TORAH PORTho We Need Your Donated Household Goods! Using A Sacred Scent To Connect With God Shabbat Pinchas: Numbers 25:10-30:1; Jeremiah 1:1-2:3. FLEISCHMAN RESIDENCE/ BLUMBERG PLAZA R ecently, on a trip to visit a means to maintain that connection family on the East Coast, and even taught that by telling the my wife and I found our- story of those sacrifices, we would selves on a New Jersey Transit com- merit the same comfort and forgive- muter train. Immediately, we looked ness that God afforded our ancestors at one another and smiled. through their sacrifices in The train had a distinctive the Temple. But still, on smell that brought us back every holiday, we read that in our memories to several these sacrifices provided years before, when we had a rayach nicho'ach — a dated long-distance and pleasing aroma — for God. had taken those trains to Even back then, our rabbis see one another. asked the question: Does Many psychologists God really desire a certain have noted the effect that a smell? What is the mean- specific smell can have on ing of the sacrificial odors? Rabb i Eric stimulating our memories to Do they really please, Ya noff recall past moments, places pacify or sanctify God? Specia I to the and emotions. Perhaps Certainly, the sacrificial Jewis h News because our sense of smell is scents were distinctive one of the lesser developed — but as we consider of our physical senses, we often cannot the power of the sense of smell, explain the strong feeling of reconnect- maybe this is also the key to the ing that occurs with the return of a par- underlying wisdom of the words ticular scent. A grandmother's recipe rayach nicho'ach. Perhaps just as a may immediately trigger an emotional distinctive aroma has the ability to link to a Jewish holiday, or a garment call to mind a special relationship or perfume may call to mind the warm in our lives, so too did the ancients hug of a loved one. believe that it could "bring God and I share this observation in the Israel back" to an earlier stage of our context of Parshat Pinchas because relationship — and in so doing, to for our ancestors, a distinctive smell rekindle the love between God and may have also rekindled a strong Israel anew. sense of connection to a different Especially in these difficult times, sort of relationship — the con- we often remember the past as a nection between the people Israel simpler, sweet time. In Pinchas, the and our God. The end of the Torah idea of the rayach nicho'ach encour- portion lists the different sacrificial ages us to reconnect in such a deep offerings that constituted the obser- and beautiful manner to our tradi- vance in Temple times of each dif- tion, to our Jewish people and to ferent holiday. This was the principal those we hold most dear. May this manner by which the people con- Shabbat be one of such re-connec- nected with God. tion and inspiration. The wisp of smoke wafting from the altar — diffusing upward into Eric Yanoff is a rabbi at Congregation the atmosphere, subject to even Shaarey Zedek of Oakland County. the slightest wind or disturbance — physically represented the con- Conversations nection between earth and heaven, Have you ever experienced a between Israel and God. No wonder, special aroma that calls a spe- then, that our people were so dis- cial memory or relationship to traught over the destruction of the mind? What emotions does that Temples; we had lost our "direct line" experience conjure? How can to God! memories of the past fuel our After the Second Temple's destruc- relationships for the future? tion, the rabbis highlighted prayer as 6710 WEST MAPLE ROAD, WEST BLOOMFIELD LOCATED ON THE EUGENE AND MARCIA APPLEBAUM JEWISH COMMUNITY CAMPUS Drop off Donation Items Now through August 6th Monday.Friday • 9:00am-4:00 pm Pick-Up Service Available for a fee Call 248-661-2999 to schedule a pickup Remember.... all donations are tax deductible! # We Need: Lamps, Artwork Small Appliances, Furniture, Toys, Household Ooods, Costume Jewelry, Collectibles - FREE Cleanin g The Original Since 1939 HAGOPIAN CLEANING SERVICES Bring Your Rugs to any of our ug Care Centers, and we'll clean every other one FREE Pick up & delivery available at regular price • •- ; 24 Hour Water and Fire Damage Response In Home Cleaning Specials* 4 Rooms 9999 Expect the best...Expect the purple truck! 2 Rooms 5999 —p Sofa or 1-800-HAGOPIAN 2 Chairs 5999 (424-6742) *Some restrictions apply www.originalhagopian.com Oak Park 8 Mile W / Coolidge Birmingham S. Old Woodward N / 14 1 /2 Rug Care Centers Ann Arbor The Courtyard Shops M-59 Macomb County Hall Rd. E / Van Dyke Novi 12 Mile & Novi Rd July 9 • 2009 A25