spirit
torah portion
House
Call
with
Dr. Ruben
The Proof Of Prophecy
T
WHAT IS A BUTTERFLY NEEDLE
& FOR WHAT IS IT USED?
ŶƐǁĞƌ͗ƐƚĞĞůŶĞĞĚůĞďƵƩĞƌŇLJŝƐƚŚĞƐĂĨĞƐƚǁĂLJƚŽ
ƉƌŽǀŝĚĞĂĐĐĞƐƐƚŽLJŽƵƌǀĞŝŶƐďĞĐĂƵƐĞŝƚƌĞŵĂŝŶƐ
ŝŶͲĚǁĞůůŝŶŐ;ŝŶLJŽƵƌǀĞŝŶͿďƌŝĞŇLJΘŝƐƚŚĞŶƌĞŵŽǀĞĚ
ĂŌĞƌďůŽŽĚŝƐĚƌĂǁŶŽƌŵĞĚŝĐŝŶĞŝƐĂĚŵŝŶŝƐƚĞƌĞĚ͘
/ŶƚƌĂǀĞŶŽƵƐ;/sͿŵĞĚŝĐŝŶĞƐĐĂŶďĞĚĞůŝǀĞƌĞĚĚŝƌĞĐƚůLJŝŶƚŽ
LJŽƵƌďůŽŽĚƐƚƌĞĂŵƵƐŝŶŐďƵƩĞƌŇLJŶĞĞĚůĞƐΘƚŚŝƐŵĞƚŚŽĚ
ĞƌĂĚŝĐĂƚĞƐƚŚĞƉŽƚĞŶƟĂůĨŽƌĂĐĂƚŚĞƚĞƌͲƌĞůĂƚĞĚŝŶĨĞĐƟŽŶ͘
/ŶĐŽŶƚƌĂƐƚ͕ƐŚŽƌƚŝŶƚƌĂǀĞŶŽƵƐĐĂƚŚĞƚĞƌƐĂƌĞŐĞŶĞƌĂůůLJ
dŚŝƐŝƐĂƵƩĞƌŇLJŶĞĞĚůĞ
used in hospitals & their use grew out of the need for
ŶƵƌƐĞƐƚŽŵĂŶĂŐĞŵƵůƟƉůĞƉĂƟĞŶƚƐĂƚƚŚĞƐĂŵĞƟŵĞ͕
ŐŽŝŶŐĨƌŽŵƌŽŽŵƚŽƌŽŽŵƚŽĂĚŵŝŶŝƐƚĞƌ/sŵĞĚŝĐŝŶĞƐƚŚƌŽƵŐŚĂŶŝŶͲĚǁĞůůŝŶŐ
ǀĞŝŶĐĂƚŚĞƚĞƌ͘dŚĞůŽŶŐĞƌƐŽŵĞƚŚŝŶŐƌĞŵĂŝŶƐŝŶͲĚǁĞůůŝŶŐŝŶLJŽƵƌĂƌŵ͕ƚŚĞŐƌĞĂƚĞƌ
ƚŚĞƌŝƐŬĨŽƌƐŬŝŶďĂĐƚĞƌŝĂƚŽƚƌĂĐŬŝŶƚŽLJŽƵƌďůŽŽĚƐƚƌĞĂŵΘƚŚƵƐĐĂƵƐĞĂƐĞƌŝŽƵƐ
ďůŽŽĚƐƚƌĞĂŵŝŶĨĞĐƟŽŶŽƌƐĞƉƐŝƐ͘/ŶĨĂĐƚ͕ŚŽƐƉŝƚĂůĐĂƚŚĞƚĞƌƐĂƌĞƚŚĞŵŽƐƚĐŽŵŵŽŶ
ĐĂƵƐĞŽĨďůŽŽĚƐƚƌĞĂŵŝŶĨĞĐƟŽŶƐĂĐƋƵŝƌĞĚŝŶĂŚŽƐƉŝƚĂůďĞĐĂƵƐĞƚŚĞĐĂƚŚĞƚĞƌ
ƚLJƉŝĐĂůůLJƌĞŵĂŝŶƐŝŶͲĚǁĞůůŝŶŐŝŶĂƉĂƟĞŶƚ͛ƐĂƌŵĨŽƌϰϴͲϳϮŚŽƵƌƐ͘W/ůŝŶĞƐ
;WĞƌŝƉŚĞƌĂůůLJ/ŶƐĞƌƚĞĚĞŶƚƌĂůĂƚŚĞƚĞƌƐͿĂƌĞĂůƐŽĂƐƐŽĐŝĂƚĞĚǁŝƚŚďůŽŽĚĐůŽƚƐ
ĂŶĚŝŶͲĚǁĞůůŝŶŐďůŽŽĚƐƚƌĞĂŵŝŶĨĞĐƟŽŶƐ͕ƚŚŽƵŐŚƚŚŝƐŝƐƌĂƌĞ͘
^ŝŵŝůĂƌƉƌŽďůĞŵƐƌĞƐƵůƚŝŶŚŽŵĞͲƵƐĞ/͘s͘ĂŶƟďŝŽƟĐƚŚĞƌĂƉLJďĞĐĂƵƐĞŝƚŝƐĨĂƌĞĂƐŝĞƌ
ĨŽƌƉĂƟĞŶƚƐƚŽƵƐĞĂW/ůŝŶĞ͕ŚŽǁĞǀĞƌŝƚŵĂLJŶŽƚƚŚĞƐĂĨĞƐƚĂůƚĞƌŶĂƟǀĞ͘
tŚŝůĞƐƚĞĞůŶĞĞĚůĞƐďƵƩĞƌŇŝĞƐĂƌĞŵŽƌĞůĂďŽƌŝŶƚĞŶƐŝǀĞĨŽƌƐƚĂīΘƉĂƟĞŶƚƐ͕ŝƚŝƐ
nevertheless the safestĂůƚĞƌŶĂƟǀĞďĞĐĂƵƐĞŝƚŝƐƌĞŵŽǀĞĚŝŵŵĞĚŝĂƚĞůLJĂŌĞƌƵƐĞ͘
DŽƐƚĂŶƟďŝŽƟĐƐŽŶůLJŶĞĞĚƚŽďĞĂĚŵŝŶŝƐƚĞƌĞĚŽŶĐĞĚĂŝůLJŝŶĂŶŽƵƚƉĂƟĞŶƚŝŶĨƵƐŝŽŶ
ĐĞŶƚĞƌΘƚŚĞƌĞĨŽƌĞ͕ƚŚĞƐƚĞĞůŶĞĞĚůĞďƵƩĞƌŇLJŝƐƉƌĞĨĞƌĂďůĞƚŽƚŚĞĐĂƚŚĞƚĞƌ͘
ϮϯϬϬ,ĂŐŐĞƌƚLJZĚ^ƵŝƚĞϭϭϵϬ͕tĞƐƚůŽŽŵĮĞůĚ͕D/ϰϴϯϮϯ
ϮϰϴͳϲϮϰͳϵϴϬϬ
&ŽƌŵŽƌĞŝŶĨŽƌŵĂƟŽŶ͕ǀŝƐŝƚŽƵƌĐŽŶƚĂĐƚƉĂŐĞĂƚ
ŚƩƉƐ͗ͬͬĞŶĐŽŵƉĂƐƐŚĞĂůƚŚĐĂƌĞ͘ĐŽŵͬĐŽŶƚĂĐƚ
Video Consults now available with Dr. Ruben on WHATSAPP
248-672-9775
Bruce Ruben, M.D. is the Founder and Medical Director of
Encompass HealthCare & Wound Medicine, Michigan's premier
ŽƵƚƉĂƟĞŶƚ/ŶĨĞĐƟŽƵƐŝƐĞĂƐĞĂŶĚtŽƵŶĚĂƌĞĞŶƚĞƌ͘
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34
August 9 • 2018
he litmus test for true prophecy
described in this week’s Torah
portion (Deuteronomy 13:2-6)
reveals much about the prophet’s role
in ancient Israel.
In a nutshell, an individual claiming
to be a prophet, even if this individual
provides seemingly miraculous signs
and wonders in support of a prophetic
message, is not to be believed if the
substance of the prophecy deviates
from the teachings of the
obey mindlessly but also to
Torah. Prophets were not
think critically and to raise
magicians or diviners of
the all-important question,
dreams; rather, they were con-
“How do you know that?”
veyers of Divine instruction
Yet asking questions such as
and law, whose mission was
this is crucial not only in the
to defend the commitments of
matter of vetting a prophetic
the past, the commandments
message, but in day-to-day
that comprised the covenant
Howard
interactions as well. It is no
between God and Israel, from Lupovitch
coincidence that the section
the abuses of the present.
