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