41111111111111101111•111111111111111101111111111k. Spirituality TORAH PORTION A Light In The Darkness Da Shabbat Bo: Exodus 10:1-13:16; Jeremiah 46:13-28. ohn Milton called the most has a long and proud history of help- horrible place he could ing all aspects of our people. In the imagine as "dark- Detroit area alone we have ness visible:' a darkness so JARC to help the devel- deep that it eliminated all opmentally disabled, Yad feelings of hope. Darkness Ezra to feed the hungry, is a metaphor we use for Kadima to help those with depression and despair. mental illnesses, JHAS to Perhaps this is why God help the elderly and Jewish uses it as a plague against Federation, which helps all the Egyptians who would aspects of our community. not free their slaves. They This is only a partial list, would experience the dark- and by no means exhaus- ness that they brought to Rabbi Aaron tive. others. Bergman The roots of the Jewish The Torah says, "Thick Special to the mandate to help all parts darkness descended upon Jewish News of our community are also all the land of Egypt for found in our Torah portion. three days. People could not see one Moses had been asking Pharaoh to let another, and for three days no one the people out of Egypt. Pharaoh only could get up from where he was agrees to send out the Jewish men Darkness paralyzed Egypt. They had for a short period of time in order no idea how to cope with this crisis. to make a sacrifice. Moses refuses Egypt was the most powerful nation this offer, even though a number of in the world, but because of their these men could have escaped Egypt greed and hatred, it seems the sun had permanently. Moses says, "We will not set on them. leave without our young and our old, The Torah, though, says that not our sons and our daughters." Moses everyone was in darkness. "The insisted on freedom for the entire Israelites enjoyed light in their dwell- community. ings." The most important part of this We must always make sure that verse may be "their dwellings." The our young and old, our sons and our Israelites experienced light when they daughters have a chance for freedom were together, not when they were out whether it is emotional, economic, or on their own. This is a powerful and physical. We have an obligation to con- inspirational image. Jews know how to tinue in the tradition of our people as create light even in then dark, but only established by Moses. when we are with each other. The Psalms say that for God "the There is a cliche that to be Jewish is darkness is not dark." As long as we to suffer. Rabbi Yitz Greenberg notes turn to each other, have faith in God's that all people throughout history love for us and bring that love to the have suffered. What is great about our rest of the world, the darkness will not people is that we have come through be dark for us either. our troubles with our dignity and morality intact, if not strengthened. Aaron Bergman is a rabbi at Adat Shalom The Dalai Lama, the leader of Tibetan Synagogue in Farmington Hills. Buddhism, often meets with Jewish leaders to learn how to preserve a people through the long, dark night of exile. He looked to us as a light for his Conversations nation. How do we teach these values to One of the reasons that we have our children? How do we bring been a light to nations is that we are our values to those outside our so concerned about each other as a community? community. The Jewish community at goto.mic, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2009 Special 4-course dinner package offered $8() per couple ++ Extra value for early or Sunday dinne $65 per couple +-I- Ask your server f or details j :ervations Also featuringour egular dinner menu Call 313-962-9.76o- for reservation ,i .M9SAK 501 monroellitgreekt-Ov.-d, detroit • 313-962-9366 \ ' f 4.4 1,/". ■ .;44 expires 2.28.09 Order a LB. or more of our fabulous Corned Beef & receive FREE a loaf of our Crispy Rye Bread! expires 2.28.09 Al's Famous Deli • Royal Oak 32906 Woodward Ave Ph: 248-549-3663 1 ,15030 Detroit •17740 Woodward Ave. • Ph: 313-865-DEL1 Detroit •15603 Grand River Ave. • Ph: 313-836-DELI Redford • 26667 W 8 Mile Rd. • Ph: 313-387-4767 Livonia • 11320 Middlebelt Rd. • Ph: 734-422-1100 Warren • 2201 E. 8 Mile Rd. • Ph: 586-754-0055 January 29 • 2009 B7