spirituality >> Torah pbrtid S a ...# 41 A Sacred Blessing Links Generations Chronic Knee and Hi p Pain? Parshat Naso: Numbers 4:21-7:89; Judges 13:2-13:25. I n my first year of rabbinical school at the Hebrew Union College cam- pus in Jerusalem, my favorite part of the program was our weekly venture out into the city for a day of learning. We hiked up the Jerusalem hills to see the city from Abraham's per- spective as he approached it for the first time. We walked the tunnels underneath the Western Wall, hearing the stories about the Temples that had stood and fallen while sitting on the ruined stones. On one of these "Jerusalem Days," my class took a trip to an archaeological site not far from the center of the city. The lead archaeologist brought out reproductions of two tiny silver scrolls found in a burial site in 1979 where we were now stand- ing. He showed us pictures of the text on the scrolls, which took three years to unfurl to ensure their preservation. Students recognized the text — bits and pieces of the Priestly Blessing, found in this week's Torah portion. The same words that we recite to bless our children on Shabbat, our b'nai mitzvah students as they become Jewish young adults, our wedding couples under the chuppah and so on. Y'varech'cha Adonai v'yishmarecha, May God bless you and keep you. Ya'er Adonai panav eilecha v'chuneka, May God's countenance shine upon you and be gracious unto you. Yisa Adonai panav eilecha v'yasem lecha shalom. May God lift up God's face toward you and grant you peace. The scrolls were dated to the 7th century, which marks them as the old- est piece of written scripture from the Torah that we have. It was an incredible moment, knowing that Jews living in Israel more than 1,400 years ago were using these very same words for comfort and strength, wearing them in amulets around their neck the same way that many of us wear mezuzzot or Stars of David. For me, history can often feel like a fairytale, particularly when it comes to characters and stories in our text from thousands of years ago. But seeing this amulet, reading those words and standing in that place made our past come alive for me in a way that hadn't happened before. The chain of tradition became visible for a moment, and I could see the links that we were adding by standing in that semi-circle at that site together. Naso teaches us the importance of blessings. God tells Moses to teach Aaron and his sons how to bless the Israelite people with the same words we use today. Perhaps the intention is that each of us should be granted graciousness and peace by a protective God, but perhaps the real pur- pose is that we can point to this portion, point to these artifacts in our beautiful homeland and know that that link is our blessing. The blessing of connection between the past and the future, the blessing of holding something so tangible and so important in our hands and the blessing of being able to continue God's work ... Moses' work ... Aaron's work, by reciting these words to our children. ❑ Jennifer Lader is a rabbi at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield. Join one of our orthopaedic surgeons for a discussion on the latest in robotic, minimally-invasive procedures including MAKOplasty® Experiencing knee or hip pain? Want to learn about the latest advancements in surgery? Attend this FREE seminar on MAKOplasty®, the new partial knee and hip resurfacing procedure being performed at DMC Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital in CommerceTownship. Discover the benefits of • More rapid relief from pain a MAKOplasty® assisted • Shorter hospital stay total hip replacement • Dramatically quicker return to daily activities than with traditional surgery Attend this 30-minute group discussion featuring a presentation by an orthopaedic surgeon and find out if you are a candidate for this new procedure.There will also be time for the physician to answer your specific questions related to your condition, insurance and other topics. In addition, our physicians are holding appointment times in the week following this session for those who attend and would like to be seen quickly. ■ Thursday, May 28 • 6:00 PM HVSH Sinai Guild Medical Office Building 1 William Cads Dr, Commerce, MI 48382 ■ Thursday, June 18 • 6:00 PM HVSH Sinai Guild Medical Office Building 1 William Cads Dr, Commerce, MI 48382 ■ Tuesday, June 2 • 6:00 PM HVSH Sinai Guild Medical Office Building 1 William Carls Dr, Commerce, MI 48382 ■ Tuesday, June 23 • 6:00 PM HVSH Sinai Guild Medical Office Building 1 William Carls Dr, Commerce, MI 48382 Wednesday, June 10 • 6:00 PM HVSH Sinai Guild Medical Office Building 1 William Carls Dr, Commerce, MI 48382 ■ Thursday, June 25 • 6:30 PM Courtyard Detroit Brighton, Willow Room 7799 Conference Center Or Brighton, MI 48114 ■ ■ Monday, June 15 • 6:30 PM Monroe Hampton Inn 1565 N Dixie Hwy, Monroe, MI 48162 Monday, June 29 • 6:00 PM HVSH Sinai Guild Medical Office Building 1 William Carls Dr, Commerce, MI 48382 ■ Wednesday, June 17 • 6:30 PM Courtyard Detroit Brighton, Willow Room 7799 Conference Center Or Brighton, MI 48114 ■ Tuesday, June 30 • 6:30 PM Courtyard Detroit Brighton, Willow Room 7799 Conference Center Or Brighton, MI 48114 ■ Conversations • Are the words of the Priestly Blessing meaningful to you? • If you were to write your own blessing to your children to recite, what would it be? • Have you had a moment where Jewish history became real for you? For upcoming seminar dates and to register, Call 1-888-DMC-2500 or visit dmc.org/peoplesmedicalcollege DMC Download our Health far Life APPS: e,, igr 1 .., ' • • ION Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital 1E1 Follow us on: t a - N 2008111 May 28 • 2015 47