.(02-,)$0,/< 23(1+286($7 +,//(/ Hey! My family is going. Yours should come, too! Sounds fun! Saves me from having to make dinner. What a bonus! When is it? Wednesday, January 17, 2018 at 5:30 p.m. I can’t wait. They’ll have activities in the MakerSpace and other hands-on fun. RSVP to Melanie Weber at 248-539-1490 or mweber@hillelday.org -RLQXVDW+LOOHO·V.(PRML )DPLO\2SHQ+RXVH :HGQHVGD\-DQXDU\DWSP (QMR\DIDPLO\GLQQHUGHVVHUWDQGDFWLYLWLHVZLWKRXU DZDUGZLQQLQJIDFXOW\LQRXUVWDWHRIWKHDUW,QQRYDWLRQ+XE /HDUQLQJ&RPPXQLWLHVDQG0DNHU6SDFH 1958-2018 +LOOHOGD\RUJ‡Early Childhood Center, ages 2-5 ‡Day School, grades K-8 0LGGOHEHOW5RDG‡)DUPLQJWRQ+LOOV0, 26 January 4 • 2018 jn spirit torah portion How Best To Serve T Parshat Shemot: Exodus 1:1-6:1; Isaiah 27:6-28:13; 29:22-23. his week’s parshah describes the beginning of the Egyptian servitude and Moshe’s rise to leadership. After the burning bush, Moshe took his wife, Tzipora, and his two sons, Gershom and Eliezer, down to Egypt. Moshe mounted his family on the donkey. Rashi, the classic biblical com- mentator, writes, “This was We are naturally drawn after the donkey that Avrohom sad- the pleasures and desires of dled to sacrifice his son. Upon the world. Our “saddling” is this donkey will Moshiach be to control those desires. revealed.” Moshe, the giver of the What forces Rashi to give Torah, led the Jewish people this explanation is that in after they had been puri- Hebrew the article “the” indi- fied by 210 years of slavery. cates specificity, not just any Egypt is known as the gold Rabbi Herschel donkey, a known donkey. At smelter. Gold ore is heated at Finman this point in the Chumash, a tremendous temperature there has only been one don- to burn off the dross. The key, Avrohom’s. Egyptian bondage effectively purified With this explanation, Rashi the Jewish people to allow them to answers the question as to why do we appreciate the revelation of the Torah need to know that Moshe mounted and serve HaShem on a higher level. his family on a donkey. It would have Moshe mounted his family on the sufficed for us to be informed that donkey. He utilized it as a tool for serv- Moshe and his family went to Egypt. ing the Almighty. We, in our service to Moshe argued with HaShem for HaShem, must raise our level of obser- an entire week at the burning bush. vance, not only to control our desires He in no way wanted to be the leader of the physical world, but to utilize of the Jewish people. One of the rea- the physical world as a tool to serve sons given is that Moshe knew that HaShem. Moshiach will be revealed on he would die in the desert and not a donkey. The world and its pleasures lead the Jewish people into Israel. will no longer pose any contradiction He reckoned, “Why bother starting to godliness, but, on the contrary, the a project if you can’t finish it.” As a physical world will reveal godliness. perk, the Almighty allowed Moshe the There is another difference between use of this special donkey, to indicate Avrohom, Moshe and Moshiach. that the redemption from Egypt and Avrohom just saddled the donkey; no Moshiach’s imminent redemption of one rode it. It was used for carrying the Jewish people were one long con- wood. Moshe’s family rode the don- tinuum. key; Moshe himself did not. Moshiach Rashi describes Avrohom’s, Moshe’s will ride the donkey himself. Each and Moshiach’s use of the donkey one’s usage of the donkey refers to a in three ways. Avrohom saddled, greater level of purification. May we Moshe mounted and Moshiach will soon merit witnessing the revelation be revealed. These three verbs rep- of Moshiach, with his donkey and all resent three epochs of Judaism. The the other promises made. • Baal Shem Tov relates the Hebrew word for donkey, chamor, to the word Herschel Finman is the co-director, with his wife, chomer, physicality. The fact that Chana, of Jewish Ferndale. He is also the host Avrohom, Moshe and Moshiach all of the Jewish Hour Radio program heard on rode this donkey indicates that the WLQV 92.7 FM Sundays 11-noon. He is best way to inaugurate the Messianic era is contacted on www.rabbifinman.com. by purifying the chomer, our physical environment, making it a vehicle for CONVERSATIONS the revelation of HaShem. How can we best utilize the physical Avrohom saddled the donkey. Being world to reveal its purpose? How before the giving of the Torah, he does revealing the world’s purpose could only conquer and dominate the make us better people? What will it world and its pleasures. This is the take for Moshiach to come? beginning of our serving the Creator.