Torah Portion/Synagogues New Hope For Humbled Humanity Shabbat Bereshit: Genesis 1:1-6:8; Isaiah 42:5-43:10. I t would be perfectly possible to spend all of one's years reading the text and various commen- taries to our first Torah portion, Bereshit. Within its famous lines, we experi- ence the entire range of emotion: the splendorous wonder of a new world; the intense shame of human sin and denial; the frightful disappointment of our divine creator; the glimpses of hope as virtuous people emerge. The famous maxim of Ben Bag Bag could apply to this parshah (portion) alone: ,c turn it this way, and turn it again, for all is contained within it." (Pirkei Avot 5:22). Yet the salient point of the par- shah is perfectly clear: God created the world; people then messed it up. From Adam and Eve, to Cain and Abel, to the sinful generation of the flood, the plans devised by people Danny Nevins is a spiritual leader at Adat Shalom Synagogue. were "only evil all day long" (6:5). of great spiritual power. Ben Sira These stories are quite familiar, so let describes Enoch as "a sign of [mysti- us consider a more obscure variant, cal] knowledge to all generations" the case of Enoch (Chanokh). (see "Enoch" in the Encyclopedia In fact, it is not much of a story. Judaica). Enoch appears in two genealogies, The rabbis have a more conflicted first as the son of Cain in Ch. 4 and view of Enoch. The Aramaic transla- then as the seventh-generation tion called Targum Yerushalaim descendant of Adam in Ch. 5. Most (5:23) says he ascended to heaven at people's eyes glaze over when con- God's command and was made into fronted with genealogies, the mighty angel Metatron. but verses 22-24 of Ch. 5 Yet other rabbinic texts say catch our attention. that Enoch was a borderline We learn that Enoch villain, and that God "took" "walked with God," that he him early so that he could lived 365 years and that die innocent. Rashi states, rather than die, "he was no "he was righteous and yet more, for God took him." inclined to revert to vil- These peculiar statements lainy; thus the Holy One spawned an extraordinarily hastened to remove him, rich afterlife for Enoch in and killed him prior to his the apocrypha, the Dead time." RABBI Sea scrolls, and rabbinic lit- This strange rabbinic DANNIEL erature. idea of a preemptive killing NEVINS Enoch is lionized in the for the benefit of the victim Special to the pre-rabbinic literature called appears in another context, Jewish News the apocrypha. His lifespan that of the rebellious son of 365 years is understood (Deuteronomy 21:18-21). to hint at his role as the discoverer of The Mishnah states that the rebel- the solar year. Like Elijah, he appar- lious son is executed not for the mis- ently ascends to heaven without demeanors that he has already com- dying, an impressive feat indicative mitted, but to prevent him from "My two sisters and I each inherited a set of my great-grandmother's brass can- dlesticks, which she brought from the "old country." Each time we light the Shabbos candles, we are somehow all connected, despite distance and time." — Leslie Samet Belenson, secretary, Farmington Hills To submit a candlelighting message, call Miriam Amzalak of the Lubavitch Women's Organization at (248) 548-6771 or e-mail: miriamanwalak1@juno.com 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: Yevsey Gutman. Cantor emeritus: Larry Vieder. Services: Friday 6 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m., 6:45 p.m.; weekdays 7:30 a.m., 6 p.m.; Sunday 8:30 a.m. B'nai mitzvah of Brittany Feldman, daughter of Carol and Alan Feldman; Noah Stone, son of Andrea and Douglas Stone. Aufruf of Ericka Wolfe and Matthew Thacker. Simchat Torah: Friday, Oct. 8, 9 a.m., 6 p.m. 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 am. 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 emeri- tus: 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., 6:30 p.m.; weekdays 7 a.m., 7 p.m.; Sundays 10/ 8 2004 74 6 p.m. Bat mitzvah of Sarah Seransky, daughter of Kelly and Roy Seransky. Simchat Torah: Friday, Oct. 8, 9 a.m. (Haftorah, Kerry Greenhut), 6 p.m. ISAAC AGREE DOWNTOWN SYNAGOGUE and civic holidays: 8:15 a.m., 5 p.m. Bar mitzvah of Nathan Cykiert, son of Julie Cykiert and Stuart Cykiert. 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. BETH ISRAEL (FLINT) CONGREGATION SHAAREY ZEDEK G-5240 Calkins Road, Flint, 48532, (810) 732-6310. Cantor emeritus: Sholom Kalib. President Leonard Meizlish. Services: Saturday 9:30 a.m., 6 p.m.; week- days 7:30 a.m., 6 p.m.; Sunday and legal holidays 8 a.m., 6 p.m. lvriah 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.; weekdays 7 a.m., 6:30 p.m. 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., 6:15 p.m.; Monday-Friday 7 am., 6 p.m.; Sunday and legal holidays 9 a.m.; Sunday 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., 6:30 p.m.; Sunday 8:30 a.m. Simchat Torah: Friday, Oct 8, 9 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 a.m.; daily 6 p.m.; Friday 6 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m., 6:30 p.m.; Sunday 9 am. bar mitzvah of Adam Klar, son of Kim and the late Dennis Klar. Simchat Torah: Friday, Oct. 8, 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 a:m. A liberal, egalitarian con- gregation 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 cel- entering a life of serious crime and dying with horrible guilt. (Sanhedrin 71b). But based on such reasoning, why did God create humanity in the first place, knowing full well that we would immediately make a mess of creation? This is one of the great mysteries of existence — why did God choose to create the world, and why does God allow humans to blunder along? The answer can only be that God loves us, even in our most dismal moments. As we said in the Neilah service on Yom Kippur, God does not desire the death of the wicked, but their repentance and continued life. Inspired by the dawn of cre- ation, humbled by our own short- comings, let us renew life and turn our existence into a blessing. ❑ Conversations At what point should one inter- vene to stop a friend from sin- ning? How do you weigh the risks and benefits of interven- tion? 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. JEW.13ILATION 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; weekdays 7:30 a.m.; Sunday 9 am. 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 am.; weekdays 6:50 a.m.