6 — THE BULLETIN — Thursday. April 11.1991
Remember the Sabbath, to keep it holy , . . Fourth commandment. Exodus. 20:8
Candlelighting
Friday, April 12,7:42 p.m. Sedra Shmini Havdala Sliabbat ends
April 13, 8:4iS p.m.
FridayV April 19,7:52 p.m. Sedra Tazria Metzora Havdala Shabbat ends April 20, 8:58 p.m.
ViAffHaShdah commemoration
Yom HaShoah, Thursday, April 11
Service and Unveiling of Names, 12 noon, S.T. cemetery, 261-1180.
Memorial Lecture with Gerda Frieberg, 8 p.m. B.I., 261-8101.
Beth Hamidrash (Sephar-dic Orthodox), 3231 Heather St. Rabbi D.Bassous. Daily 7 a.m^; Shabbat, Sunday and public holidays 9 a.m.; Fri. and Sat. sunset. 872-4222 or 872-1201.
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Beth Israel (Conservative), 4350 Oak St. Rabbi W. Solomon, Rabbi R. Cahana, Cantor Nixon, Torah reader D. Rubin, Choir S. Pelman; Daily, 8 a.m. and 6 p.m., Fri. 6 and 8:15 p.m.. Sat. 9:15 a.m. and 6 p.m.; Sun..9 a.m. and 6 p.m. 731-4161.
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Bedi Tikvah (Conservative). 9711 Geal. Rd., Richmond. Rabbi M. Cohen,. Torah readers D. Saunders and T. Wolinsky. Mon. and Thurs. minyan 7 a.m.; Fri. £ p.m.; Sat. 9:30 a.m. 271-6262.
* * *. Chabad-Lubavitch (Chas-
sidic), 5750 Oak St. Rabbi Y. Wineberg. Daily 7 a.m. and sunset; Fri. sunset; Sat. 10 a.m.; Sun. 9 a.m. and sunset. 266-1313.
Chabad of Surrey Community Centre ( Chassidic), 210-6950 Nicholson Rd., Delta. Rabbi M. Altein. Sat. 10 a.m. 596-9030.
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Eitz Chaim (Orthodox), 8080 Frances Rd, Richmond. Rabbi A. Feigelstock. Daily minyan 7 a.m.; Fri. 6 p.m.; Sat^ 9 a:m. and sunset; Sunday 9 a.m. 275-0007.
Emanuel (Consevative), 1461 Blanshard V Victoria. Rabbi V. Reinstein. Sat. 9:30 a.m. 382-0615.
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Har El (Conservative), North Shore JCC. 1735 Inglewood Ave., West Van. Rabbi I. Balla, cantorial leader R.EdeL Fri. 7 p.m.; every other Sat. 10 a.m. 922-8245 or 922-9133.
Louis Brier Home (Qrth-odox), 1055 W. 41st Ave. C. Komfeld, D. Komfeld, Moe Frumkin, R. Rosenberg. Daily 4:15 p.m.. Sat. 9:15 a.m. and 4:15 p.m. 261-9376.
Former NCJW president passes
MINNEAPOLIS — Viola Hymes, a past president of the National Council of Jewish Women who was long active on behalf of Israel and education, has died of complications after suffering a stroke in Minneapolis. She was 84.
Hymes was president of the NCJW from 1959 through 1963. Strongly attached to Israel, she helped advance education for social workers and educators at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Under her leadership, NCJ W*s Hebrew University High School was completed.
Hymes served on United States president John F.
â– Relatives and Friends! are advised that the
UNVEILIHG OF HEADSTONE
in loving memory of the late
Kennedy*s Commission on. the Status of Women from 1961 to 1963, and On President Lyndon Johnson's Council on the Status of Women from 1963 to 1968. She also served under Gov. Karl Rol-vaag as chairwoman of the Minnesota Commission on the Status of Women.
Hymes is listed in Who in America and Who's Who in World Jewry. For hcT work on behalf of public education, the American Association of University Women named her "Woman of Distinction.** jta
DEATHS —
FANNY TENBY March 29
As another ButtMn community service feature. Deaths will be published weekly as they are registered.—THE PUBLISHER.
