To Life!

TORAH PORTION

EMY

Mystery On
The Mountain

?tropolitan Detroit

"You will be a blessing ...
and through you, all families
of the earth will be blessed."
Genesis 12:2-3

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Shabbat Shavuot:
Deuteronomy 14:22-16:17;
Numbers 28:26-31;
Habakkuk 3:1-19.

With great pride we

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Fourth Commencement Ceremonj

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for the Jewish Academy

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127'.2 Thursday,

Two thousand and six

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at seven o'clock in the evening

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Congregation B'nai Moshe

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6800 Drake Road

West Bloomfield, Michigan

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the fifteenth of June

Reception to follow the ceremony

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COMMENCEMENT

2006

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For more information, please contact
Rabbi Lee Buckman, Head of School,
248-592-5263, or visit www.jamd.org .

1113920

62

June 1 • 2006

D

o you believe that the world
that it is a composite work edited by
was created by God? I do.
people? We can soften the conflict by
Do you believe that the
noting that the Torah describes revela-
plants and animals that populate
tions during the four decades follow-
earth evolved over millions of years
ing Sinai, but the problem remains.
through a process of natu-
Now the critic attacks
ral selection? I do, too. Do
— how can you believe
you believe that Torah was
in revelation at all, given
revealed to Israel at Mount
what we have learned of
Sinai? I do. Do you believe
its development and the
that the Torah's final form
variety of ancient versions
continued to develop over •
found in Qumran? For this,
of history? I do, too.
my evidence is admittedly
Fundamentalists of either
subjective. Every time that I
the left or the right are
Daniel Nevins
open the Torah, I experience
surely frowning by now. You
Special to the
a small part of revelation.
can't have it both ways, they
Jewish News
There are depths revealed
say. Either the world is cre-
and depths concealed. No
ated or it is the product of
other text has this infinite
natural evolution. Either the
capacity for exegesis. No
Torah is revealed by God or it is writ-
other text has formed the foundation
ten by people. Pick a side!
of civil societies for billions speaking
But I stubbornly reject as false
most of the languages of humanity.
the dichotomy between science and
The Torah is unique.
religion. At their best, these two disci-
When I study Torah, Sinai does not
plines inform, challenge and deepen
feel like a distant revelation, but rather
one another. Biology gives us the tools an immediate experience. My sense
to study and appreciate the variety of
of awe is as overwhelming in the
life. Religion allows us to express our
presence of Torah as it is when wit-
awe and gratitude to God for the gift
nessing dawn break on the peak of a
of life and gives an address for griev-
mountain. Revelation, like creation, is
ances when nature seems cruel.
an ultimate mystery of life. Scientific
I know that the traditional claim of
methodologies only deepen my sense
a universe created precisely 5766 years of wonder and my gratitude that we
and six months ago cannot be recon-
have the privilege to live in a world
ciled with the cosmological consensus
of Torah. May we accept this gift on
of closer to 14 billion years since the
Shavuot, bringing to it every tool that
big bang. But this is small potatoes in
God has given us for understanding.
Jewish terms. No classical Jewish text
Much remains to be learned. ❑
claims to know the precise moment of
creation. Genesis itself describes the
Conversations
creation process in different orders,
Open the Torah and read a pas-
teaching us from the outset that this
sage aloud with a partner. Look
is not a book of natural history, but an
up unfamiliar words, read com-
account of the purpose of creation.
mentaries and talk about it until
What about the Torah itself? Surely
you understand. It's your Torah.
one cannot simultaneously believe
Enjoy it!
that it is dictated letter for letter by
God to Moses, as Maimonides wrote,
Daniel Nevins is spiritual leader of Adat
and also the modern academic claim
Shalom Synagogue in Farmington Hills.