immediately following the
This litmus test tasked
passage on false prophesy
the listeners of the wannabe
addresses a similar matter in
prophet — ordinary people in
a more day-to-day context: a
ancient Israel — with the bur-
personal friend or family member try-
den of vetting the prophetic message
ing to lead you astray. Here, too, a ploy
and not being duped by smoke and
is an easy solution to life’s problems:
mirrors or by empty promises. This
“Come let us worship other gods who
meant, among other things, not being
you do not know,” a similar offer of an
swept up by grandiose claims and by
enticing solution. And here, too, sens-
easy solutions to complex problems.
ing perhaps that the lure of a personal
The prophet who claimed to have
friend might be even more enticing
the solution that no one else had and
and irresistible than that of a stranger
who claimed that simply following
claiming to be a prophet, the Torah is
“another god whom you do not know”
even more emphatic in its insistence
will solve all of life’s difficulties is by
that we resist such a suggestion.
definition a false prophet making a
The larger message is that active
false promise.
engagement and critical thinking
The ability and willingness to
are integral components of a Jewish
employ this litmus test, moreover, is
outlook and a Jewish way of thinking.
one of the ways God tests the mettle
The ultimate aim of living according
of Israel. Passively accepting the com-
to the teachings of the Torah and its
mandments and the divinity of God
interpreters is attainable only when,
is not enough, not least of all because
between hearing the laws and follow-
one who follows a true prophet pas-
ing the laws, there is an intensive, on-
sively will more easily be swayed to
going, active, critical engagement with
follow a false prophet passively.
the meaning of these teachings.
Conversely, one who follows a
Here the teaching of Ben Bag-Bag in
prophet after actively vetting the
Tractate Avot resonates with particu-
message will be less likely fooled by
lar clarity: “Delve into it [the Torah]
a false claim. Actively engaging the
and delve into it, for everything is in
meaning of the commandments and,
it.” If, after extensive examination,
in this case, the veracity of prophecy,
one finds meaning and validity in the
is a crucial line of defense against the
teachings of the Torah, the resulting
unscrupulous charlatan, prophetic
belief and commitment will be dif-
or otherwise, who takes advantage of
ficult to assail, if not unassailable, by
people in times of duress and is thus
friend or by false prophet. •
an indispensable requirement for all
of Israel.
Dr. Howard N. Lupovitch is an associate professor
Active engagement in this regard
of history at Wayne State University and direc-
is not a simple task, but one that
tor of WSU’s Cohn-Haddow Center for Judaic
comes down to an ability not only to
Studies.
Parshat Re’eh:
Deuteronomy 11:26-
16:17; Isaiah 66:11-
24. (Shabbat Rosh
Chodesh)