Torah Portion/Synagogues Using Your Words Shabbat Chukkat: Numbers 19: 1-22: I ; Judges 11:1-33. I n this week's parashah, Moses is once again feeling the stress of leadership. Tired and quickly los- ing hope following the death of his sis- ter Miriam, Moses hears the Israelites complain that they would have rather died in Egypt than in the desert. They go so far as to wish they had died a horrible death along with those punished for joining Korach's rebellion. They grumble that they were happier during their slave years in Egypt, where at least they had certain assurances compared to their current nomadic experience. They protest that they have been brought to a wretched place with no good food to eat or water to drink. To produce water for the people, the Lord commands Moses and his brother Aaron to assemble the com- munity and order a rock to yield its Rabbi Jason Miller is assistant director of the University of Michigan Hillel Foundation. This summer, he is also rabbi in residence at Camp Ramah in Canada. striking the rock twice in frustration. In water for the Israelites to drink. the Talmud we find the lesson: "When Rather than obeying the Lord's a prophet [like Moses] loses his temper, order verbatim, Moses takes his rod his gift of prophecy abandons him." and strikes the rock twice, producing Several excuses can potentially be drinking water. Immediately, Moses is made in defense of Moses' action. condemned by God to die in the Clearly the leadership of such a com- wilderness rather than being allowed plaining nation in the hot desert grew to marshal his troops all the way to taxing on Moses, raising his stress level the Promised Land "because you did and making it more difficult not trust Me enough to to reason with the Israelites. affirm My sanctity in the Further, he did have the sight of the Israelite people." best interest of the people in This certainly seems a mind when answering their harsh punishment for Moses' call for more drinking water. actions, but upon deeper However, he allowed his examination there is much emotions to get the better of to learn from both the mis- him and resorted to hitting take and the punishment. rather than speaking. Rashi comments that the While Moses hit an inan- double striking of the rock RABBI imate object rather than was unnecessary and proved JASON A. speaking to it, his action insulting to the sanctity of should alert us to a serious MILLER God by diminishing the problem today. Special to the greatness of the miracle. A Domestic abuse occurs in midrash explains that the sin Jewish News Jewish families at about the of Moses was not merely the same rate of 15 percent as in the gen- physical act of striking the rock, but eral community. However, studies also that he lost control of his temper demonstrate that Jewish women tend during Israel's rebellion. to stay in abusive relationships two or The commentaries of Maimonides three times longer than those in the and Samson Raphael Hirsch concur general population. that the severe punishment was for los- The misnomer that domestic abuse ing patience with the Israelites and The Talmud says we must provide financial support to non-Jews as well as Jews, visit the non-Jewish sick along with the Jewish sick and arrange for the burial of non-Jews as well as Jews. Presented by Lubavitch Women's Organization. For information on keeping kosher or lighting Shabbat candles, contact Miriam Amzalak (248) 548-6771, miriamamzalakl@junu.com , 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 7:30 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m., 9 p.m.; weekdays 7:30 a.m., 6 p.m.; Sunday 8:30 a.m. Aufruf of Mindy Hayman and Larry Markle. 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: Martin Diskin. Vice presi- dents: Aaron Engel, Jeffrey Kirsch. 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 ❑ For information on domestic abuse in the Jewish community, visit www.jcada.org. Conversations Why do you think Aaron was punished alongside Moses? How important is it to be precise in following God's demands? . Giving Tzeclakah CONSERVATIVE is not a Jewish concern further exacer- bates the problem by discouraging abused women from reporting the abuse to others. Rather than speaking to each other about difficult issues within the rela- tionship, many partners (mostly men according to statistics) resort to vio- lence. Oftentimes, men blame their abusive actions on stress from work and they allow their emotions to impair their better judgment. Regardless of how demanding one's life may seem with weighty responsibil- ities at home and at work, resorting to abuse is never acceptable. The lesson of Moses aptly demonstrates this for us. His punishment was indeed severe, but so is the message it sends to our community. It is always better to use words than to hit. Ackerman. Guest rabbi: Aaron Bergman. Visiting schol- ar: Dr. Howard Lupovitch. Services: Friday 6 p.m.; Saturday 9:30 a.m., 8:45 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. 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 7:30 p.m. CONGREGATION BETH SHALOM Services: weekdays 7:15 a.m.; Saturday 10 a.m.; Sunday 8 a.m. Monday, Thursday 7 a.m.; daily 6 p.m.; Friday 6 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m., 9 p.m.; Sunday 9 a.m. CONGREGATION B'NAI MOSHE TEMPLE ISRAEL 6800 Drake, West Bloomfield, 48322, (248) 788-0600. Rabbi: Elliot Pachter. Cantor: Earl Berris. Services: Friday 6 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m., 8:30 p.m.; Monday-Friday 7 a.m., Monday-Thursday 6 p.m.; Sunday and legal holi- days 9 a.m.; Sunday 6 p.m. Haftorah, Marty Price. DOR CHADASH — U. OF MICH. 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 at candlelighting time 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 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. 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. 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., 9 p.m.; Sunday 8:30 a.m. BETH TEPHILATH MOSES 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.; 146 South Ave., Mt. Clemens, 48043, (586) 465-0641. 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. DEDEPENDENT AHAVAT SHALOM 413 N. Division St., Traverse City, 49684, (231) 929- 4330. Rabbi: Chava (Stacie) Bahle. Weekly Shabbat celebrations, holidays, year round programming, chil- dren's education. Summer programming for downstate visitors. GROSSE POINTE JEWISH COUNCIL (313) 882-6700. Rabbi: Nicholas Behrmann. Cantorial soloist: Bryant Frank. JEW13ILATION 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. SYNAGOGUES on page 62 7/ 7 2005 61