Join Us At Our
Brand New Location
Which Includes
•
•
•
Register Now!
Classes Begin
Tuesday,
September 4th
•
•
4. (...lassrooins \kith
sprung hurch‘ find iit
Viev, ing indmt
ail classrooms
Spacious S:
iiirtat*
r(.-ceptitm
-The Skvl ight
fsk:• --
Kith iic K, )1
OPEN HOUSE
Saturday, September 1st
4:00p.m.- 8:00p.m.
Join us in celebration
as we open the doors to our
exciting new home!
248E553-0305
28801 Orchard Lake Road, Farmington Hills
(just a few 100 yards south of our former location)
wwwiannetteandcompani scom
To Life!
TORAH PORTION
Religion Is A Discipline
Shabbat Ki Tetze:
Deuteronomy 21:10-25:19;
Isaiah 54:1-10.
Efrat, Israel
Brakhot (ch. 5. mishna 3), which lists
three occasions when a person praying
theological question: Do we
on behalf of the congregation must be
follow the laws of the Torah
silenced. One such case: If a worship-
because God is good and His per begs God to show compassion
commandments guide us to be more
because His compassion extends even
compassionate ourselves or because
to a bird — as evidenced in our com-
God is God and the Torah's primary
mandment to send away the mother
intention is to inculcate us
before taking her young
with the discipline to fol-
— then why do we silence
low — even blindly — the
the cantor?
Divine decrees?
In the ensuing talmudic
The interpretation of one
discussion, R. Yosi bar Zvida
particular commandment in
explains that the cantor is
this week's biblical portion
presenting the command-
of Ki Tetze will bring our
ments as "... springing from
question into sharp focus:
compassion, whereas they
Rabbi
"If you come across a
are but decrees."
Shlomo Riskin
bird's nest on any tree or
Maimonides has a view
Special to the diametrically opposed to
on the ground, and it con-
Jewish News
tains baby birds or eggs,
that of Professor Leibowitz.
if the mother is sitting on
In his commentary,
the chicks or eggs, you must not take
Maimonides insists that we do send
the mother along with her young. You
away the bird because of compassion.
must first chase away the mother, and
He makes the point that even in the
only then may you take the young ..."
animal world the mother suffers when
(Deuteronomy 22:6 7).
she sees the suffering of her calf.
Since the mother hovers about
The love and compassion of the
her nest protecting the young, she
mother for her young is not reasoned
represents motherly concern for and
intellectually, but has only to do with
commitment to her offspring. In com-
emotions and instincts, which are
manding us to send the mother away,
found among animals no less than
it would seem that our Torah is desir-
among human beings. If so, then why
ous of sparing her the pain of watching do we silence the cantor? "Because
her young taken from her embrace:
this particular commandment is a
Apparently, we are obliged to show
Divine decree; were it to have been
sympathy toward all life,
given because of compassion, the Bible
Professor Yishayahu Leibowitz, one
would not have permitted slaughtering
of Israel's pre-eminent philosophical
animals or fowl altogether."
minds of the modern era, believed that
Our Torah is a Torah of compas-
Judaism is not necessarily centered on
sion, but it is a Torah of reality as well.
ethics or compassion. Rather, the Torah From this perspective, it becomes
wants Jews to follow God's command-
quite clear that the Torah certainly
ments because they're God's com-
does attempt to train us in compas-
mandments. Judaism is a discipline;
sion, to have us emulate God because
and in following it, a certain society
He is good and compassionate, there-
will be formed. No discipline, and the
fore desirous of our becoming good
society falls apart — as simple as that. and compassionate. I I
The classic example often cited by
Professor Leibowitz was the Binding
Shlomo Riskin is chancellor of Ohr Torah
of Isaac, which is hardly a test of
Stone and chief rabbi of Efrat, Israel.
Abraham's potential for compassion; it
is rather a test of his ability to submit
to God's inscrutable will.
Conversations
Leibowitz would seem to be sup-
Discuss ways in which it is shown
ported by the talmudic discussion
that our God is a God of life and
surrounding a mishnah in Tractate
love.
A
-
Be Scooter Friendly.
Be easy on your wallet.
gyms scooters now at Great American Chopper.
50cc to 250cc engines, 2 year parts and service warranty.
$49.00 per month financing* What could be easier? *Mk for &MI
Greet American Chopper 1500 N. Crooks, Clawson, Mi 248A35.3300
Enter the
platinum giveaway
A new winner every month!
visit JNonline.us for details
40
August 23 • 2007