Spirituality
Torah Portion/Synagogues
Be True To The Torah
Shabbat nave
Exodus 27:20-30:10
Ezekiel 43:10-27.
I
n this week's Torah portion, T'zave,
we have a continuation of the
description of the construction of
the mishkan, the tabernacle, the symbol
of God's presence in the world and the
focus of His worship.
The bulk of the portion deals with
the special garments of the priests and
the high priests. The verse (28:2) corn-
mands: 'And you should make the holy
garments for Aaron, your brother, (the
high priest) for honor and for glory"
Also, later in the portion, (28:40)
referring to the garments of the regular
priests, again the same term "for honor
and for glory" is used. Apparently, the
services of the priests and, indeed, the
entire functioning of the mishkan and
the worship of God must bring honor
and glory to God and to His people,
Israel.
Eliezer Cohen is rabbi of Congregation
Or Chadash.
In fact, the Torah (Deut. 4:5-8)
dom and righteousness. How far we are
mandates that our very lives, governed
from this ideal, when for many the
by God's laws, the Torah and the obser-
observance of Torah and the worship of
vance of mitzvot, bring honor upon
God have degenerated into mere super-
Israel and its God:
stitious rituals and an anti-rational and
"See, I have taught you rules and
anti-intellectual fundamentalism. There
judgments, as the Lord, my God has
are those whose vision of Judaism is
commanded me, [that you should] do
one that contradicts scientific fact and,
in the land that you are coming to pos-
in fact, reality itself. Such a "Judaism" is
sess. Keep and do them
one that only the unthinking
because they are the wisdom
or those indoctrinated with a
and understanding in the eyes
cult mentality would consider
of the nations, who will hear
"wisdom and understand-
of all these rules and say:
ing."
`How wise and understanding
We must heed the
is this great nation.' For who
Rambam (Maimonides
is as great as this nation that
1135-1204 C.E.) when he
God is close to, like the Lord,
writes (Guide for the Perplexed
our God, is (close to us)
11-25):
whenever we call upon Him?
"It is necessary to reinter-
RABBI
And who is as great as this
pret any biblical verse (that in
ELIEZER
nation - that has righteous rules
its literal sense) can be refut-
COHEN
and judgments, like this
ed by proof."
Special to the
whole Torah that I put before
And 11-47: "analyze the
Jewish News
you today?"
matter with your reason, and
The Torah itself demands
it will be clear to you what is
of us that our worship of God and our
said allegorically, figuratively or in exag-
observance of God's Torah must be
geration and what is literal, exactly
done in a way that even the non-Jewish
according to the original meaning of
nations will be impressed with its wis-
the words. And then, all prophetic vers-
Keeping Kosher
DOR CHADASH - U. OF MICH.
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Sponsored by Lubavitch Women's Organization. For information on keeping kosher or for help
making your kitchen kosher, contact Miriam Amzalak at (248) 548-6771 or e-mail•
miriamamzalaki@juno.com
CONSERVATIVE
ADAT SHALOM SYNAGOGUE
29901 Middlebelt, Farmington Hills, 48334, (248) 851-
5100. Rabbis: Daniel Nevins, Herbert Yoskowit, Rachel
Lawson Shere. Rabbi emeritus: Efry Spectre. Cantor:
Yevsey Gutman. Cantor emeritus: Larry Vieder. Services:
Friday 6 p.m.; Saturday 9 am., 6 p.m.; weekdays 7:30
a.m., 6 p.m.; Sunday 8:30 a.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 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., 5:45 p.m.; weekdays 7 a.m., 7
p.m.; Sundays and civic holidays: 8:15 a.m., 5 p.m.
6 a`a
2/17
2005
62
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. 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., 5:30 p.m.; Sunday 9 a.m., 5
p.m.; weekdays 7 a.m., 6:30 p.m. Bar mitzvah of Jacob
Allen, son of Alissa Pianin.
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
5:30 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m., 5:30 p.m.; Monday-Friday 7
a.m., Monday-Thursday 6 p.m.; Sunday and legal holi-
days 9 a.m.; Sunday 5 p.m. Haftorah, Morse Taxon.
U-M Hillel; 1429 Hill St., Ann Arbor 48104, (734) 769-
0500. Rabbi: Jason A. Miller. Co-chairs: Naomi Karp,
Perry Teicher. Egalitarian Carlebach-style service 5:30
p.m. Fridays. Monthly Shabbat morning service.
Monthly Shabbat Minchah-Seudah Shlishit. Check Web
site for times wwvv.umhillel.org
ISAAC AGREE DOWNTOWN
SYNAGOGUE
1457 Griswold, Detroit, 48226, (313) 961-9328.
Chazan: Cantor Usher Adler. Baal Kriah: Howard
Marcus. 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 5:30 p.m.;
Friday 5:45 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m., 5:30 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., 5:30 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.
es will
be clear to you and you will
achieve and retain a rational faith
according to what is acceptable to God
because God wants only the truth and
He hates falsehood. And then, your
views and thoughts will not be so con-
fused as to believe opinions that are not
true — even far from the truth — and
consider them Torah. The entire Torah
is perfectly true when understood prop-
erly."
The Torah is a Torah of truth, whose
wisdom and righteousness, beauty and
greatness should be evident to all by
our lives lived according to its rules. ❑
Conversations
How can people believe ideas that
are contradicted by reason, experi-
ence, science and our sense of real-
ity? Why do many people accept
religious ideas based on specula-
tion alone, when they are contra-
dicted by everything else? Judaism
has been called "reality-based."
What does that mean and is it so?
INDEPENDENT
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 visitors.
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 am., 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 aca-
demic year 7:30 am.; Sunday 9 a.m.