Spirituality
Torah Portion/Synagogues
It Takes Hard Work To Rest Easy
Shabbat Mevarechim:
Parshat Va Yachel;
Exodus 35:1-38:20;
I Kings 7:40-50.
L
et's begin with a simple ques-
tion. What is work? Is the act
defined strictly by physical cri-
teria, or is attitude more important?
When a professional baseball player
hits a home run — is that work, or
play? What about a weekend gardener
whose nurturing hands make vegeta-
bles grow and flowers blossom —
work, or play?
At first blush, attitude would seem
most important. If I am paid for an
activity and see it as work, then it is
work. Otherwise, it is leisure. But atti-
tudes shift; suddenly, our professions
can be pleasurable, and our pastimes a
pain. If you don't believe me, come
help weed my garden this summer!
While attitude is important, it is
Daniel S. Nevins is a rabbi at Adat
Shalom Synagogue in Farmington Hills.
subjective and inconstant. Therefore,
melacha, in these contexts gives us two
Judaism defines "work" with precise
insights into its definition. First, the
physical criteria. Whether you are a
kind of work forbidden on Shabbat is
professional farmer or a weekend gar-
creative. Just as God took a break from
dener, watering, weeding and harvest-
creating the universe, so too must we
ing are never allowed on Shabbat.
cease from our constant concern to
What else is work? The problem is
manipulate and improve upon our envi-
that the Torah is rather vague about the
ronment. On Shabbat, we rest from cre-
details. It does give one concrete exam-
ativity and enjoy creation.
ple here — "you shall kindle
The second context
no fire throughout your set-
regarding the tabernacle is
tlements on the Sabbath day"
more technical. Any kind of
Lighting fire has come to
work done in building the
symbolize the activity known
tabernacle is forbidden on
as work. One explanation for
Shabbat. The sages see a hint
why Shabbat officially begins
of this in the juxtaposition
with the lighting of candles
this week of the command to
and officially ends with the
observe Shabbat with the
lighting of the Havdalah can-
detailed instructions for
dle is that these actions
building the tabernacle.
RABBI DANIEL What type of work is forbid-
demonstrate the limits of
S. NEVINS
Shabbat.
den on Shabbat? Read on
Fine. Fire and gardening.
Special to the
and you'll find out.
What else is work? The Torah
Jewish News
Agriculture, weaving, cook-
uses the technical term
ing and carrying — the rab-
melacha to describe the type of work
bis count 39 forms of work which were
forbidden on Shabbat. That same term
performed in the tabernacle and which
is used in two other contexts — Genesis are forbidden on Shabbat.
I, when God creates the universe, and
From these 39 categories come
here in Exodus, when the Israelites cre-
many derivative prohibitions. Is it per-
ate a tabernacle in the wilderness.
mitted to play a musical instrument on
The use of this unusual word,
Shabbat? In order to answer that ques-
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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., 6:15 p.m.; weekdays
7:30 a.m., 6 p.m.; Sunday 8:30 a.m. B'not mitzvah of
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Kahn, and Paige Mark, daughter of Christine Mark and
Richard Mark. Baby naming of Rachel Eden Freedland,
daughter of Jennifer and Stuart Freedland.
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
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BEIT KODESH
31840 W. Seven Mile, Livonia, (248) 477-8974. Cantor:
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CONGREGATION BETH AHM
3/ 3
2005
70
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Ackerman. Guest rabbi: Aaron Bergman. Visiting schol-
ar: Dr. Howard Lupovitch. Services: Friday 6 p.m.;
Saturday 9:30 a.m., 6 p.m.; weekdays 7 a.m., 7 p.m.;
Sundays and civic holidays: 8:15 a.m., 5 p.m. Bat mit-
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BETH ISRAEL (FLINT)
G-5240 Calkins Road, Flint, 48532, (810) 732-6310.
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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
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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
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weekdays 7 a.m., 6:30 p.m. Bat mitzvah of Isabella
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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 6 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m., 6:15 p.m.; Monday-
Friday 7 a.m., Monday-Thursday 6 p.m.; Sunday and
legal holidays 9 a.m.; Sunday 6 p.m.
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
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ISAAC AGREE DOWNTOWN
SYNAGOGUE
1457 Griswold, Detroit, 48226, (313) 961-9328. Chazan:
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President: Dr. Ellen Kahn. Services: Saturday 8:30 am.
Next Saturday, March 12, is Homecoming Shabbat.
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Rabbis: Joseph H. Krakoff, Jonathan E. Berkun, Eric S.
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Southfield: 27375 Bell Road, Southfield, 48034, (248)
357-5544. Services: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday 7:30
a.m.; Monday, Thursday 7:15 am.; daily 6 p.m.; Friday 6
p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m.. 5:45 p.m.; Sunday 8:30 a.m. B'nai
mitzvah of Max Arsht Kopnick, son of Lynn and Bharat
Gandhi and Lisa and Mitchell Kopnick; and Lee Feldman,
son of Julie and the late Jeff Feldman.
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., 5:45 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 congre-
gation serving the tri-cities area. Religious and Hebrew
education programs for children and adults.
tion, we must look at the categories of
work and see how the sages interpreted
them (they said no — it could lead to
tuning, carrying or repairing the
instrument).
How convenient that the tabernacle
came along to teach us about Shabbat
laws! Yet there is a deeper message
embedded in this juxtaposition. You
might think that building a beautiful
tabernacle (or a musical service) is
more important than resting on
Shabbat, but it turns out that Shabbat
is paramount. God values our own rest
even more than our efforts to build a
beautiful shrine.
Do you value your rest? Is your work
so urgent that you can't afford to slow
down? This weekend, treat yourself to
25 hours of Shabbat. If you do it right,
tranquility will enter your soul, and life
will never be the same. Shabbat
Shalom.
❑
Conversations
Let's say that reading a newspaper
is not work. Is it appropriate to
catch up on the news on Shabbat?
Within what limits?
INDEPENDE'NT
AHAVAT SHALOM
413 N. Division St., Traverse City, 49684, (231) 929-
4330. Rabbi: Chava (Stacie) Bahle. Weekly Shabbat cele-
brations, 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 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.
BAIS CHABAD OF FARMINGTON HILLS
32000 Middlebelt, Farmington Hills, 48334, (248) 855-
2910. Rabbi: Chaim Bergstein. Services: Friday sundown;