THE MAN WHO CARES
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Spirituality
TORAH PORTION
Re-Elect
Sidney Lantz
Southfield City Council
Sid's still climbing the
not over it yet
Vote November 6, 200
To Do What Is Right
Shabbat Chaye Sarah:
Genesis 23:1-25:18;
I Kings 1:1-31.
I
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n this week's Torah portion, we
consistent with God's laws, but of our
have the story of Abraham's
own making. This is the system of the
trusted slave seeking a wife for
Torah SheS'al Peh (the oral tradition of
Isaac. In his presentation to Rebecca's
the Torah).
family, he quotes his master's assur-
In every generation the great rab-
ance to him that (Genesis 24:40): "The bis fashion Halachah (Jewish law)
Lord whom I go before will ... make
based on their own human under-
you successful." This phrase
standing of the Torah, the
"to go before God" is found
halachic system, the relevant
in two other places in the
legal precedents and their
Torah.
understanding of the reali-
In Genesis 48:15, Jacob
ties, the circumstances and
blesses his grandsons,
the needs of their genera-
Menashe and Ephraim, by
tion. Halachah is a human
saying: "The God whom
endeavor and, since the
my fathers, Abraham and
death of Moses, not subject
Isaac, went before ... will
to prophetic pronounce-
bless the youngsters ..." And
Rabbi Eliezer
ments from God.
in Genesis 17:1 God tells
Cohen
We, ourselves, must
Abraham: "I am Almighty
Special to the internalize the morality and
God, go before Me and
Jewish News
righteousness of the Torah
become perfect:' This is
so that it becomes "natural"
God's charge to Abraham,
to us to do "the right thing ; )
the progenitor of the Jewish people,
not simply because it is commanded,
and to his descendants: "Go before
but because it is the right thing to do.
God and become perfect."
This is the "become perfect" of the
verse: that moral and
righteous behavior
become second nature
to us.
Perhaps this may
explain the observation
This is different from the usual
that Maimonides (1135-1204) pres-
phrase to go "with" God that we
ents in his compendium of Halachah,
find with Noah (Genesis 6:9). What
the Mishna Torah (Hitchos Srachos
exactly does it mean? The Yalkut
11:2), that we only make brachos
Shirnoni (Remez 50) brings the fol-
(blessings) upon performing ritual
lowing midrash: "Rabbi Judah says:
obligations (bayn adorn larnakom)
A king had two sons, one older and
and not interpersonal commandments
one younger. He said to the younger
(bayn adorn I'chavero). The latter we
one, 'Go with me, and to the elder he
do not only because we are so com-
said, 'Go before me: So to Abraham,
manded (as a blessing would imply),
whose power (capacity or potential)
but rather because we have become
was greater, (God said) `Go before me
better and more righteous people. II
and become perfect'; but as for Noah,
whose power was weak, 'Noah went
Eliezer Cohen is rabbi of Congregation
with God.'"
Or Chadash in Oak Park.
According to Rabbi Judah, Abraham
was like the older son, mature and
Conversations
self-reliant. He could go out on his
Can independence and self-reli-
own rather than being confined like
ance be characteristics of a
the younger son. The older son was
"religious person"? In their lives,
expected to exercise his independence,
how did Abraham and Isaac dem-
still being monitored by his father
onstrate that they "went before
but not tethered to him. This is the
God"? Contrast Noah's behavior
responsibility of the Jewish people, to
(going "with" God) to that of our
take the Divine rules and principles
patriarchs.
of the Torah and to create a lifestyle
Moral and righteous behavior
should be second nature to us.
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November 1 • 2007
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