVAT SHALOM

6800 Drake, West Bldomfield, 48322, (248) 788-0600.
Rabbi: Elliot Pachter. Cantor: Earl Berris. Services: Friday 6
p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m., 8 p.m.; Monday-Thursday 7 am., 6
p.m.; Friday 7 a.m.; Sunday and legal holidays 9 a.m.;
Sunday 6 p.m. Haftorah, Alan Pinter.

ISAAC AGREE DOWNTOWN
SYNAGOGUE

1457 Griswold, Detroit, 48226, (313) 961-9328. Chazan:
Cantor Usher Adler. Baal Kriah: Rabbi Craig Allen. Cantorial
soloist: Neil Barris. Ritual director: Dr. Martin Herman.
President: Dr. Ellen Kahn. Services: Saturday 8:30 a.m.

CONGREGATION SHAAREY ZEDEK

Rabbis: Joseph H. Krakoff, Jonathan E. Berkun, Eric S.
Yanoff. Rabbi emeritus: Irwin Groner. Cantor: Chaim
Najman. Ritual director: Leonard Gutman.
Southfield: 27375 Bell Road, Southfield, 48034, (248)
357-5544. Services: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday 7:30
am.; Monday, Thursday 7:15 a.m.; daily 6 p.m.; Friday 6
p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m., 8:15 p.m.; Sunday 8:30 a.m.
West Bloomfield, B'nai Israel Center: 4200 Walnut Lake
Road, West Bloomfield, 48323-2772, (248) 357-5544.
Services: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday 7:15 a.m.; Monday,
Thursday 7 am.; daily 6 p.m.; Friday 6 p.m.; Saturday 9
am., 8:15 p.m.; Sunday 9 a.m.

TEMPLE ISRAEL

2300 Center Ave., Bay City, 48708; (989) 893-7811.
Cantor: Daniel Gale. President: Dr. Jonathan Abramson.
Services: Saturday 9:30 am. A liberal, egalitarian congre-
gation serving the tri-cities area. Religious and Hebrew
education programs for children and adults.

413 N. Division St., Traverse City, 49684, (231) 929-
4330. Rabbi: Chava (Stacie) Bahle. Weekly Shabbat cel-
ebrations, holidays, year round programming, children's
education. Summer programming for downstate visitors.

GROSSE POINTE JEWISH COUNCIL

(313) 882-6700. Rabbi: Nicholas Behrmann. Cantorial
soloist: Bryant Frank.

JEWBILATION

P.O. Box 130014, Ann Arbor, 48103, (734) 996-3524 or
995-1963. Rev. Lauren Zinn. Services: Friday 6:15, fol-
lowing dinner. Jewish Roots with Interfaith Wings holds
bi-monthly Shabbat dinner, services, kids' programs,
family school and Hebrew school for all ages.

ORTHODOX

AGUDAS YISROEL MOGEN
ABRAHAM

15751 W. Lincoln, Southfield, 48075, (248) 552-1971.
Rabbis: Dov Loketch, Asher Eisenberger. President:
Irwin Cohen.

ANN ARBOR CHABAD HOUSE

715 Hill St., Ann Arbor, 48104, (734) 995-3276. Rabbi:
Aharon Goldstein. Services: Friday at sundown;
Saturday 9:45 a.m., 20 min. before sundown; week-
days 7:30 a.m.; Sunday 9 a.m. Times for weekdays and
Sunday are for the academic year.

SYNAGOGUES

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