spirit

torah portion

IN MEMORIAM

Eugene “Gene” Applebaum
1936 – 2017

Strength
In Faith

The American Technion Society – Detroit Chapter
mourns the loss of Mr. Eugene Applebaum.

Mr. Applebaum was a pillar of the Detroit Jewish community

and beyond. He was a visionary leader and philanthropist.

May his memory be a blessing.

CATHY DEUTCHMAN

SCOTT LEEMASTER

Detroit Chapter President

ATS Chairman of the Board

LARRY JACKIER

JOEY SELESNY

Chairman of the
Technion Board of Governors

Regional Director

O

6735 Telegraph Road, Suite 304
%ORRP¿HOG+LOOV0,

 || ats.org

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SPECIALIZING IN LARGE & HAZARDOUS REMOVALS

34

January 11 • 2018

2224310

Parshat Vaera:
Exodus 6:2-9:35;
Ezekiel 28:25-29:21.

ur world is in a pretty tough
place. The news fluctuates
back and forth between infu-
riating, terrifying and exhausting. Is
there any hope in the future? I think
that if anyone needs me, I’ll be Up
North. In a cabin. Off the grid. Away
from everyone but my family.
autonomy, God needed our ruach
I imagine our ancestors felt
(spirit) to be full.
even worse. Enslaved and
Redemption can only be
oppressed in Egypt, the
achieved when we seek free-
Israelite nation in exile was on
dom and faith. Redemption
its knees and ready to break.
can only be achieved when
It was that moment, then,
we believe in ourselves, in our
that God found in Moses, the
leaders and in God.
shepherd and former prince
Some 40 years after our
of Egypt, a redeemer to lead
Torah portion, as Moses’ life
God’s children into freedom.
comes to an end, he says to
Rabbi Aaron
In this week’s Torah por-
our ancestors, “Be strong and
tion, we read of God appear- Starr
resolute, be not in fear or in
ing to Moses and estab-
dread … for the Lord your
lishing with him a close,
God marches with you: God
intimate relationship. God
will not fail or forsake you”
explains in five steps how God has
(Deuteronomy 31:6-7).
heard our ancestors’ suffering, how
It remains good advice. When times
God will bring them out of slavery
are difficult, we must not wait for a
and how God will carry them on
miracle to arrive for us to gain our
eagles’ wings to the Promised Land.
faith in a bright future. Rather, we
must first summon the strength of
“But when Moses told this to the
faith — in each other, in our leaders
Israelites, they would not listen to
and in God — and then the miracle
Moses, mikotzer ruach umei-aovdah
can be realized in partnership with
kashah” (Exodus 6:9).
God.
Why were the Israelites unable to
I suppose, then, that I will stick it
hear God’s message of hope? Mei-
out here … at least until I can install
avodah kashah is easy to translate:
“hard work.” Mikotzer ruach is a bigger some indoor plumbing in that cabin
Up North.
challenge; that is to say, what does
In this week of Parashat Vaera,
the Torah mean when it conveys our
may we seek the strength of faith and
ancestors were of “stunted spirit”?
of community so that together, we
Perhaps here our ancestors failed to
might partner in building a world of
accept Moses’ faith and optimism
peace. •
because they were physically — and
spiritually — exhausted.
Rabbi Aaron Starr is spiritual leader of
Moses’ battle against our ancestors’
kotzer ruach (stunted spirit) continues Congregation Shaarey Zedek in Southfield.
throughout the 40 years of wandering
CONVERSATIONS
in the wilderness. In fact, ultimately,
What can you do to increase the
we come to learn that the reason our
strength of your faith? How might
ancestors required 40 years to go from
you partner with the community to
Egypt to the Land of Israel is they
achieve the proverbial Promised
needed a generation of slave mentality
Land? How might faith be more dif-
to die off in order to pursue a freedom
ficult to achieve in our time than in
and faith in the Promised Land. In
our ancestors’ time? How might it be
order for redemption to take hold, for
easier to achieve?
the Jews to retake Israel and to gain