Spirituality
Torah Portion/Synagogues
Harmony In Ritual
Shabbat Zachor:
Parshat Vayikrah:
Leviticus 1:1-5:26;
Deuteronomy 25:17-19;
I Samuel 15:2-34.
T
his week, we begin our reading
of the third book of Torah. The
problem for those of us who
choose to "read" Leviticus is that it has
no story and is written without any nar-
rative style!
It lists the functions, rules, rituals and
sacrifices as performed by ancient
Israelite priests, with occasional side-
trips into personal laws of purity (i.e.,
what animals are forbidden for food
because they are unclean and in what
ways people can become unclean).
Whether its skin eruptions, childbirth
or mildewed clothing, here we find the
ways we become defiled. Not only is it
Joseph Klein is rabbi of Temple Emanu-
El in Oak Park.
dull reading, but it also often borders on
would have liked; it may contain laws
being most unpleasant!
and statutes that are, in our society,
Perhaps we find the book difficult to
abhorrent; but it was not written for us.
appreciate because we "cannot see the
It is the constitution of a people who
forest for the trees." In concentrating on
had no home and had no tradition, a
the kinds of offerings, the rules of sacri-
people that lived 3,000 years ago, a peo-
fice, the laws of personal purity and the
ple that was as "primitive" as every other
variety of eruptions that infect our bod-
people!
ies and buildings — we lose sight of the
If the Levitical laws of purity or sacri-
bigger picture presented by
fice do not respond to our
the entirety of the ritual sys-
world, ought we not examine
tern. Leviticus is certainly dif-
them for what they tell us
ferent from the other books of
about that world? And if I
Torah, but instead of examin-
can appreciate the rituals
ing what makes it "not" the
through which an earlier peo-
narrative of Genesis or Exodus,
ple, my predecessors, found
let us see it for what it itself is.
value, meaning and fulfill-
It's true that Leviticus has
ment, I will be better able to
no story, no organized struc-
examine the needs of my own
ture, nor is it a systematic col-
community.
lection or code. It is, for the
Perhaps of all the five
RABBI JOSEPH
most part, a hodgepodge of
books
of Torah, even of all
KLEIN
laws. But the "hodge-podge"
Scriptures,
Leviticus is our
Special to the
has a purpose: It serves to har-
best
link
to
the daily and reli-
Jewish News
monize social order. It reaches
gious lives of our ancestors: a
into the midst of this aggre-
3,000-year-old, direct, con-
gate mass and demands that its groups,
nection. Leviticus teaches us that to
families and individuals declare the pri-
remain stable, a society requires ritual to
ority of the "community". Leviticus may
express thanks and expatiate guilt, a sys-
not be organized the way many of us
tern to regulate daily functioning, to
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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., 6:30 p.m.; weekdays
7:30 a.m., 6 p.m.; Sunday 8:30 a.m. B'nai mitzvah of
Tali Jensen, daughter of Rachel and David Jensen; Ryan
Lederman, son of Debbie and Ron Lederman.
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
3/17
2005
68
5075 W. Maple, West Bloomfield, 48322, (248) 851-
6880. Ritual director: Joseph Mermelstein. Rabbi emeri-
tus: 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., 6:15 p.m.; weekdays 7 a.m., 7
p.m.; Sundays and civic holidays: 8:15 a.m., 5 p.m. Bat
mitzvah of Erin Rachel Rhodes, daughter of Dana and
Michael Rhodes.
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., 6 p.m.; Sunday 9 a.m., 5 p.m.;
weekdays 7 a.m., 6:30 p.m. Men's Club Shabbat. Baby
naming of Alexa Karen Emmer, daughter of Debra and
Scott Emmer.
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 holi-
days 9 a.m.; Sunday 6 p.m. Bar mitzvah of Phillip
Gross, son of Marina and Isaak Gross. Minchah bar
mitzvah of Mitchell Leve, son of Lisa and Stuart Leve.
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 .
deal with contagious diseases and to
maintain an underlying ethical code for
creating a just and compassionate socie-
ty. The Book of Leviticus responds to all
these needs and thus challenges us to
achieve that same stability. "This is how
we did it," it seems to say, "now, how
might you do it?"
Returning to the thought that
Leviticus is more important as the forest
made up of single trees, we are remind-
ed that Torah itself is called eitz, a tree.
Indeed as we return the Torah scroll to
the ark we will sing: Eitz chaim hee,
Bnachazikim bah —"It is a tree of life,
to those who hold it tightly. Its ways are
ways of pleasantness and all its paths are
peace."
❑
Conversations
In what ways do rituals harmo-
nize social order? Is there a link
between physical and spiritual
purity?
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 visi-
tors.
GROSSE POINTE JEWISH COUNCIL
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 6 p.m.; Friday
6 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m., 6:15 p.m.; Sunday 8:30 a.m.
Purim: Thursday, march 24, 6:45 p.m. megillah reading.
Friday, March 25, 7:15 a.m. megillah reading at Laker
complex.
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., 6 p.m.; Sunday 9 a.m. Purim: Megillah
reading at Laker complex Friday, March 25, 7:15 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.
(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; 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 a.m.; Sunday 9 a.m.
BATS CHABAD OF FARMINGTON
HILLS
32000 Middlebelt, Farmington Hills, 48334, (248) 855-