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>> torah portion

Giuseppe Verdi

David DiGhiera, General Director

Honor The Past
And Build Upon It

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I
May 14-22, 2011

Parshat Emor: Leviticus 21:1-24:23;
Ezekiel 44:15-31.

O

AT THE DETROIT OPERA HOUSE

FEATURING THE MICHIGAN
OPERA THEATRE ORCHESTRA

Performed in Italian with English
supertitle translation

CONDUCTED BY
STEVEN MERCURIO

This riveting drama of passion,
treachery and tragedy is blessed with
stirring choruses and some of the
world's best loved arias.

Saturday May 14, at 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday May 18, at 7:30 p.m.
Friday May 20, at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday May 21, at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday May 22, at 2:30 p.m.

FREE! Opera Talk with Dr. Wallace Peace
one hour prior to performance

TICKETS AS LOW AS $29

TICKETS & PRE-PAID PARKING 46UNDATION
CALL 313.237.SI NG or visit
michiganopera.org

DOUGLAS & SARAH ALLISON ENDOWMENT FUND

DEROY TESTAMENTARY FOUNDATION

IDA & CONRAD H. SMITH ENDOWMENT

6;0720

NC j

National Council of Jewish Women
Grcalor Deirol Scclion

SPACE for Changing Families
Support Groups of National Council of Jewish Women,
Greater Detroit Section

Celebrating 33 years of providing support to our community,
SPACE offers the following groups.

Bereavement Support Groups for persons who have lost a spouse or partner
(next group to begin in the fall).

Bereavement Support Groups for adults who have lost a parent (next group to
begin Wednesday, May 11, 7:00- 8:30 p.m., held at Bingham Office Park.)

New Offering: Grandparents Circle, an opportunity for
grandparents with interfaith grandchildren to explore their role
and to learn skills and techniques which will enable them to share
Judaism with their grandchildren in an interesting and engaging
way. The group will be held Tuesday, May 10- June 14 (except
June 7), 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the NCJW office

Rainbows for children, grades K through 8, whose parents have divorced.
Parents meet separately in their own group. (next group to begin in the fall).

For further information about the above groups or other offerings by
National Council of Jewish Women, Greater Detroit Section
call 248.355.9936
or visit our website www.ncjwgds.org .

The National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) is a grassroots organization of volunteers and advocates who turn progressive
ideals into action. Inspired by Jewish values, NCJW strives for social justice by improving the quality of life for women,
children and families and by safeguarding individual rights and freedoms.

48

May 5 4 2011

JN

I is so easy for us to forget who we
Aaron's sons — and imitate your
are.
father's strengths!"
Sometimes, we lose ourselves
But Aaron was not without weak-
because of stress. A person who
ness. Most notably, he had allowed
prides himself for being patient
(and perhaps fostered) the creation
might lose his temper when strug-
of the Golden Calf while Moses was
gling with unemployment; another
on Mount Sinai; by not standing up
who is normally a model of organiza- to the people, he failed to prevent
tion and planning might forget about a huge breach in their relationship
appointments or bills because she
with God. This was, perhaps, under-
hasn't slept well in weeks. Outside
standable — he must have been
circumstances can make it difficult
stressed by his brother's extended
or impossible to maintain our equi-
absence, and frightened by the mob
librium.
of Israelites.
Often, though, it isn't
Still, on some level,
stress that makes us forget
he forgot who he was,
who we are; it is tempta-
and as a result he failed
tion. We see an easier path
as a leader. And so,
than the one we are on; we
Moses addressed Aaron's
want to take shortcuts to
sons with a reminder.
happiness. Our own special
"Remember:' said Moses,
identity may feel like a bur-
"that you are Aaron's sons"
den; we wish we could be
— and prone to the same
just like everyone else.
failings.
A close reading of the
From what we see in the
first verse of this week's
rest of the Torah, Aaron's
parshah reveals an injunc-
sons indeed sought to
tion to remember who we
avoid his failings. They,
are. "Emor el ha-kohanim
too, were imperfect —
— b'nai Aharon!" Moses is told by
but imperfection is inevitable; the
God, "Say to the priests — (you are)
important thing is that they sought to
Aaron's sons!"
remember who they were and where
At first glance, this may seem obvi- they came from, to honor their past
ous — are we to imagine that Aaron's and build on it.
sons forgot who their father was?
May we, like Aaron's sons, hear the
But, in fact, it is all too easy to forget
call to remember who we are, so that
who we are, especially when we are
neither outside stress, nor personal
tempted by the perquisites of power.
temptation, nor the allure of power
Aaron's sons, the religious leaders of
can lead us astray. And may we be
the people, would surely have found it blessed with leaders, here and in
easy to take advantage of their roles.
Israel, who do the same! I 1
And so, before God began instructing
them in their restrictions, responsi-
Jonathan Berger is rabbi-in-residence at
bilities and rights, God made sure to
Hillel Day School of Metropolitan Detroit
remind them of who they were: "You
in Farmington Hills.
are Aaron's sons!"
Rabbi Ya'akov Yitzhak of Lublin
developed this theme in his com-
mentary on this verse. He wrote that
Conversations
Moses was to tell the priests to be
When is it hardest for you to
sons of Aaron in action, not just in
retain your identity?
ancestry. How, exactly?
According to the rabbi of Lublin,
How have you built upon your
Moses wanted them to emulate
parents' strengths? How have
Aaron's legendary ability to pur-
you tried to learn from their
sue peace and reconcile conflicts.
mistakes?
And this was surely part of Moses's
injunction: "Remember that you are