26 | APRIL 16 • 2020
Moments
S
idney Glen of West Bloomfield
celebrates his 90th birthday
on April 17, 2020. A phar-
macist for more than 60 years
and owner of Kingsmart Drugs in
Detroit, Sid is proud of his achieve-
ments and the healthy lifestyle that
has led him to this day. Wishing
him much love and continued
health is his wife, Ellie. “Virtual”
hugs and happiness come from his
children, Debbie and Rob Molnar,
Nancy Glen and Ralph McDowell,
Jerry Glen, and Robert and Margie Glen, along with grand-
children, Daniel and Allie Molnar, Rachel and Nati Kiferbaum,
Jessica Molnar, Adam, Reva and Dana McDowell, Ethan, Joshua
and Noah Glen.
Shifman 95th
T
his past Dec. 22, 2019, Aaron Shifman, formerly of
Detroit and West Bloomfield, and the CEO and operator
of Shifman’
s Men’
s Wear for 45 years in the Detroit area,
celebrated his 95th birthday at his home in Lake Worth, Fla.
The birthday was attended by his children, Elliot, Errol and
Monna, and two nurses. As per usual for all of his birthdays, a
vibrant bridge game was played, and Aaron, of course, won.
Glen 90th
HOW TO SUBMIT ANNOUNCEMENTS
Mazel Tov! announcements are welcomed for members of the
Jewish community. Anniversaries, engagements and weddings
with a photo (preferably color) can appear at a cost of $18
each. Births are $10. There is no charge for bar/bat mitzvahs or
for special birthdays starting at the 90th.
For information, contact Editorial Assistant Sy Manello at
smanello@renmedia.us or (248) 351-5147 for information or for
a mailed or emailed copy of guidelines.
Spirit
torah portion
A
s I write this, we’
re await-
ing a horrific week of
growing casualties from
COVID-19, with the hope the
deadly virus will begin to peak.
As you read this, you may
think it was wishful
thinking, or maybe,
just maybe, there will
be a visible glimmer of
hope at the end of the
tunnel. That glimmer
will come thanks to all
those who socially dis-
tanced themselves and
because of the brave
healthcare professionals
and other workers who
risked their own health
and well-being to keep
others from dying and
to keep our country afloat.
This parshah surrounds a
tragedy that occurs toward the
middle of the portion: As Aaron’
s
sons offer a fire to celebrate the
dedication of the Sanctuary, they
are struck down by God, right
in front of their father Aaron
(Leviticus 10:2). Stunningly, while
Aaron is speechless, Moshe thinks
he knows exactly why Nadav and
Avihu were struck down: “Oh,
that’
s what God told us. I will
be sanctified by those who are
most holy.
” Moshe probably was
attempting to comfort Aaron, but
he certainly comes across as too
sure of himself — almost heart-
lessly too sure of himself.
Just a few verses later, Moshe
learns there is no place for
that certainty in a world filled
with sadness and tragedy. The
operative words happen to be
the very middle of the portion
and the two words are darosh
darash, which can mean either
“demanded” or “struggled to
understand.
” Just like a rabbi’
s
sermon is called a drasha, it,
too, can either be a demand-
ing harangue (old school), or a
nuanced exploration of a difficul-
ty (new school). Moshe starts out
in the demandingly certain way
he was just a few verses before,
demanding the remaining
sons of Aaron offer the new
moon sacrifices along with
the dedication sacrifices as if
nothing had happened.
Yet, by the end of the
aliyah, Aaron is able to get
Moshe to see that God’
s
darosh darash is not about
certainty and demands; rath-
er, it is about struggling to
figure out God’
s will.
Aaron says, “With the
tragedies that happened to
me today do you really think
that eating the new moon sac-
rifice would be good in the eyes
of God?” Aaron gets Moshe to
understand the struggle to figure
out what God wants from us,
especially in times of tragedy.
Moshe, our humble teacher,
is able to realize his mistake of
certainty, and in verse 20: “Moshe
understood (Aaron and his chil-
dren) and he realized that what
they did was the right thing.
”
In this era of pandemic, we all
must struggle to do what is right
in the eyes of God — but what
is that? We must join together in
the struggle to figure out how to
do what is humanly possible to
confront a threat to our world.
If we can learn from Moshe to
have the humility to recognize
our tradition is about struggling
to figure out what is not simple
or obvious, then we will, God
willing, see a path forward.
Asher Lopatin is rabbi of Congregation Etz
Chaim in Huntington Woods and Oak
Park and the executive director of the
JCRC/AJC.
Parshat
Shemini:
Leviticus
9:1-11:47;
II Samuel
6:1-7:17.
Rabbi Asher
Lopatin
Struggling To See
The Big Picture