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Specializing in services for daily living such as: • Bathing • Dressing • Meal prep • Assistance with transportation, paying bills, making appts • Companionship and emotional support Available 24 hrs. 7 days per week For more information or to set up an appointment, please call: foofitand lalltA1411's Ifts.ati.komt (01193w-04 586 - 806 - 4822 Tootle and Tallulah's is a unique gift, art and home consignment boutique. With our Fair Trade collection consisting of recycled/repurposed gift items, we have something for everyone! Our focus is a fresh and lively approach to reusing, renewing and restyling your environment. Shop Local. Think Global. Hour M, T, W, F - 10 - Thurs 10 - 2816 COO i•* erk Sat 10- .2484504637 Sunday - close info@tootieandtailulahs.corn 26 June 23 2011 Truth Of The Torah p arshat Korach features a rebellion by Moses' cousin Korach. Korach, who had been passed over for head of his clan, felt that the positions of leadership were doled out through nepotism rather than merit. Moses' response was that these decisions were from God, and Moses had no say in the matter. The Midrash describes how Korach initiated his rebellion. He approached Moses with learned ques- tions: Does a garment made entirely of blue wool require tzitzits (the fringes on the corners of a gar- ment require one blue thread)? Does a house full of Torah scrolls require a mezuzah, which is a scroll of only two paragraphs? Korach missed the point. The Torah was given to the Jewish people on Sinai and is absolute truth. Korach did not need any proofs of the Torah's validity. He saw the plagues and the Exodus from Egypt. He walked through the parted water of the Reed Sea, ate manna from heaven and witnessed the giving of the Torah on Sinai. We, however, must understand that there is a logical progression to believ- ing the truth of the Torah. Maimonides said our beliefs must have a basis in intellect. First, God is the creator. All theories of cre- ation begin with a starting point — Maimonides calls this nothing — the first cause. We call it God. Since this cause is first, it always existed — it never started. Something which never started can never be stopped (How can you turn off the car if you never started it?). Something that is not limited by time cannot be limited by space either. We must therefore conclude that our first cause (God) is beyond time and space — truly infinite. Next, Maimonides posits that this first cause is unified. The creation does not displace God, as the creation is totally insignificant qualitatively and quantitatively. The universe is 13 billion light years across. Compared to infinity, 13 billion is a very small number. How small? Were HaShem to create an infinite number of creations — they would all be infinitesimally small. God created the world through speech. The expression, "and God said, `Let there be ... '" appears 10 times in Genesis. The Kabbalah explains that God's speech involves an infinite amount of steps to bring about a physical world. How signifi- cant can those few words expressing the creation be in comparison to God's essence? So now that we believe that there is a creator, there must be purpose to the cre- ation. Jews believe that that purpose was conveyed to the world through various individuals called prophets. The greatest of these prophets was Moses. Moses' message comprises the first five books of the Bible — the Torah. The Almighty's purpose in creating the world is contained within the five books. It therefore follows that there is no need for another Torah to be given, nor is there need for the one we have to be changed. The Torah says that God knows the actions of man. We have the freedom to choose right from wrong. God can reward us when we choose the right path. The ultimate reward is when the task of creation is complete. That will be realized when Moshiach comes and we experience the revival of the dead and a world that requires no more rec- tification. May we merit it soon. Herschel Finman is a Chasidic rabbi serving the Detroit Jewish community and cyberspace. His weekly radio program "The Jewish Hour" is on WQLV 1500-AM 11-noon Sundays. He can be contacted at www.rabbifinman.com. Conversations •Does Judaism really require rationale for its belief system? •Why is blind faith not enough? •If the Jewish belief system is so logical, why don't more peo- ple follow it? •How should we act on our beliefs and incorporate them into our daily lives?