Spirituality
Torah Portion/Synagogues
'
One s Spiritual Fence Prevents A Fall
Shabbat Ki Tetze:
Deuteronomy 21:10-
25:19; Isaiah 54:1-10.
O
ne of the nearly 100 mitz-
vahs discussed in this
week's parshah (Torah por-
tion) is the mitzvah of
maika, building a parapet around a
flat roof.
The Torah states that when you
build a new house, surround the
roof with a maika so that the fallen
one does not fall from your roof.
Rashi explains the words "fallen
one" to mean that it was predeter-
mined that that this person should
fall. Do not be the one from whose
roof they fall. Merit goes to the
meritorious; guilt lies with the
guilty.
Chasidus explains that the new
house refers to the body and this
physical world. The fallen one refers
to the godly soul, which has fallen
from the highest of heights to the
lowest of pits (from a complete and
Herschel Finman is a rabbi serving
greater Detroit and host of the "Jewish
Hour," 3 p.m. Fridays on WPON-AM
1460.
total unity with the essence of
Almighty maintains an essential
HaShem to this physical world into
connection with him. By building a
a physical body, which is nothing
"fence" around ourselves, we contain
more than a glorified mud pie (75
that allotted godliness within us. It
percent water plus 25 percent min-
the godliness, is not allowed to "fall"
erals equals mud).
into the realm of the physical
The soul was put into this world
coarseness.
to make it a house, a permanent
Reb Yisroel of Ruzhin once told
dwelling for the Almighty. The
the following parable before the
Almighty created this world because
blowing of the shofar one Rosh
He desired a dwelling in
Hashanah. A villager once
this world. This is accom-
came to town; being uned-
plished not by removing
ucated, the young man had
oneself from the world, but
no idea what was happen-
by utilizing all matters in
ing in the synagogue.
the world for holiness.
What bothered him most
There is one caveat. We
was that he could not
should not be inundated by
understand why everyone
the physical. We should
was crying. Sensing his
control it, not it control us.
lack of nutrition that day,
To accomplish this we must
he concluded that people
first build a maika, a fence.
RABBI
must be as hungry as he
That fence is the attitude
HERSCHEL
and he, too, began to
that the physical world is of
weep.
FINMAN
secondary importance. Our
After the silent devo-
Special to the
main focus is the spiritual.
tion, the young man could
Jewish News
The purpose of a fence is
not understand why people
twofold. It keeps out that
suddenly stopped crying.
which must be kept out and keeps
He rationalized that people had put
in that which must be kept in. A
very tough meat into the stew that
Jew is constantly connected to
was left for after services. The longer
HaShem. No matter what a Jew
the meat cooked, the easier it would
does, even to the point of denying
be to eat and there was, therefore,
his Judaism, God forbid, the
no reason to cry. Before the blowing
"When Shabbat comes, rest comes. When Shabbat candles are lit, the mind is relaxed from worries
and problems. Peace reigns. We think about spirituality and how our body and soul need to be con-
nected to Torah and the religion of the Jewish people for all generations."
— Rev. Joseph. Mermelstein, religious director, Congregation Beth Ahm
To submit a candlelighting message, call Miriam Amzalak of the Lubavitch Women's Organization
at (248) 548-6771 or e-mail• miriamamzalakl@juno.com
CONSERVATIVE
ADAT SHALOM SYNAGOGUE
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.
AHAVAS ISRAEL (GRAND RAPIDS)
CONGREGATION BETH SHALOM
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 a.m.
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.,
7:45 p.m.; weekdays 7 a.m., 7 p.m.; Sundays and civic
holidays: 8:15 a.m., 5 p.m. Bar mitzvah of Justin Cykiert,
son of Heather and Jay Cykiert.
8/27
62
G-5240 Calkins Road, Flint, 48532, (810) 732-6310.
Cant& 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 a.m., 6
p.m. Ivriah religious school (810) 732-6312.
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 a.m., 8 p.m.; weekdays 7:30
a.m., 6 p.m.; Sunday 8:30 am. B'nai mitzvah of Noah
Rozenberg, son of Shari and Mark Rozenberg; Ian
Zinderman, son of Martha and Steven Zinderman. Aufruf
of Jennifer Udkoff and Alan Toby.
