spirit

torah portion

Laurie Sherman

Comfort Specialist

Steven Bez

500 off

$

Co-Owner

Select Trane
Equipment

What Is In A Name?

N

It's Hard To Stop A Trane.

FURNACE TUNE-UP AND SAFETY CHECK

79

$

Get a Yearly
Agreement
OR Maintenance
for as

low as

NEW CUSTOMER SPECIAL

25 OFF

$

15 /mo.

$

SAVE UP TO 30% ON YOUR ELECTRIC BILLS!

t )FBU&YDIBOHF&YBNJOBUJPO
t $POUSPMT5FTUFE
t .PUPS0JMFE$IFDLFE

Any Service Call
with Repair

t 'JMUFS$IFDL
t )VNJEJåFS$IFDL
t 5IFSNPTUBU$IFDL

000000

e p i p h a n y s t u d i o s + A p r i l Wa g n e r p r e s e n t

2 017 H O L I D AY S H O W

FRI., DEC. 1ST, 4-8 PM

SAT., DEC. 2ND, 12-6 PM

SUN., DEC. 3RD, 12-6 PM

Free, public event with live

glassblowing demonstrations

Portion of the proceeds

donated to the Michigan

Humane Society

epiphanyglass.com

Call 248.745.3786 for Info

770 Orchard Lake Rd

Pontiac, MI 48341

One-of-a-Kind

Sculptures + Gifts

000000

34

November 30 • 2017

jn

Parshat Vayishlach:
Genesis 32:4-36:43;
Obadiah 1:1-21.

o longer shall your name be
called Jacob; rather, Israel
shall be your name. For you
have struggled with the Divine and
with men, and you have prevailed.”
(Genesis 32:29).
The theme of changing names
occurs multiple times in vari-
ous Torah stories. Abram
throughout our miraculous
becomes Abraham. Sarai
history.
becomes Sarah. Later in
As I complete the words of
history, Hoshea become
this d’var Torah, I sit in the
Yehoshua, to name just a few.
company of 4,500 colleagues,
From your knowledge of
friends and mentors, fellow
these foundational Torah
Chabad emissaries who,
stories, can you point out any
together with their families,
difference between the name
Rabbi Kasriel
devote their lives to the mis-
change in this week’s Torah
Shemtov
sion of the late Lubavitcher
portion and the others?
Rebbe that no Jew be left
In the other examples,
behind. Represented here
once the new name was
are 2,500 communities from
given, the old name is
100 countries that hold their
never used again. In fact, the
banner high as they recognize and
Talmud goes so far as to say that
uncover the Yisroel impact of their
whoever calls Abraham “Abram”
after his name was changed violates Jewish pride and strength.
How appropriate that we learn this
a prohibition of the Torah.
lesson as we approach the holiday
However, in this week’s portion,
of Chanukah, when we place lighted
both names, Jacob and Yisrael, are
menorahs in our windows to send a
used interchangeably throughout
collective message to the world that a
the rest of the Torah.
little light can dispel a lot of darkness.
In contrast to the other name
Have you ever been to a public
changes, while the names Jacob and
Yisrael have different meanings, they menorah lighting? In Detroit or else-
where? Wherever you will be this
both represent different co-existing
Chanukah, make it a point to join
aspects of the Jewish people. Jacob
your community as we celebrate
comes from the word eikev, or heel,
our combined strength in the spirit
the part of the body that is stepped
of Jacob’s new name — Israel. Make
on. The name represents the times
plans to attend a menorah lighting
in our lives that we feel stepped
upon, much like the Jew in exile that with your friends and neighbors.
If you will be in Metro Detroit, join
can barely make it through another
us on Tuesday, Dec. 12, at 5:30 p.m.
day yet miraculously lives to raise
for Menorah in the D, the seventh
his head again.
annual Detroit menorah lighting in
The name Yisrael comes from the
Campus Martius Park. Together we
word “prince” or “victor,” represent-
have the strength to spread some
ing the Jews that recognize their
inner strength and incredible impact much needed light throughout our
community and our world. •
on the world. There are elements of
Jacob and Yisrael within every Jew,
Kasriel Shemtov is spiritual director of The Shul
and from these characteristics we
in West Bloomfield.
have drawn strength and vitality

