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Torah Portion/Synagogues
The Vast Potential Of Blessing
Shabbat Vayechi:
Genesis 47:28-50:26•
I Kings 2:1-12.
I
n this week's Torah portion,
Jacob, now on his deathbed,
blesses his sons, the leader of
each of the tribes of Israel.
What is the concept behind any
blessings? For a possible answer, let us
examine the blessing that we, our-
selves, are told to bless our children
with each Friday night: "May God
make you like Ephraim and like
Menashe."
Joseph brings his nvo children,
Menashe and Ephraim, to their
grandfather Jacob to receive his bless-
ing. When blessing them, Jacob puts
Ephraim, the younger brother, before
Menashe, who is the first born
(bechor). Joseph corrects his father;
but Jacob responds by saying, "I know
he, too (namely Menashe), will
become great, but his younger brother
will be greater.
I)
Michael Cohen is the rabbi of Keter
Torah Synagogue.
I was always bothered by this state-
ter. The lady took it and apologized.
ment. After all, Jacob is giving out
"Sorry," she said. "I did not know
blessings at this point. Why is he
that you were a vendor."
favoring the younger of the two, per-
Years later, the very same lady was
haps in the same way that he had
walking through the subway once again
favored Joseph when he was young?
when a man called to her from a kiosk.
I believe that from here we can
He wanted to give her a newspaper.
have a profound insight into Jacob's
"Why do you want to give me a
blessings and, indeed, any "blessing."
paper?" she asked.
The great rabbi of the Mir Yeshiva
He then told her that he recog-
in Europe said that from
nized her as being the lady
here we see that a blessing
who had called him a "ven-
does not direct magical
dor" years back. Till then he
power to the blessed.
had always thought of him-
Actually, what a blessing
self as a plain old "bum."
does is to bring out the nat-
His eyes had been opened
ural greatness that is some-
to his own self worth and to
times latent within a person.
the potential of selling more
Jacob tells Joseph that
than just pencils. As a result,
Menashe will indeed be great
he now had a profitable
because he has tremendous
business to his name with
potential, but Ephraim has
more than just one kiosk in
RABBI
even greater potential.
the New York subway.
MICHAEL
I once heard the story of a
Often we are trapped by
COHEN
lady running through the
our own perception of our-
Special to the
New York subway when a
selves. It takes a truly great
Jewish News
man asked her for a quarter.
person to be able to locate
After giving the money, the
the goodness in another and
lady ran off only to be perused by the
bring it to the forefront.
man. "Here," he said, "take this."
I believe that this is what Jacob was
Giving her a pencil, he explained that
doing when he blessed each of his
he was giving the pencil for the quar-
children. For this reason, he felt that
Shedding Light On Shabbat
Just as candles are lit in honor of Shabbat, so are they lit in honor
of the festivals.
Sponsored by Lubavitch Women's Organization. To receive Shabbat candles, candlesticks
and brochures at no cost, contact Pliriam Amzalak at (248) 548-6771 or e-mail•
miriamainzalaki. @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 5 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m., 5 p.m.; weekdays 7:30
a.m., 5 p.m.; Sunday 8:30 a.m. Bar mitzvah of Josh
Schwartz, son of Karen and Robert Schwartz will be
observed in Jerusalem.
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 a.m.
CONGREGATION BETH AHM
5075 W. Maple, West Bloomfield, 48322, (248) 851-
6880. Ritual director: Joseph Mermelstein. Rabbi emer-
itus: A. Irving Schnipper. Cantor Emeritus: Shabtai
Ackerman. Guest rabbi: Aaron Bergman. Visiting schol-
ar: Dr. Howard Lupovitch. Services: Friday 6 p.m.;
Saturday 9:30 a.m., 4:45 p.m.; weekdays 7 a.m., 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: Dr. Harold
Steinman. 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. 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., 5:10 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, (586) 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 4:45 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m., 4:45 p.m.; Monday-
Friday 7 a.m., Monday-Thursday 6 p.m.; Sunday and
legal holidays 9 a.m.; Sunday 4:45 p.m. Haftorah,
Robin Ehrmann.
DOR CHADASH - U. OF MICH.
U-M Hillel; 1429 Hill St., Ann Arbor 48104, (734) 769-
0500. Rabbi: Jason A. Miller. Co-chairs: Rebecca
Murow, Perry Teicher. Egalitarian Carlebach-style serv-
ice 5:30 p.m. Fridays. Monthly Shabbat morning serv-
ice. Monthly Shabbat Minchah-Seudah Shlishit. Check
Web site for times www.umhillel.org
ISAAC AGREE DOWNTOWN
SYNAGOGUE
1457 Griswold, Detroit, 48226, (313) 961-9328.
Chazan: Cantor Usher Adler. Baal Kriah: Howard
Marcus. Cantorial soloist: Neil Barris. Ritual director: Dr.
Martin Herman. President: Dr. Ellen Kahn. Services:
Saturday 8:30 a.m. also the second Friday of every
month at 7 p.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 5 p.m.; Friday
4:45 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m., 4:45 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 a.m.; daily 6 p.m.; Friday 6 p.m.;
Saturday 9 a.m., 4:45 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 a.m. A liberal, egalitarian con-
gregation serving the tri-cities area. Religious and
Hebrew education programs for children and adults.
he had to give precedent to Ephraim
over Menashe because Ephraim had
potential to be even greater than
Menashe.
Each person can affect his own
world in so many ways. One of the
most profound ways is how he choos-
es to speak and the words that he uses
to describe himself and his environ-
ment. For this reason, the rabbis insti-
tuted the concept of a blessing for
every and any pleasure that we enjoy
in this world. When one makes a
blessing, one transforms the mundane
into a creation of God. A bagel is not
just a bagel, it is "bread brought out
of the ground by God!" I
Conversations
Does it make a difference if you
say you are "feeling well" or if
you say you are "feeling great"? Is
it easier to point out the good in
another person, or is it easier to
point out the bad? Why do
many people find it difficult to
make blessings?
DTMIEPENDENT
AHAVAT SHALOM
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 visi-
tors.
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.
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.
SYNAGOGUES
on page 56
12/24
2004
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