spirit

Community

torah portion

Purim

Fun

Saturday

A Light Unto The Nations

A

t our synagogue’s Friday
evening worship, a volunteer
lights the Shabbat candles
near the beginning of the service. It
is often a challenge to light and keep
the candles lit as there seems to be
a small draft right near where the
candles are set up. The candlelight-
ing volunteer often has to work hard
to get the candles lit and to keep
them lit. Often times I help him or
her to do so.
This week’s portion continues the
description of the Tabernacle
that began in last week’s par-
Atlanta, Ga., once wrote
shah. At the beginning of the
on this week’s portion:
portion, we read: “You shall
The Ner Tamid (eternal
further instruct the Israelites
light) does not magically
to bring you clear oil of beaten
happen; it is a commu-
olives for lighting, for kindling
nal responsibility. The
lamps regularly [l’ha’alot ner
Israelites worked together
tamid]. Aaron and his sons
to prepare the oil and
Rabbi Amy
shall set them up in the Tent
ensure
an ample supply.
Bigman
of Meeting, outside the cur-
Thus the Ner Tamid is
tain which is over [the Ark
a symbol of the power
of] the Pact, [to burn] from
of community, for it is
evening to morning before the Lord. through our connections to one
It shall be a due from the Israelites
another and our willingness to work
for all time, throughout the ages.”
together that we are able to bring
[Exodus 27:20-21]
the light of God’s presence into our
L’ha’alot comes from the Hebrew
midst. [“Tending the Flame as a
root ayin-lamed-hey, which means
Community,” “Ten Minutes of Torah,”
“to go up, to raise up.” It is the same
Feb. 3, 2013.]
root as the word aliyah as used in
Just as our congregational vol-
the phrases aliyat l’Torah — to go up unteer and I often need to work
to the Torah or simply aliyah — to
together to get the Shabbat candles
go up to Israel, to become an Israeli
lit and to keep them lit, so, too. must
citizen.
we all, as Rabbi Lapidus notes, work
Commentators have struggled
together as a community to bring
with the meaning of our phrase
the light of God’s presence into our
l’ha’alot ner tamid. Some have noted
midst, to make our world a better
that the Hebrew translates literally
place.
as “to cause the light to go up con-
In these days of rising anti-Sem-
tinually.” This means that it is up to
itism and other difficulties in our
Aaron and his sons to care for the
communities, our country and our
light until it remains lit on its own,
world, we must work together to
without any human help. Aaron and find a way to combat the actions of
his sons must make sure that the
some so that all may feel safe and so
light is not extinguished — much
that all may feel God’s presence in
as our volunteer must do on Friday
their midst. •
evenings at our congregation.
Amy Bigman is rabbi at Congregation Shaarey
Rabbi Loren Filson Lapidus, the
Zedek in East Lansing.
associate rabbi of The Temple in

Parshat Tetzaveh:
Exodus 27:20-30:10;
(Shabbat Zachor)
Deuteronomy 25:
17-19; 1 Samuel
15:2-34.

M a rc h

11

Evening Festivities

hosted by Congregation B’nai Moshe

6:15 pm - Minchah & Seudah Shelishit

7:45 pm - Ma’ariv & Megillah Reading
followed by a dessert reception
with entertainment
by Lazer Lloyd, Israel’s
“King of Blues”

ASTA
P
M
I
PUR K UP
E
SH A

Help Yad Ezra! Bring unopened
boxes of pasta to use as a grogger!

Sunday

M a rc h

12

Megillah Reading
& Free Carnival

hosted by Adat Shalom Synagogue

8:30 am - Minyan & Megillah Reading
followed by Breakfast

11:00 am - Megillah Mania with Lazer Lloyd
an all-ages Megillah experience

Noon - Carnival with a Star Trax Dance Party
lunch available for purchase

Come meet Paws,
the Mascot of the
Detroit Tigers!

Purim Partners:

Questions? Contact one of
the partnering congregations

jn

March 9 • 2017

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