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OSPECT1VE
Attention
Toroh thoughts
To do, or not to do
Adapted from the works of Rabbi Mcnacheot M
Schnccrson. the l.ubavitcher Kebbc. by Rabbi
Yossi New. Chabad of Georgia
With regard to performing a
mitzva, two questions arise. The
first is, to do, or (G-d forbid) not to
do the mitzva. The second, how to
fulfill the precept. The response to
the first question must be utterly
non-intellectual, in a spirit of obe
dience to G-d’s will; By contrast,
the response to the second ques
tion (“how to fufill...”) is dictated
by logic and intelligence—for the
mitzvot must be observed in a logi
cal manner, in a natural manner,
without relying on miracles.
At Sinai: The siclra relates the
giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai
when Israel declared na’aseh ve-
nishma, “we will obey and (then)
we will understand.” For this dec
laration the Jews were accused of
being “a precipitous people, who
pul their mouths before their ears.”
But the truth is to the contrary:
Accepting Torah submissively and
leaving the understanding for later
is the only correct approach to a
divine discipline.
The Fulfillment: On the other
hand, when it comes to observance
we are not to rely on a miracle; we
must fulfill Torah and mitzvot in a
natural manner—for the very pur
pose of G-d’s commandments is to
have an effect upon the world.
Observing our G-dly precepts re
fines the world so that it may
become “a dwelling-place for the
Almighty.” If mitzvot were to be
performed in a miraculous (“un
worldly”) fashion, the whole point
would be missed. A miracle is, in
itself, “holy,” “sacred,” transcend
ing the material; mitzvot are to
“spiritualize” the material and the
mundane—the sheep’s wool trans
formed into tsitsiss, the animal
leather into tefillin, etc.
No Miracles, Please: Rabbi
Schneur Zalman of Liadi (1745-
*
Li
Sevelovitz relatives
to hold third reunion
The descendants of the late Freda
Sevelovitz Rich and Meyer, Saul
and Sholom Sevelovitz will gather
on Labor Day weekend for their
third family reunion in Atlanta.
Plans for the weekend include a
social “Get Re-Acquainted” event
Friday, Aug. 29, at the Embassy
Suite Hotel on Windy Hill Road in
Marietta.
Saturday morning, Aug. 30,
family members will attend servi
ces at Ahavath Achim Synagogue,
where the Sevelovitz families were
charter members. A banquet, high
lighting “Memories,” will be held
Saturday night at the Georgia State
Tower; and Sunday, Aug. 31, there
will be a brunch and swim party at
the home of Lenore (Sater) and
Victor Maslia.
All Atlanta family members are
invited. Reservations from 150
family members, ranging from sec
ond to fifth generations, have been
received. For more information,
call Dorothy Rich Axelrod at 875-
1478, or Esther Gerson Levine at
252-4587.
Rabbi Schneerson
1813 , founder of Chabad), during
his arrest in St. Petersburg was
transported from his fortress jail to
the interrogation center across a
river at night. He once asked the
officer in charge of the boat to stop
it so that he could pronounce the
blessing on the moon (kiddush le-
vana). The later refused. A few
moments later the boat stopped on
its own accord and the oarsman
could not budge it from its place. A
while later the boat was again able
to move. The rabbi then again
requested the same favor from the
officer—who this time acquiesced,
and Rabbi Schneur Zalman pro
nounced the bracha.
He wanted the stopping of the
ship to be done by human volition,
not miraculously, because he
wanted to perform the mitzva
naturally rather than through a
miracle.
RIDE
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Friday, September 5,1986
6:15 p.m.
No charge for
prospective members
Reservations must be made
for dinner no later than August 27,
by calling 257-0537. Seating is limited.
placed
B’nai Torah is a Full Service
Traditional Synagogue. Bring your family
to meet ours—Rabbi Juda Mintz, Cantor
Edgar Neiss, Board Members & the rest
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700 Mount Vernon Highway
Sandy Springs
PAGE 11 THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE August 22, 1986