JACK LYON 60LUB
Will take place Sunday, April 21 at 12:00 noon
at the
|3chara Tzedecl Cemetery
Rabbi M. PeuersteinI and Cantor A. Katzii will officiate
J.B. Newall Manuffiients
Hebrew ln«criptiom : . Our Speciallir Established t909 Ptwntll •Itontfon piiid to
Frater and 3Sfh $27'm2
IRelatlves and friends are advised that the
UNVEILING OF HEADSTONE
in loving memory of the late
ABE GUREVICH
win take place Sunday, April 21 at 1:00 p.m. at the
tchara Tzedeckl Cemetery
Rabbi M. Feuerstein and Cantor A. Katzir will officiate
Or Shalom (Traditional Egalitarian), 561 W. 28th Ave. Rabbi I. Marmorstein. Sat. 10 a.m.; monthly Fri. Oneg Shabbat. 872-1614.
Schara Tzedeck (Orthodox), 3476 Oak St. Rabbi ,M. Feuerstein, Rabbi S. 'Crandall, Cantor A. Katzir, Torah reader Rev. J. Marci-ano. Daily 7:15 a.m. and sunset; Fri. sunset; Sat. 9 a.m. and sunset; Sun. 8:30 a.m. and sunset. 736-7607.
Temple Sholom (Reform), 7190 Oak St. Rabbi P. Breg-man, cantorial soloist. A. Guttman. Morning minyans; Sun. 9:30 a.m.; Mon. and Wed. 7:15 a.m.; Fri. 8:15 p.m.; Sat. 10:30a.m. 266-7190.
Yad Vashem seeks names
JERUSALEM — The Hall of Names* established by Yad Vashem to commemorate Holocaust victims, is seeking more names for its *'Pages of Testimony*V section, which contains names and biographical details of individual Jews who perished.
The project*s purpose is to preserve victims* names for eternal memory. Although nearly thriee million names have beeirg£tt|iered, many are still missing.
"Pages of Tes^mony" are available in sevepal languajges upon requestr^d should/be mailed to Md'Vashem, Martyrs' and HeroesV Remembrance Authority, P.O. Box 1477, Jerusalem, Israel, jta
SHEMINI MAINTAINING SPIRITUAL PURITY
In the-Torah portion, muil, we learn about spiritual impurity as it pertains to food. The J?aiit6<i/ii explains that there are a number of preconditions that must be met in order for food to be able to become spiritually impure:
Regarding food in general, a) the food must be specifically food that is intended for human consumption; b) the food must first have been soaked in liquid. Furthermore, regarding vegetative growth, c) **They can only become impure after they are uprooted; as long as they are attached, even (f by one thin root fbutj by which the growth can be nurtured, they are incapable of becoming impure,"
AH Torah laws serve as lessons in man*s divine service, for in addition to the actual laws, there are spiritual lessons therein as well. How are we to understand the abovcr mentioned laws in terms of our spiritual service?
The entire concept of spiritual impurity only exists where holiness is found. For inasmuch as the forces of unholiness receive but a minimal amounrof life force from above, they constantly seek to increase their degree of life force.
They do so by latc^ing^n to an individual who has within himself an- inherently greater degree of holiness than they, and seek to make that person sin. The consequent spiritual descent of that individual ^ through his sin — into spiritual impurity and unholiness enables!them to receive an additional measure of life force. S
It thus follows that only food ^specifically for iifiman consumption** can become
a broader seiise, food iE|lludes to all of man^s needs, and the true aspect ofman is his souU with its spiritual needs —- its food being Torah study and the performance of mitz-vos.
Then comes the second, condition, that even this spir-' itual level is not subject to impurity until it is **soaked in liquid.^ How are we to understand this condition?
Liquid; with its propensity of descending from on high to below, denotes beneficence, wherein he that is on a higher plane descends to oine who is on a lower level. Iii spiritual terms, this means that the individual is not arid and does not keep his spirituality to himself, but he descends and shares with those on a lower level as well.
Thus, when **man*s food,** his aspects of Torah and mitz-vosi Is permeated with the characteristics of liquid and descends to his fellow as well so that this neighbor too can become more spiritual, this increases the degree and measure of his own holiness. As a result, unholiness seeks to an even greater extent to receive nurture from such a person.
But this leads to the following question and grievance: In light of the above, the more a -person seeks to spiritually benefit not only himself but also his environs, the more will he be subject to the blandishments of unholiness! This seems to be patently unfair.
This plaint is removed by the third condition: "P^eia-live growth... as/iqmg as they are attached,. .they are incapable of becoming impure. "In spiritual terms,this means ^ long as man's service is such that his revealed
RISKIN
degree of service is attached to spiritually impuic. i,«.. only ,jt8 source and rppt in his soul's the spiritual aspiects of man ; essence, he wml^^^ ...... . . - .
YOM HASHOAH (SHMINI)
EFR AT, Israel - WHEN I WAS GROWING UP in Brooklyn, Jews didn't buy Volkswagens. Even though the price was right, the shame was too expensive. To this day, some 45 years after the Holocaust, there are Jews who avoid all German products.
