APRIL 21 • 2022 | 49

Marcus-Friedman
L

inda and Harold Friedman 
are excited to announce 
the engagement of their 
daughter Michelle Alyse to 
Matthew Gregory, son of 
Nancy and Stephen Marcus of 
Weston, Fla. 
Michelle and Matt instantly 
bonded over their love of out-
door adventures, chocolate 
chip cookies and family. Their 
favorite outdoor adventure 
yet was becoming engaged in 
Badlands National Park in 2020. 
The happy couple, who reside in San Francisco, will 
be wed this year.

pregnant dog and helping 
deliver five puppies. She 
took care of the dogs in 
her home for three months 
before helping find their 
“furever” homes.

Brooke Faith 
Wittenberg, 
daughter of 
Staci and the 
Honorable 
Jamie 
Wittenberg, will be called 
to the Torah on the 
occasion of her bat 
mitzvah at Temple Israel 
in West Bloomfield on 
Saturday, April 23, 2022. 
She will be joined in 
celebration by her sisters, 
Arielle, Talia and Maya. 
Brooke is the loving 
grandchild of Joni and 
Stephen Redisch, Mollie 
Wittenberg and Howard 
Wittenberg. 
Brooke is a student 
at Anderson Middle 
School in Berkley. Her 
most meaningful mitzvah 
project was collecting 

donations for Cincinnati 
Children’s Fetal Care 
Center.

Maya Shaye 
Wittenberg, 
daughter of 
Staci and the 
Honorable 
Jamie 
Wittenberg, will be called 
to the Torah on the 
occasion of her bat 
mitzvah at Temple Israel 
in West Bloomfield on 
Saturday, April 23, 2022. 
She will be joined in 
celebration by her sisters, 
Arielle, Talia and Brooke. 
Maya is the loving 
grandchild of Joni and 
Stephen Redisch, Mollie 
Wittenberg and Howard 
Wittenberg. 
Maya attends Anderson 
Middle School in Berkley. 
As part of many mitzvah 
projects, her most 
meaningful was gathering 
contributions for Cincinnati 
Children’s Fetal Care 
Center.

SPIRIT

It Starts with Me 
I

n Jewish tradition, those 
of elevated spiritual stature 
will sometimes merit to be 
visited by Elijah the prophet.
The story is told of 
a man who visited the 
Baal Shem Tov (1698-
1760), founder of the 
Chassidic movement, 
and asked what he 
could do to see Elijah. 
“Every year, at the 
seder, I open the door 
to greet Elijah. I want 
to see him,
” he said.
The Baal Shem Tov 
instructed him to load 
up with food and sup-
plies for the holiday 
and travel to the home 
of a poor family that 
lived outside of Minsk. “There 
you will see Elijah,
” he said.
The man did as he was told. 
On the outskirts of the city, 
he found a small ramshackle 
hut. He knocked and asked 
if he could stay for Passover. 
“It would be our pleasure!” 
exclaimed the kind man who 
opened the door. “However, 
I must warn you. We do not 
have any food to offer you.
”
“That’s okay,
” replied the 
traveler. “I have plenty of food, 
and I’m happy to share it with 
your family.
” 
Over the next few days, the 
poor family ate as they hadn’t 
for years, enjoying all the 
matzah, wine and fine delica-
cies the man brought.
The traveler waited and 
waited but did not see Elijah.
Dismayed, he returned to 
the Bal Shem Tov to share his 
disappointment. The Bal Shem 
Tov instructed that he refill his 

suitcase with food and return 
to Minsk once more.
Upon returning to the 
home of the poor family, he 
approached the door. But 
before he had a chance 
to knock, he heard chil-
dren crying. “Mommy, 
we’re hungry, and we do 
not have any food.
” He 
listened and he heard 
the voice of their mother 
responding to her crying 
children, “My dear chil-
dren, have faith. Just as 
God sent Elijah to pro-
vide us food for Passover, 
surely He will send Elijah 
again.
” 
The man understood 
what it was the Baal 
Shem Tov wanted him to see. 
To see Elijah, we must be him. 
We must be the angel of salva-
tion for someone else.
While the first days of 
Passover celebrate the exodus 
from Egypt, the final day 
focuses on the future redemp-
tion which will be heralded by 
the prophet Elijah. We read 
(Isaiah 10:32-12:6) of the day 
when “No one will do evil or 
destroy … for the world will 
be filled with the knowledge of 
God …
” 
It is up to us to bring about 
that redemption, by working 
to make the world a kinder, 
more Godly place. Elijah will 
then bring us the news of a 
world where there will be no 
hunger or pain, no jealousy or 
war. 

Rabbi Benny Greenwald is the 

director of the Daniel B Sobel 

Friendship House. 

TORAH PORTION

Rabbi Benny 
Greenwald

Parshat 

Pesach 8: 

Deuteronomy 

14:22-16:17, 

Numbers 

28:19-25; 

Isaiah 

16:22-17:6.

