Spirituality

TORAH PORTION

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What Are Words For?

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Shabbat Bereshit: Genesis 1:1-6:8;
Isaiah 42:5-43:10.

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ne of my earliest memo-
was for our benefit. We have made
ries of Hebrew school as a
intentionally misleading statements.
child was being required
We have made false promises and
to memorize the first series of verses
excused our behavior by saying that
from the Torah. Since that day some
people do not really expect us to keep
27 years ago, the Creation narrative
our word. We have slurred people
from Genesis has been emblazoned on intentionally and with total disregard
my heart and in my mind.
for their feelings.
In the beginning, God
Does this ring a bell?
created the heaven and the
If so, on this Shabbat of
earth. And the earth was
starting again at "the begin-
unformed and void ... And
ning," if we haven't done
God said, `Let there be light.'
so already, let us recommit
ourselves to a careful exam-
And there was light." On
the second day, God said,
ination of the words that
come out of our mouths in
"Let there be an expanse in
all of our interactions. And
the midst of the water." On
Rabbi Joseph
the third day, God said, "Let
may we try harder to use
H. K rakoff
only those words that help
the water below the sky be
Specia I to the build bridges to a stronger
gathered into one area that
Jewis h News
the dry land may appear."
world — a world of truth,
On the fourth day, God said,
tolerance and, ultimately,
peace between one another and with
"Let there be lights in the expanse of
the sky to separate day and night ..."
the Almighty.
On the fifth day, God said, "Let the
waters bring forth swarms of living
Joseph Krakoff is a rabbi at Congregation
Shaarey Zedek in Oakland County.
creatures ..." On the sixth day, God
said, "Let us make the human in our
image ..." And God blessed the sev-
enth day and made it holy.
Conversations
In this whole cosmogony it is
How does God feel when we use
important to realize that God cre-
words that are hurtful? What are
ates the world not with thunder and
some words that we can use to
make other people feel good?
a laser light show, not with a magic
What significant changes can I
wand or a spellbinding performance,
but simply and carefully with words.
make today in the way I talk to
my family and friends?
This teaches us, from the very first
moment of Creation, that God's words
— and our words for that matter —
have amazing power: the power both
Celebrate The Torah
to build and destroy entire worlds.
Adat Shalom Synagogue in
For this reason alone, words should
Farmington Hills will celebrate
be used to do good and to promote
Simchat Torah on Thursday evening
good. But too often they are used
and Friday, Oct. 4, 5.
instead to disparage and profane, to
The evening service and Hakafot
ridicule and blaspheme. Unfortunately (parades with the Torah) will begin at
we live in a society where words are
7:30 p.m. Thursday. Friday morning's
much too often treated as cheap,
service will begin at 9 a.m. and will
unimportant and irrelevant.
include Hakafot and the congregation's
Just a few days now removed from
annual "Blessing of the Babies" when
the High Holiday season, we must not
parents bring to the bimah children
forget what we said on Yom Kippur
who have been born during the past
when we stood in synagogue and beat year. Special certificates will be given
our chests. We have accused falsely.
to those parents who have pre-regis-
We have knowingly advised others
tered.
to do things that are not in their best
For information, call (248) 851-
interest. We have abused the trust of
5100.
people by giving them advice that

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October 4 • 2007

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