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. 1