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 am.
2004
BETH ISRAEL (FLINT)
BETH ISRAEL (ANN ARBOR)
CONGREGATION
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 a.m., 6:30 p.m. Baby naming of Alexandra Anne
Sinins, daughter of Debra and Rubin Sinins.
BETH TEPHILATH MOSES
146 South Ave., Mt. Clemens, 48043, (810) 465-0641.
Services: weekdays 7:15 a.m.; Saturday 10 a.m.; Sunday
8 a.m.
CONGREGATION B'NAI MOSHE
6800 Drake, West Bloomfield, 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 a.m., 6
p.m.; Friday 7 a.m.; Sunday and legal holidays 9 a.m.;
Sunday 6 p.m. Haftorah, Larry Gunsberg.
ISAAC AGREE DOWNTOWN
SYNAGOGUE
1457 Griswold, Detroit, 48226, (313) 961-9328. Chazan:
Cantor Usher Adler. Baal Kriah: Rabbi Craig Allen. Cantorial
soloist: Neil Bards. 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
a.m.; Monday, Thursday 7:15 a.m.; daily 6 p.m.; Friday 6
p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m., 7:45 p.m.; Sunday 8:30 am. B'nai
mitzvah of Allison Peri Berman, daughter of Julie and Allan
Berman; Brian David Krasnick, son of Sarah and Neal
Krasnick.
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 a.m.; daily 6 p.m.; Friday 6 p.m.; Saturday 9
a.m., 7:45 p.m.; Sunday 9 a.m. Bar mitzvah of Justin
Noah Wagner, son of Cynthia and Lewis Wagner.
TEMPLE ISRAEL
2300 Center Ave., Bay City, 48708; (989) 893-7811.
Cantor: Daniel Gale. President: Dr. Jonathan Abramson.
Services: Saturday 9:30 a.m. A liberal, egalitarian congre-
gation serving the tri-cities area. Religious and Hebrew
education programs for children and adults.
INDEPENDENT
AHAVAT SHALOM
413 N. Division St., Traverse City - 49684, (231) 929-4330.
Rabbi: Chava (Stacie) Bahle. Weekly Shabbat celebrations,
holidays, year round programming, children's education.
Summer programming for downstate visitors.
of the shofar, people again began
cry. He then surmised that even
though the food would be better the
longer it cooked, he was losing all of
his strength and would be too
exhausted if he did not get some-
thing to eat soon. He, then, also
resumed his crying.
Chasidim have explained this
parable to refer to the Jews in exile.
We were living in exile and the
Almighty rebuilt the Temple, but it
was destroyed so long ago that we
feel we are too weak to continue this
exile.
On a simpler level. Let's all get
ready for Rosh Hashanah so that we
don't cry because we're hungry for
lunch. ❑
Conversations
As we approach the coming holi-
day season, we are to prepare to
forgive and forget the hurt done
to us by others so that our rela-
tionships can be repaired, rein-
vigorated. How do we best deter-
mine when we are best served by
our memory and when by our
"forgetory" ?
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, follow-
ing 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; weekdays 7:30 a.m.;
Sunday 9 a.m. Times for weekdays and Sunday are for
the academic year.
ANN ARBOR ORTHODOX MINYAN
1429 Hill St., Ann Arbor, 48014. Rabbi: Rod Glogower.
Services: Friday at sundown; Saturday 9:30 a.m. and 20
minutes before sundown; weekdays during the academic
year 7:30 a.m.; Sunday 9 a.m.
BAIS CHABAD OF FARMINGTON HILLS
32000 Middlebelt, Farmington Hills, 48334, (248) 855-
2910. Rabbi: Chaim Bergstein. Services: Friday sundown;
Saturday 9:30 a.m.; Sunday 8:30 a.m.; weekdays 6:50
a.m.
BAIS CHABAD OF NORTH OAK PARK
15401 W. 10 Mile, Oak Park, 48237, (248) 872-8878.
Rabbi: Shea Werner.
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