spirituality » to rah por tion
Join us
November 6th!
What
Needs
Fixing?
Parshat Haazinu: Deuteronomy 32:1-
32:52; II Samuel 22:1-22:51.
D
r. David Luchins, a professor
understood that Torah is relevant to all
at Philadelphia’s Touro College
Jews and is crucial to the future of the
and frequent lecturer at Aish
Jewish people.
HaTorah, recalled the following story.
Throughout Jewish history, ideologies
On the morning after Yom Kippur
have risen to replace Torah and mitzvot.
in September 1993, U.S. Sen. Daniel
In our recent history, the Enlightenment
Moynihan and the professor
movement claimed that the
had a private meeting with
future of the Jewish people
Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon
depended on being “a Jew in
Peres. Moynihan had requested
the house and a German in the
the meeting at the behest of
street.” In the early 1900s, it was
Rabbi Ahron Soloveichik, who
Zionism that claimed Jewish
had a number of questions
continuity is dependent on hav-
about the newly signed Oslo
ing our own state. Today, it’s tik-
Accords.
kun olam, repair the world.
Peres was eager for
Rabbi Aaron Starr of
Rabbi Simcha
Soloveichik’s support for this
Congregation Shaarey Zedek in
Tolwin
undertaking and gave detailed
Southfield wrote on the Times
answers to every question. At the end,
of Israel website on Oct. 5 that “perhaps
Moynihan thanked Peres for his “strong
it is tikkun olam itself that is destroying
support of the Aish HaTorah Jerusalem
the Jewish community. Perhaps it’s time
Fellowships.” (The senator was a found-
to say Kaddish for tikkun olam.”
ing honorary chairman of the Aish
I believe tikkun olam has become the
program.)
new “ism” to replace the essence of what
Peres grew animated, “Senator, let
it means to be Jewish. We have sold out
me tell you why I support the Jerusalem
tikkun olam as just another “ism” and
Fellowships and yeshivot. Over 60 years
are ignoring its true meaning. The new
ago when I was 8 years old, I was already tikkun olam has, unfortunately, replaced
an ardent Labor Zionist. I had a religious Torah and mitzvot and is leading us on a
uncle who was upset by my lack of faith
path of assimilation and apathy.
and dragged me to the village of Radin to
Tikkun olam comes from the Aleinu
meet the venerable Yisroel Meir Kagan,
prayer, but we lopped off the rest of
also known as the Chofetz Chaim.
the sentence! The complete phrase is
“The old rabbi and I had quite a talk.
l’takkain olam b’malchut Shadai —to
He quoted Maimonides, and I responded repair the world “with the glory of God.”
with Marx. He quoted Talmud, and
The greatest Jewish contribution to
I quoted [Zionist leader Menachem]
the world is the idea of One God Above
Ushishkin.
— the creator and sustainer of the world
“Then he began to cry and put his
who loves you. Of course, we are at the
hands on my head and blessed me say-
forefront of social causes because we are
ing, ‘The Almighty gave me long life. He the “God people.”
should give you the same. You should
Peres knew that nothing can replace
go as you wish to Israel and become a
the Torah and mitzvot; they are the only
great leader of the Jewish people; but
guarantor of your families’ Jewish con-
remember, my child, that you can’t have
tinuity. So let’s make Kiddush on tikkun
a Jewish state without the Almighty and
olam and sanctify it. Let’s make tikkun
the Almighty’s Torah.’”
olam about God.
At this point, Peres grew quite emo-
As Lori Palatnik, founding director of
tional, “Senator,” he declared, “Yesterday
the Jewish Women’s Renaissance Project,
was Yom Kippur. I do not fast all day.
says, “It’s time for the Jewish people to
My wife does. I do not spend the day in
once again be the God people.” This is
synagogue. But every Yom Kippur night
tikkun olam.
I think of that old rabbi and realize how
Rabbi Simcha Tolwin is executive director of Aish
true his words were.”
Detroit. Read Rabbi Starr’s blog on tikkun olam on
Peres knew that Israel and the Jewish
nation could not exist without Torah. He page 20.
*
3 Ways to Fix Up this Fall
with Jewish Family Service!
Fix Up in your Community
Families, friends, and community groups are invited to
come help homebound older adults prepare for winter.
All ages welcome!
Meet at Congregation Shaarey Zedek
at 9:30am for breakfast and supply pick-up.
Fix Up the Cemetery
Young adults will be working at the historic B’nai David
Cemetery to restore and beautify the grounds.
Meet at 9:30am at the
B’nai David Cemetery. Breakfast will be provided.
9535 Van Dyke Road, Detroit
In partnership with NextGen, Repair the World and
Hillel of Metro Detroit
Fall Fix Up Block Party
Fall FF
6th-12th graders earn community service credit while
giving back in their community!
Registration and pizza lunch starts at 12:15pm.
Transportation provided.
Drop off and pick up at Adat Shalom Synagogue.
In partnership with J-Serve and Repair the World
To register, visit
jfsdetroit.org/fallfixup
or contact Lindsay Leder at
(248) 592-2309 or lleder@jfsdetroit.org.
Fall Fix Up is generously Sponsored by:
Presenting Sponsor:
2129780
October 13 • 2016
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