Are they right in maintaining this unofficial boycott as a meansof still remembering the greatest tragedy of our century? Or is saying no to a V.W. a hollow gesture in a world with a very short memory? The question we have to ask ourselves, especially with the fall of the Berlin Wa is: What role should forgiveness play in our relationship to this new/old country in the heart of Europe?
A year ago, when borders inside Germany were changing — this time without tanks and bloodshed — the world was being asked to forgive the nation which had invented the death factories. World War II left German land divided. East and West performing preventive surgery on the dragon which should no longer be allowed to belch fire and fear.
But the crumbling of the Wall, a mythologi- ^ cal presence inspiring scores of cloak-and-dagger films, was one of the great media events of the postwar period. Before you knew it, the mood had changed from a nation sliackled because of monstrous crimes against humanity to a celebration with rock stars televised all over the world, without trace of tears in sight. Was it indeed the beginning of a new epoch a wonder of wonders. East and West Germanys uniting with each other and civilized humanity contritely asking to be welcomed once again as a respectable nation?^;;.- v,v^l-
To forgive or not to forgive, that is the question! The forgiv-ers.speak of new beginnings, and how it's wrong to look upon the Germans of 1990as the Nazis of the *30s and •40s. Don*t the children and grandchildren deserve individual revaluation?
And from a theological point of view, a case could be made that our G-d is primarily a G-d of forgiveness, and by not forgiving the Germans, we betray this concept of G-d. The forgivers, if they*re familiar with the differences between Hallel and Half^Hallel, can easily.point out that ja§tweek^<during our ^ festival of-redemption/>thejComplete Hahel wasn't said during the last six days, because of avMidrashwhldhsympMtHi1i:e¥ with the Egyptian charioteers. The angels, singing the SJkira, are rebuked by G-d: '*The worlcs of My hands are drowning in the Sea, and you sing songs of praise?"
Thus only Half-Hallel on Passoveri-joy at the expense of the victims is not to be given full expression. G-d's love extends to aU His creatures.
And the forgiveness factor in Jewish theology should be important enough to get u& to open our hearts to the Germans. This is one side.
Arguing against forgiveness is not an easy position to take; it seems callous. Nonetheless, the Half-Hallel argument is not strong. ^
G-d's rebuke is toward angels, creatures who represent a different, more cosmic order or reality and creatui^s who were not themselves threatened by the rapacious Egyptians. The Midrash teaches that, when the angels sang praise while the Egyptians drowned, they violated the angelic code of moral behavior. But the Israelites are not angels.
Threatened with extinction, the Israelites not only survive, but the tables are even turned on the would-be destroyers. G-d understands their joy, this desire to sing praise at finding oneself alive and one's enemies dead. In contrast to the angels, for the Israelites to give full vent to their joy at seeing the forces of destruction destroyed is* not only allowed, but is also commanded.
The Talmud, in TractateBrafchot 33a, sees the opening of the 94th Psalm, **0 G-d of vengeance, L-rd.."in which the word "vengeance" is placed between two names of G-d, as evidence that righteous vengeance (the revenge of G-d against the wicked) can be a good thing. Furthermore, the more accurate reason why we only say Half-Hallel during Passover (except for the first two days) is to remind us that, although we were redeemed from Egypt, complete redemption still awaits us.
Buteven more to the pointv the following story says a great deal about the nature ofjorgiveness. Rabbi Chaim Soloveitr chik, of the Brisk Talmudic dynasty, when travelling by railroad, would dress incognito in simple peasant garb.
One time, three card players needed a fourth hand. When they saw Reb Chaim, they asked him to join, but he begged off. The card players wouldji't take no for an answer, and Reb Chaim wouldn't give them a yes.
Finally, one of thejnen lost his patience aiid slapped the stubborn peasant. Reb Chaim didn't say a word. When the train arrived at its destination, imagine the card players' surprise when the delegation of the town's leading Jews caine to greet the peasant who hadn't wanted to play cards, accoroing him the ^special honor reserved only for the great^ of Torah luminaries.
Realizing what he'd done,the,man who'd slapped Reb Chaim sought his forgiveness, pleading he hadn't intended to hit a great -scholar. Reb Chaim refused to forgive him. The man fell into a depression, couldn't sleep nights, couldn't think straight.
When the monthbfElul arrived, he travelled to Brisk to see^k the forgiveness that every Jew is required to give, but again, Reb Chaim refused. Finally; he approached Reb Chaim's son, Reb
