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 000000 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)