I

Spirituality

TORAH PORTION

Time For
More Focus

Shabbat Balak: Numbers 22:2-25:9;
Micah 5:6-6:8.

The Prentis Memorial Library of Temple Beth El

130th Ar r tversory
Benefit Celebration

Presenting

JEFFREY ZASLOW

Co-author of "The Last Lecture"

#1 on the New York Times Best-Seller List

H

ow many of us go through
we need to be open not just to what we
life with our eyes completely
see clearly but even more so to what
open? Oftentimes, we only see might not seem so evident.
what we really want to see and decide
But our portion does not end there
to ignore the rest. It is hard and often
— nor does Balaam, who finally arrives
painful to see things for how
in Moab to fulfill his task
they really are which is why
of cursing the Israelites. Yet,
we prefer to pick and choose
each time Balaam opens his
our reality.
mouth to offer the curse,
This week's Torah por-
only a blessing comes out.
tion, Balak, begs us to open
In fact, the actual blessing
our eyes in a thoughtful and
he utters is preserved in our
self-conscious way.
siddurim (prayer books) to
It all begins with Balak,
this day and are the same
ruler of Moab, who is some-
words our tradition encour-
what concerned and ner-
ages us to utter each time
Rabbi Joseph
vous about the huge Israelite
we walk into the synagogue,
H. Krakoff
encampment on his border.
a place of great beauty, awe
Special
to the
Worried about their sheer
and wonder:
Jewish News
magnitude, Balak does what
Ma tovu Ohalecha, Yaakov,
any smart leader would do
Mishkenotecha Yisrael: "How
— he immediately calls in an expert
goodly are your tents, 0 Jacob; how
soothsayer/sorcerer/prophet to come
beautiful your dwelling places, 0 Israel."
and curse them. Enter Balaam, who
Once again, it is all about how we
gets the post and
see things! For us,
quickly saddles up
Balaam's blessing
his faithful donkey
must not be limited
in order to begin the
to the synagogue
long desert trek to
— we must be able
the job site. Yet, on
to say these words
the way to his new
about our lives and
client's "office,' we
in our ability to
learn that Balaam is,
locate beauty in the
in fact, quite a shady
day to day.
character.
Do we regularly
Balaam, who is supposed to have the
celebrate the splendor and magnifi-
foresight to know the future, cannot get cence with which we are blessed? And if
his usually trusted donkey to behave
not, let us try harder to make an impor-
from the very first moment. This, of
tant change so that we can more clearly
course, should have been Balaam's first
see our blessings.
indication not to take the job.
Life is indeed an abundant gift from
Swiftly making a detour into an
heaven, and we must do all we can to
adjacent field, Balaam begins to beat
regularly see it that way — with our
the innocent animal for being obstinate. eyes fully open and entirely focused! H
But what Balaam does not realize is that
the donkey keeps stopping on the road
Joseph Krakoff is a rabbi at Congregation
only because he encounters an angel of
Shaarey Zedek of Oakland County.
the Lord blocking the way.
Balaam, not able to see the angel,
continues to berate and beat the very
Conversations
same talking donkey that is trying
What would you do if you saw
to rescue him from great danger. It is
an angel of God in front of you?
only when God comes to the rescue
What do you say/feel when you
and opens Balaam's eyes that the angel
see something beautiful? How
finally appears to him.
would you describe the blessings
One of lessons here is that sometimes
in your life?

Balak begs us to
open our eyes in
a thoughtful and
self-conscious way.

TUESDAY, JULY 15

Program - 7:30 p.m.

Temple Beth El, 7400 Telegraph at 14 Mile Road

Afterglow follows

TICKETS General Admission: $18 in advance.

$25 at the door.

Proceeds benefit the Prentis Memorial Library &
the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network

JEFFR

When Randy Pausch, Carnegie
Mellon University professor,
delivered his "Last Lecture'
in September, 2007, neither
he, nor his audience, knew
the speech would become an
international
phenomenon, inspir
millions with his couragea nd
optimism in face of atermi
illness. Among those in
attendance that day was Jeffrey
Zaslow, columnist for the
Wall Street Journal,
thought the speech mig
'fodder fora story". What
as a column became a
full-length book that
affected people wo

na

.

For tickets, please call Evelyn Prince,
248-626-6641, or 248-865-0617, press 1.

TEMPLE

BETH EL

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July 10 • 2008

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