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in
spirit
p
j jews
the d
section
torah
portion
Of Birth,
Age,
Hope,
Fear
N
MEL DRYMAN
Raised in Detroit, Experienced in Arizona
Your Professional
& Dedicated
ARIZONA REALTOR
Mobile: (480) 239-8686
mel.dryman@azmoves.com
Each Office Independently Owned and Operated
Located in the desirable Woodland Trail subdivision
in Farmington Hills, this updated colonial with
beautiful curb appeal is ready for you! You’ll love
the fluid floor plan from the moment you enter the
large foyer leading into the dining room. Spacious
bright white kitchen offers granite counters, newer
appliances and a door wall allowing access to a
huge deck that’s perfect for entertaining! Expansive
family room features vaulted ceiling, fireplace with
stone surround, and views of a beautiful private
back yard. $399,900
Adriane Dundon
Cell: (248) 838-8821
adundon@cbwm.com
WEIR MANUEL
©2018 Coldwell Banker Weir Manuel. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC fully supports the principles
of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Each Office Is Independently Owned And Operated.
Condominium For Sale
35599 Woodfield #12
Farmington Hills 48331
Please contact:
Fran Wilbanks
Wilbanks Real Estate Inc.
734 578 4887
44
October 25 • 2018
jn
294 E Brown Street
Birmingham, MI 48009
ow Abraham and Sarah
son.
were old, well on in years”
Our parshah begins with the
… Genesis 18:11.
words, “And God appeared (Vayera)
“God had remembered
to him (Abraham).” Vayera in
Sarah as He had said; and
Hebrew is spelled, vav – yud
God did for Sarah as He had
– resh – aleph. Depending
spoken. Sarah conceived and
on the context, these four let-
bore a son to Abraham in
ters can either mean “and he
his old age, at the appointed
appeared, to see or behold” or
time which God had spoken
could mean “and he feared, to
… Abraham circumcised his
be frightened.” Depending on
Jeff Lasday
son at the age of eight days
the context, the word Vayera
as God commanded him.”
can either point to an exciting
Parshat
Genesis 24:1-4
new opportunity or a time to
Vayera:
Last month, Lori and I
turn inward in fear. The four
Genesis
met our grandson Teddy
letters remain the same; how-
18:1-22:24; II ever, the meaning that we layer
Stanley Lasday for the first
Kings 4:1-37. on them is very different.
time.
We were fortunate to have
Similarly, in life, through
arrived in Israel just in time
our mindset we can encounter
to be there to hold him on
the same situation and either
the day he was born.
have a positive mindset and “excit-
Driving home from the hospital
edly behold future possibilities” or
that night, we excitedly shared the
“fear what the future will hold.” The
news of becoming grandparents
choice is ours.
with our taxi driver, a man about
In Neve Tzedek in Tel Aviv, 31
my age. The driver responded with a days after his birth, Teddy Stanley
surprising, very solemn shake of his
Lasday brought our family tre-
head, repeating over and over again, mendous pride and delight as he
“Saba (grandfather), that word
flawlessly participated in his Pidyon
frightens me.”
Haben, the ceremony in which
Rather than anticipation, joy and
a firstborn son is redeemed by a
hope for the future, for him, the idea Cohen, in order to release him from
of becoming a grandfather repre-
his obligation from serving in the
sented a fear of growing old.
temple. The ceremony is an oppor-
In this week’s portion, Sarah, like
tunity to give meaningful thanks to
my taxi driver, is presented with
God for the birth of a child and is a
news about a birth. While entertain- symbol of tradition and ties to the
ing messengers from God, Sarah and past. (Reformjudaism.org)
Abraham are told that Sarah will
Similarly, when he was only eight
give birth to a son within the year.
days old, he managed to captivate
Though Sarah and Abraham are
a crowd of family and friends at
described as “old, well on in years,”
his brit milah. I really hope that
Sarah’s reaction to hearing about a
in future years he doesn’t hold it
birth was very different from our
against me that it was me, his zaydie,
taxi driver’s. Rather than reacting in
who held him down for the deed. ■
fear to becoming a mother at such
Jeffrey Lasday serves as the Chief Operating
an old age, she laughed with delight
Officer of the Jewish Community Center of
(and a little disbelief). She beheld
Metropolitan Detroit
the future possibilities of raising a