Featuring Hollywood's
T ORA
DJ AM !
PORTION
Lisa and Bill Ford and Kathryn and Roger Penske
invite you to attend...
The Courage To
Become Free
r
Shabbat Shemot:
Exodus 1:1-6:1;
Isaiah 27:6-28:13; 29:22-23.
Ape
A fundraiser to benefit The Children's Center
H
when all that we can feel is weakness.
. ow strong are you? How
Too often, we accept our historical
strong are we? The truth is,
circumstances
as predetermined and
we haven't a clue. Consumed
inevitable.
We
forget
to challenge
with worry, we focus on the limita-
inequity,
ignorance
and
evil. We neg-
tions of life, often ignoring the ample
lect
to
demand
justice and
opportunities afforded us to
kindness
and.religious
con-
change our destiny.
viction.
Parshat Shemot zeroes in
In our community, we
on the nadir of Jewish exis-
accept
Jewish ignorance •
tence. After centuries of
and
apathy
as basic facts,
enslavement, it is completely
watering
down
our Torah's
rational for Israel to feel that
expectations
until
they
it will never know freedom,
become
meaningless.
that it isn't even entitled to
As Americans, we cele-
freedom.
Rabbi
brated
this week the life and
Yet time and again in this
Danny Nevins legacy of Dr. Martin Luther
portion, God cajoles his
Special to the King Jr. He had the courage
agents to find the courage to
Jewish News
to challenge injustice and to
challenge their situation and
reject a status quo which
to assert their independence
Americans
of all colors had long
of Pharaoh.
accepted
as
inevitable. The greatness
Moses is a self-starter. It is his own
of
Dr.
King
was
his ability to motivate
righteous indignation that causes him
masses
of
people
to stand for princi-
repeatedly to intervene on behalf of
ple,
to
reject
despair
and to dream of
the weak, whether in Egypt or in
justice.
Midian. Yet even Moses questions the
How appropriate that our Torah
wisdom of God's plan.
portion
this week makes the same
At first, Moses frames his doubts in
point
—
we have strengths beyond
terms of his own disability; but .by the
our
imagination.
Will we have the
end of the portion, he comes to blame
conviction
to
study
and then proclaim
God for the worsening situation of
the
sacred
values
of
our religion?
Israel and the undelivered redemp-
Judaism
asserts
that
all humans
tion. All that he can see is calamity.
What does God perceive? In Chapter have dignity Furthermore, all people
have a purpose. Israel's purpose is to
2 we read a string of four verbs —
sanctify the world through the prac-
God hears the cries of Israel; God
tice
of Torah. The task may be daunt-
- remembers the covenant with their
ing,
but we do have the ability. If we
ancestors; God sees Israel; and God
will
it, then it is no dream. ❑
.
knows.
What is the point of this intensive
Danny Nevins is a spiritual leader at Adat
narration of God's inner process? Our
Shalom Synagogue in Farmington Hills.
sages teach that God is attentive not
only to the present moment, but to all
of the past and future actions of
Israel.
Conversations:
In the Midrash Mechilta, Rabbi
Why does God allow slavery
Yehudah Ben Lakish teaches that God
to last so long? Is there any
sees Israel's repentance, even when
benefit to the delayed
they can't see it. God understands
redemption? Is suffering a
their merit, even when they cannot.
necessary component of
God sees us when we cannot see our-
redemption?
selves; God believes in our strength
An officially sanctioned event of the
Detroit Super Bowl XL Host Committee
February 4, 2006
7:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. • Ford Conference and Event Center
1151 Village Road, Dearborn, Michigan
Strolling Reception/Cocktails/Desserts
and After-Dinner Drinks
Live art performances, dancing and
entertainment featuring the renowned
dance band "Haute Chile" and DJ AM
Creative casual chic attire encouraged!
$450 a ticket
groovedetroit.com • 313-262-1112
HONORARY CO-CHAIRS
Mr. and Mrs. Dave Bing • Mr. and Mrs. Chris Chelios
Mr. Alex Delvecchio • Mr. and Mrs. Earvin "Magic" Johnson
Mr. and Mrs. Al Kaline • Mr. and Mrs. Tom Lewand
Mr. Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez • Mr. and Mrs. Steve Yzerman
As one of the largest, most diverse and comprehensive front-line child-
serving agencies in Michigan, The Children's Center addresses the needs
and problems of some of the most troubled children in the United States.
Founded in 1929, The Children's Center serves thousands of children
the
Cilal<Q\1:5
Colter
and families through 20 inter-related programs annually.
LINCOLN
Ford Division
07(1
Ford Customer Service
Division
MERCURY
RENAISSANCE
AMEDIA
January 19 2006
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