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JuIy 20 - 2006
Shabbat Mattot-Masei:
Numbers 30:2-36:13;
1-800-HAGOPIAN (424-6742)
We're the purple truck people!
Creating A Community
Of Holiness
young child in
of their misfortune they
my congregation
will say [to Me], "Arise
approached me
and save us!" But where
the other day with a power-
then are your gods
ful question: "Why did the
which you made for
Kotel burn down?" It took
yourself. Let them arise
me a minute to realize what
if they can save you ..."
she was really asking me. In
We live in dangerous
her day camp she learned
times for the Jewish
about the "Three Weeks:' the
people. We watch the
Rabbi
period of mourning leading
world
of radical Islam
Reuven Spolter
up to Tisha b'Av, the Jewish
grow
more
powerful
Special to the
day of mourning that com-
by
the
day.
Rising anti-
Jewish News
memorates the destruction
Semitism threatens Jews
of the Temple. Having learned that the around the world. Israel must combat
Beis HaMikdash (Temple) had been
terrorist regimes hiding under the
destroyed, she wanted to know why.
cover of governments while the United
It's a great question, but it's really
Nations condemns her for her own
two questions. The first question
self-defense. I would love to say that
is, "How did it happen?" to which I
we, the Jewish community must turn
answered that very bad people who
to God in our time of distress and cry
didn't like the Jewish people came
out, "Arise and save us!" And I do say
and destroyed their Temple. That's
it. We must cry out to God in this time
all I can tell a 4-year-old. But the real
of distress. But I'm afraid of God's
question isn't "how," but "why" If the
response.
Temple brought God's presence into
I'm afraid that God will open last
our midst, why then would an all-
week's Jewish News, see that it
powerful God allow a foreign nation to announces gay union ceremonies and
invade and destroy that holy presence? tell us, "I'm sorry, but that's not a com-
The answer, I think, is quite simple:
munity that wants Me in its midst:'
He allowed it to happen because He
Says Jeremiah: If you repent, Yisrael,
no longer wanted to be in our midst.
you will return to Me fully, and if
We simply didn't deserve it.
you remove your abominations from
The haftarot (additional read-
before Me, you will not be exiled. And
ings) which we read during these
if you swear, saying, "As the Eternal
three weeks relate the messages of the
lives," honestly, justly and righteously,
prophets to the Jewish community
then the nations will bless themselves
living in Jerusalem before the destruc- with Yisrael's name and praise it. E
tion of the Temple. This week we read
from the second chapter of Jeremiah,
Reuven Spolter is rabbi of Young Israel of
whose message is simple and straight- Oak Park.
forward: return to God. Throw away
your idols. Live moral lives. Follow
God's Torah — or accept the conse-
Conversations
quences.
Imagine that you were Jeremiah,
Says Jeremiah: The [Jewish people]
and had seen the Temple's
say to wood, "You are my father:' and
destruction in a prophetic vision.
to stone, "You gave birth to me': for
What could you say to the people
they have turned their backs to me
to get them to change?
instead of their faces. Yet, at the time