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- Keeping Kosher DOR CHADASH — U. OF MICH. Parve foods may be consumed with either or meat or dairy. Sponsored by Lubavitch Women's Organization. For information on keeping kosher or for help making your kitchen kosher, contact Miriam Anizalak at (248) 548-6771 or e-mail• miriamam7Alaklejuno.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., 6:15 p.m.; weekdays 7:30 a.m., 6 p.m.; Sunday 8:30 a.m. B'not mitzvah of Emily Kahn, daughter of Cindy Obron Kahn and Mark 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 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 3/ 3 2005 70 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., 6 p.m.; weekdays 7 a.m., 7 p.m.; Sundays and civic holidays: 8:15 a.m., 5 p.m. Bat mit- vah of Amanda Cohen, daughter of Barbara and Dr. Stan Cohen. Rabbi Bergman's class, 9 a.m. Saturday. 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., 6:30 p.m.; Sunday 9 a.m., 5 p.m.; weekdays 7 a.m., 6:30 p.m. Bat mitzvah of Isabella Morrison, daughter of Deborah and David Morrison. 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 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 am. Next Saturday, March 12, is Homecoming Shabbat. _ CONGREGATION SHAAREY LEDEK 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 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;