Torah Portion/Synagogues Youth, Age and Life's Value Shabbat Chaye Sarah: Genesis 23:1-25:18; I Kings 1:1-31. I n the portion we read this week, Sarah, the beloved wife of Abraham passes away and Abraham is faced with the mitzvah of burying her. Abraham purchases the famous Mearat Hamachpelah from Ephron the Hitite, and the Torah goes into unusual detail in describing the purchase. What is the lesson in this for us? In the next chapter, the Torah tells us "And Abraham was old (zaken), coming with days." Our sages tell us an interesting thing about the word zaken. It is an abbreviation for zeh kanah, which means "this one has acquired." The placement of this passage immediate- ly after the purchase of Sarah's burial plot raises the question as to whether Avraham Cohen is the director of Southfield-based Yeshiva Beth Yehudah's Partners in Torah program. him; but as a person ages, his options this is in some way connected to the become fewer and fewer. This is why acquiring of the plot for Sarah. our society values youth more than Our sages tell us there is a very old age. Since an old person has lost important lesson here, and it begins many options of what he can do with by understanding the value of money. his life, it doesn't seem to Money has no intrinsic be worth as much. value. Its value lies in its It is this idea that the power to purchase goods Torah is addressing when it and services. The more you tells us that, "Abraham was have, the greater your zaken coming with days." purchasing power. This is What this means is that what makes money so Abraham, the person, had intoxicating. Money carries all his days with him within it the full spectrum because Abraham was the of what can be had in product of having used all this world. RABBI his days towards the goal When one buys some- AVRAHAM of becoming the beloved thing, he is saying, "Having COHEN servant of God. this is more important to Special to the Abraham understood me than having all the Jewish News early on what the days of options open to me." life were to be used for. But money for the sake of Every new day of life brings with it money has no value. We understand numerous possibilities of how it that if a person is wealthy but won't can be used; but if we sit by idly spend for his own needs, he has cherishing our options, we are like a problem. the person who hoards money but The difference between youth and doesn't use it. old age reflects this very same idea. A What good are options that are young person has an almost unlimit- not used? The only options that have ed number of possibilities open to Shedding Light On Shabbat A married woman customarily lights two Shabbat candles and may add an additional one for each of her children. Single women light one candle. Sponsored by Lubavitch Women's Organization. To receive Shabbat candles, candlesticks and brochures at no cost, contact Miriam Arnzalak at (248) 548-6771 or e-mail• zthriaruamzalaki@juao.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 5:15 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m., 5:15 p.m.; weekdays 7:30 a.m., 5:15 p.m.; Sunday 8:30 a.m. B'nai mitzvah of Ariel Slabotsky, daughter of Susan and Larry Slabotsky; Alexander Goldfarb, son of Janis and Robert Goldfarb. CONGREGATION BETH SHALOM BEIT KODESH BETH TEPHILATH MOSES 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. 146 South Ave., Mt. Clemens, 48043, (586) 465-0641. 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Friday evenings: check Web site for times www.umhillel.org Monthly Saturday morning and afternoon services. value are those that were spent wisely like Abraham's. With this, we acquire that day as part of ourselves and take it with us. As we age, we acquire more and more value. This is a zaken to speak of. This is also the lesson of the pur- chase of the burial plot for Sarah. Money is also something whose pur- pose can be confused. We could get carried away and think that the value of money is the myriad of worldly things it can buy. Therefore, the first instance when money is used in the Torah for a purchase, the Torah is careful to give us the right example of what money is for. It is to connect us to the world to come, which is what the burial plot for Sarah represented. When money is spent on the right things it can bring a person to eternity. Conversations What is the formula for knowing when to save money and when to spend it? 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