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Parshat
Va'etchanan:
Deuteronomy 3:23-
7:11; Isaiah 40:1-26.

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34

August 11 • 2011

remember reading an article in the even more during the month of Av.
Jewish News 22 years ago on this
Our focus during this time is beyond
week's Torah portion. The author
our own personal spirituality. Its on
loved Parshat Va'etchanan because it
the entire Jewish people, our identity
reminded him of summer.
and purpose.
I love summer because it reminds
This week's Torah portion
me of Parshat Va'etchanan, one of the
Va'etchanan covers the fundamental
most amazing Torah portions you will questions of Judaism. Does God exist?
ever read.
What is God? Did the Bible stories
Every year as we pass through the
happen or are they legends? What
calendar, we come across the High
is the mission of the Jewish people?
Holidays. Most of us partic-
What is prayer? What
ipate by going to services,
makes us different? Why
having a holiday dinner,
so many commandments?
perhaps hearing the shofar
How can I get my kids to
or fasting on Yom Kippur.
care? Why is Israel impor-
It's easy to connect to
tant? (It's not so we have
the High Holidays because
somewhere to run). Is it OK
it's at a perfect time on the
to intermarry? Can I just
calendar, September. You
follow the commandments
are home from vacation,
that are meaningful to me?
kids are in school and you
Does Judaism follow the
Rabbi Simcha
are ready to settle down.
mother, father, either one or
Tol win
The September timing is
maybe both? Why are Jews
perfect.
persecuted? What is Jewish
There is another period on the
leadership? Are we the Chosen People?
calendar that demands our attention,
All of the answers are in this week's
but the timing is off. This is the time
Torah portion, my favorite!
we are in right now; the month of Av,
It is such a shame we are distracted
a historically sad time for the Jewish
by summer, and we lose the oppor-
people.
tunity to delve into these important
It was during the month of Av that
questions. Imagine a Jewish world
Israel was wiped out. Babylonians,
where every parent can answer these
bent on our destruction killed mil-
questions for their children.
lions of innocent men, women and
If you are reading this article you
children, sold us into slavery, sacked
are already way ahead of the game.
our holiest sites and kicked us out of
You've got the questions, now go get
Israel. Miraculously, we came back 70
the answers. In Detroit you can take a
years later and rebuilt. Jews moved
great class any night of the week and
back to Israel and built the Second
most afternoons. Get educated!
Temple in Jerusalem.
Av is a sad part of the calendar.
Then again, Av of 70 c.e., Jerusalem
I cannot imagine anything sadder
and the Temple were destroyed, and
than a Jewish people so uneducated
we were exiled, killed and sold into
that the vast majority of us are at the
slavery by the Romans. The Spanish
beach like any other summer day on
Inquisition began in Av of 1492. World the ninth day of Av or missing a great
War I began in Av of 1914. Joseph
Torah portion just because it falls out
Stalin sentenced all the Jews of Russia
smack in the middle of August.
to Siberia in Av of 1953.
Please consider reading this best-
Rabbi Simcha Klein of Congregation seller over the summer: the Torah.
Ahavas Olam in Oak Park recently
You've got questions — it's got
quoted noted author and teacher
answers.
Rabbi Shimshon Pincus who says a
person can achieve great spiritual
Rabbi Simcha Tolwin is director of Aish in
heights during the High Holidays and
the Woods in Oak Park.

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