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A Prophecy
For Passover

BBYO MICHIGAN REGION

- PRESENTS -

Shabbat Pesach 8: Deuteronomy 14:22-
16:17 and Numbers 28:19-28:25;
Isaiah 10:32-12:6.

T

his past year, I was part of
promise of a brighter future.
a Jewish funeral that took a
Some of us are quite comfortable in
bizarre turn when one of the
our current state of affairs. We live in
eulogizers abused the podium to preach a democratic country that affords us
about his own belief in a resurrected
freedom of religion and freedom of
son of God. The deceased
speech. We are free to believe
had been struggling with his
or not believe in anything and
Jewish beliefs and for a little
everything. For the most part,
while claimed to have accepted
it is legal and affordable to buy
him as his savior.
all the necessities of life and of
When the young man was
religious practice.
diagnosed with his final ill-
Some may point out to the
ness, when he was told that
establishment of the State of
there is no cure for his dis-
Israel and claim that the proph-
ease, he sought a rabbi for
ecies we so long have waited
Yisrael Pinson
counsel. Through my work at
for have finally materialized.
Jewish Hospice & Chaplaincy
Many of us feel pride in our
Network, I was connected with
achievements around the
him; and over time he shared with me
globe, our disproportionate numbers
that he desired to die as a Jew.
in lists of successful people and Nobel
With his mental capacities still intact, prizes as a sign that we have arrived as
we wrapped tefillin together; we recited a people.
the Shema and he professed a belief
“And in that day you will say: I offer
in one God. Through the generosity of
thanks to You, O God, that You were
our Jewish community, we were able to
wrathful with me …” Isaiah 12:1.
bury him in a Jewish cemetery and hold
The haftorah offers us a litmus test
services in a Jewish funeral chapel.
to decide if, indeed, Messianic times
The friend who took the podium at
have arrived: Is the pain gone? Has
the funeral was careful to quote only
our suffering ceased? Furthermore, is
from the Jewish Bible, reciting verses
our current life so good that it justifies
from Isaiah that predict that a messiah
the atrocities that our people suffered
will rise and save the Jewish people.
through the ages?
As I was sitting and waiting for
Do we feel gratitude for the pain that
the nightmare to be over, I pondered
was inflicted upon us and our ances-
about the verses of Isaiah, the Jewish
tors? Prophet Isaiah declares that when
concept of Mashiach and our belief in
Mashiach comes, our minds and our
Messianic times. I realized that every-
hearts will be so elated that we will be
thing the man was saying was true with singing God’s praises not only for His
one exception. According to Jewish
redemption, but also for the tragedies
beliefs, the Mashiach has not arrived
that we suffered.
yet, and utopian times were still in the
No human mind can come up
future. When it was my turn to speak,
with an excuse that will make sense
I thanked the man for reminding us of
of the Holocaust, the pogroms, the
our prophets’ promise of better times
Inquisition, the Crusades, and the mil-
ahead and of the coming of Mashiach
lions of innocents that were and are
who has not yet arrived.
murdered for being Jewish. We leave it
“And there shall come forth a shoot
up to God to make it all better for us, in
out of the stem of Yishai, and a branch
a way that will erase our pain forever.
shall grow out of his roots.” Isaiah 11:1.
Until then, no matter how good we
On the eighth day of Passover, we
have it, whether we live in Michigan
will read a special haftorah, a prophecy
or in Jerusalem, we are still in exile.
of Isaiah predicting Messianic times
Let’s be genuine about our prayers and
and the rise of Mashiach ben David, a
wishes for the Mashiach.
messiah from the Davidic dynasty. As
we conclude the holiday celebrating the Rabbi Yisrael Pinson is founder and director of
redemption from our first exile, we look Chabad of Greater Downtown Detroit and a chap-
lain with Jewish Hospice & Chaplaincy Network.
forward and remind ourselves of the

2016 DISTINGUISHED ALUMNUS

ANDY GUTMAN

(UK`.\[THUPZ[OL7YLZPKLU[HUK*OPLM-PUHUJPHS6MÄJLY
of Farbman Group, a full service commercial real estate
company. Andy volunteered as a BBYO advisor for 11
years leaving a lasting legacy on an entire generation of
future leaders.

SUNDAY JUNE 5, 2016
5:30 pm – Cocktails
6:00 pm – Program & Dinner

BACCO RISTORANTE
29410 Northwestern Hwy
Southfi eld, Michigan 48034

PLEASE RSVP
Seats are limited
$180 per individual ticket

FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT:

www.bbyo.org/event/honorandygutman

• Purchase Tickets

• Purchase an Ad in the Tribute Book for Andy

• Purchase a Sponsorship

OR

Call Jennifer Frank, BBYO Administrator,
at 248-432-5687 or email jfrank@bbyo.org

MANY THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS:

*

SHELLY & MARK
RUBENFIRE

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April 28 • 2016

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