to

To Life

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TORAH PORTION

(10 3 for any:hing Jewish

14/100 More
Children

introducing:

Latke Larry

Shabbat Noah:
Genesis 6:9-11:32;
Isaiah 54:1-55:5.

He cooks!

He knells!

He dances!

He kvetches!

He sings a song!

(with the hilarious voice
of Jerry Stiller)

A portion of the profits go
to The Friendship Circle.

wwwjewish.corn
1,866.JUDAICA

1043880

The Sisterhood of
Temple Beth El
presents

SUNDAY, NO EMBER 6
9:15am -2:00pm

Temple Beth El
7400 Telegraph at
14 Mile Road

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Sweaters ♦ Jewelry ♦ Cosmetics ♦ Travel
Accessories ♦ Children's Clothing
Gourmet Food Mixes ♦ Judaica
Stationery ♦ Books for Children & Adults

Cash, Checks Visa & Mastercard Welcome

s a Jewish commu-
children? For this reason,
nity, we love to
God reminds them that
reoccupy our-
the power to create life is
selves with numbers. How
also an important
many Jews are there? How
responsibility.
many Jews live in Detroit?
When they get out of
How many Jews read this
the ark, God gives Noah
article?
Rabbi Reuven several important rules
The Jewish Federation
that would forever govern
Spolter
this month is conducting Special to the humanity. Known as the
a study to answer that
seven Noahide Laws,
Jewish News
very question and get an
these rules form the fab-
idea of the direction our
ric of society as we know
community is moving in demo-
it. In the seventh law, God forbids
graphically. Obviously, I don't
man from murdering a fellow
know the precise answers to the
human being,"for God created
important questions in the
man in His image." Then, He tells
Federation study. But no matter
the group, "And you, be fruitful
how we slice the pie, the Jewish
and multiply, proliferate on earth
community is shrinking quickly.
and make it populous."
_. In a frightening article in the
Why does the Torah connect the
recent Commentary magazine,
two seemingly unrelated com-
www.commentarymagazine.com ,
mandments? The Talmud sees a
Jack Wertheimer, provost of the
powerful connection. "Said Ben
Jewish Theological Seminary in
Azai: The Torah compares one
New York, laments the startlingly
who refrains from bringing chil-
low fertility rates among Jews in
dren into the world to a murderer,
America. "Among Americans of all for he had the power to bring the
kinds," he writes, "Jews have the
image of God into the world, and
fewest number of siblings, the
he did not:' Powerful words.
smallest household size and the
The average number of children
second lowest number of children
per Jewish woman in America,
under 18 at home'
1.86, is simply not enough. We
Having and raising children
need more of God's image in our
presents significant challenges:
community, not less. So, if you
Children demand our time, our
have 1.86 kids, have at least .14
energy and our money. So, Jewish
more! (We prefer kids in whole
adults put off having children.
numbers.) And if you don't even
Imagine if Noah and his chil-
have that many, get started! Our
dren had done the same thing.
population study results will only
After emerging from the ark
begin to go up when more Jewish
and the terrible days of the flood,
parents decide to bring more chil-
the entire world population is
dren into the world.
exactly eight — Noah and his
Reuven Speer is rabbi of Young
wife, and their three sons, Shem,
Israel
of Oak Park.
Cham and Yafet, and their wives.
Imagine for a moment that they all
decide not to have children for a
Conversations
while. After all, with the world
With a marriage, what
completely destroyed, they've got
new
obligations are
homes to build, businesses to cre-
assumed
by the couple
ate — plenty to keep them busy.
and
what
new responsibil-
Moreover, having witnessed the
ities
to
each
other?
destruction of the world, who's to
say that they even want to have

❑

November 3 . 2005

TN

