Torah portion

Epstein-Peri

Anita and Avi Peri and Suzi and Stuart Epstein are thrilled to announce the marriage of their children, Neilly Peri and Jason Epstein. The marriage ceremony took place in September 2020 at Adat Shalom Synagogue in Farmington Hills. Due to the pandemic, a celebration party was held later, in October 2021. Neilly and Jason were thrilled to have their grandmother Nanny Dorie Wallace participate in their wedding ceremony.

Jason received his undergraduate degree from U of M and his J.D. from Florida State College of Law. He is the co-founder of CTC, a recruiting and consulting firm.

Neilly graduated from MSU and works for a digital advertising agency.

The couple look forward to spending many more happy years together.

Willens 100th

Born and raised in Detroit, Jean Willens lives an active life with family and friends in Franklin. She will be celebrating her milestone on Feb. 6, 2022, in her winter home in Rancho Mirage, Calif. Enjoying this exciting event with her will be her daughter, Joan Abraham, and her significant other, Ken Matasar; her daughter and son-in-law, Amy Willens and Ben Rosenberg; her grandchildren, Geoffrey and Jill Abraham, and Leslie Rosenberg; and greatgrandchildren, Joey Rose and Sam Abraham. Joining them will be nieces and nephews from Modesto, Calif., and family from Los Angeles, including Jeffrey and Roya Sklar. At 100, Jean is still reading the Jewish News every week.

SPIRIT

TORAH PORTION

Finding Success

When one lives in a time of mass innovation, it becomes increasingly easy to believe we can do things all by ourselves.

Gone are the days when one would have to travel to a store or call up an expert to find a solution for day-to-day predicaments. “Just Google it,” “look it up on YouTube,” and “ask Siri” have replaced “go check out a book from the library,” “call a plumber” and “watch the weather on the evening news.”

Besides the war of attrition against everyone’s humility, this phenomenon breeds an altogether new challenge: distrust.

HaShem instructs Moshe, “You shall make the menorah out of pure gold, from one piece it shall be made” (Exodus 25:31). At first, the menorah was meant to be actively formed, “you shall make,” but then the process seems passive, “it shall be made.” Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki, 11th century, France) explains that Moshe first attempted to make the menorah on his own until he relented due to the difficulty of the task; after which, HaShem created the menorah Himself.

The Sfas Emes (Rabbi Yehudah Leib Alter, 19th century, Poland) asks why, if HaShem was willing to make it Himself, did He instruct Moshe to do so in the first place? Surely, Moshe could have been involved with other pursuits that needed his attention! The Sfas Emes explains that HaShem asks from all of

us to recognize two paradoxical realities: 1) That we are tasked with putting in the requisite effort, and 2) That no matter how much effort we exert, we cannot succeed without help, whether it be from HaShem or from others. The Sfas Emes’ grandfather, the Chidushei HaRim (Rav Yitzchak Meir Alter) similarly comments on Rabbi Shaya the Talmudic dictum, “If

Katz someone says, ‘I toiled and found no success,’ do not

Parshat believe him; ‘I have not

Terumah: toiled and found success,’ Exodus 25:1`-27:14; I Kings do not believe him; ‘I have toiled and found success,’ 5:26-6:13. believe him” (Megilah 6b). But why does it say “found success”? Should it not have said “I achieved success,” since they’ve toiled for it? In truth, explains the Chiddushei HaRim, every success we enjoy is due to others’ contributions, no matter how much effort we exert; some of it is always “found.” The more technology advances, the more we feel like we’re in control. But as driving on the roads, meeting our deadlines and fighting COVID has taught us, we have to trust and rely on others if we want to truly “find success.” If we can avoid the instinctive trappings of our modern-day lifestyles and find room to seek out others, including HaShem, to rely on, then we will not only find success and develop caring communities, but we, too, can illuminate the world, like a menorah. Rabbi Shaya Katz is rabbi of Young Israel of Oak Park.