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RETIREMENT LIVING
"It's been one of
the best years
of my life."
Trowbridge has been a
wonderful change for me.
I felt at home right away. I
enjoyed it more than I ever
would have imagined. I've
made a lot of new friends
through all the activities.
rarely in my apartment
when they call, but it puts
their minds at ease that
I'm so busy.
Living at The Park at
Trowbridge is like being
with friends all day long.
I never dreamed my life
could be so much fun!"
24111 Civic Center Drive
Southfield, MI 48033
www.horizonbay.com
at Trowbridge
A HORIZON BAY SENIOR COMMUNITY
The Brightest Tbmorrows Begin Here. ®
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1159500
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WOOD & LAMINATES, LTD.
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Interior Design Service
Wall Units
Bedrooms
Dining Rooms
Home Theatre
Kitchens & Baths
Offices
Woods
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Lois Haron, Allied Member ASID • 248-851-6980
52
September 14 • 2006
Ai
TORAH PORTION
Making The Choice
0
My kids complain that I'm
Call or visit
The Park today!
(248) 352-0208
yi
Shabbat Nitzavim-Vayelech:
Deuteronomy 29:9-31:30;
Isaiah 61:10-63:9.
"Living at The Park at
Edith S. - resident
7- 6=1\2..
ur Torah reading
our preparation for
this week is an
Rosh Hashanah and
introduction to
Yom Kippur embraces
the High Holidays. As we
this call to "choose life."
conclude our year, Moses'
We are to evaluate the
last reminders and final
choices made last year,
instructions to the Israelites
and decide how we will
who are about to enter the
make choices in this new
promised land of Canaan
year. Our guide in this
also prepare us to begin the
endeavor is now, as it
Rabbi Joseph
new year.
always was, Torah.
Klein
Among the well-known
This is the foundation
Special to the
quotes in this week's double
upon which Judaism
Jewish News
portion, Moses tells the
stands. Torah, as a con-
people: "I have put before
tinuous revelation, finds
you life and death, .a blessing and a
relevance for each generation. Like
curse. Choose life, if you and your
life, Torah is not static; it grows and
offspring would live." But does it make
interacts with the world around it. It is
sense? Unless one has serious suicidal
not an immutable inscription, standing
intentions, the question is no question
permanently against or overcoming
at all. Is the text facetious, or perhaps
culture and societal evolution.
just rhetorical?
Rather, Torah lives within each gen-
Being "alive" means growing,
eration, breathing, growing, alive. This
responding, developing and interacting
image of Torah as instruction is beauti-
with the world around us. To be dead,
fully described in the first part of the
as a value, in principle, means to stop
parasha:
growing, to become a "lifeless" object, to
"Behold, this Instruction which binds
withdraw from anything outside one-
us together this day is not too hard for
self. Perhaps choosing "death" means a
you, it is not far off:" It is not some uto-
withdrawal from, or a refusal to interact pian perfection, a visionary blueprint
with, life.
impossible to humanly apply.
Moses' instruction to the people
No preacher needs to tell you,
is this: Choose life because living is
explain to you, what it means. Neither
choosing!
is it across the sea that you should say,
The very notion of "choice" denotes
"Who among us can cross over there
interaction. To choose is to consider, to
and get it and understand it and teach
evaluate, weigh values, and then to act
us to do it?" No, the thing is very close
upon-those decisions. Choosing dis-
to you, in your mouth and in your
tinguishes activity from passivity, and
heart; and you can do it.
choosing insures that life will be passed
To be in our hearts and on our lips
on to the next generation.
is to say that Torah lives in us and thus
Notice that the verse says: choose life
grows and changes with us. Torah is
that "you and your offspring" might live. life; life is best described as choosing;
"Choosing life" is not for the present
choice is the mitzvah that is Torah. El
moment alone, but for the generations
that succeed it. The true test of whether Joseph P. Klein is rabbi of Temple Emanu-El
a "choice" is valid, worthwhile or viable
in Oak Park.
is if it is successfully perpetuated from
parents to children to children.
Conversations
The Israelites are to choose life: They
How does our understanding
are not told what their choices ought
of the mitzvah of choice define
to be, but that the imperative to choose
our Jewish identities and our
will insure life.
Jewish responsibilities? Isn't
If the mitzvot, the commandments
that understanding what essen-
of Torah, serve any single function, they
tially differentiates Orthodox,
are to forge a link between generations,
Conservative, Reform and
rather than a rift.
Reconstructionist Judaism?
So, we are reminded this week that