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B B Y O M I C H I G A N R E G I O N - P R E S E N T S - 2016 DISTINGUISHED ALUMNUS ANDY GUTMAN (UK`.\[THUPZ[OL7YLZPKLU[HUK*OPLM-PUHUJPHS6MÄJLY of Farbman Group, a full service commercial real estate company. Andy volunteered as a BBYO advisor for 11 years leaving a lasting legacy on an entire generation of future leaders. SUNDAY JUNE 5, 2016 5:30 pm – Cocktails 6:00 pm – Program & Dinner BACCO RISTORANTE 29410 Northwestern Hwy Southfi eld, Michigan 48034 PLEASE RSVP Seats are limited $180 per individual ticket FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT: www.bbyo.org/event/honorandygutman • Purchase Tickets • Purchase an Ad in the Tribute Book for Andy • Purchase a Sponsorship Call Jennifer Frank, BBYO Administrator, at 248-432-5687 or email jfrank@bbyo.org OR MANY THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: SHELLY & MARK RUBENFIRE 000000 » t o r a h p o r t i o n April 28 • 2016 51 T his past year, I was part of a Jewish funeral that took a bizarre turn when one of the eulogizers abused the podium to preach about his own belief in a resurrected son of God. The deceased had been struggling with his Jewish beliefs and for a little while claimed to have accepted him as his savior. When the young man was diagnosed with his final ill- ness, when he was told that there is no cure for his dis- ease, he sought a rabbi for counsel. Through my work at Jewish Hospice & Chaplaincy Network, I was connected with him; and over time he shared with me that he desired to die as a Jew. With his mental capacities still intact, we wrapped tefillin together; we recited the Shema and he professed a belief in one God. Through the generosity of our Jewish community, we were able to bury him in a Jewish cemetery and hold services in a Jewish funeral chapel. The friend who took the podium at the funeral was careful to quote only from the Jewish Bible, reciting verses from Isaiah that predict that a messiah will rise and save the Jewish people. As I was sitting and waiting for the nightmare to be over, I pondered about the verses of Isaiah, the Jewish concept of Mashiach and our belief in Messianic times. I realized that every- thing the man was saying was true with one exception. According to Jewish beliefs, the Mashiach has not arrived yet, and utopian times were still in the future. When it was my turn to speak, I thanked the man for reminding us of our prophets' promise of better times ahead and of the coming of Mashiach who has not yet arrived. "And there shall come forth a shoot out of the stem of Yishai, and a branch shall grow out of his roots." Isaiah 11:1. On the eighth day of Passover, we will read a special haftorah, a prophecy of Isaiah predicting Messianic times and the rise of Mashiach ben David, a messiah from the Davidic dynasty. As we conclude the holiday celebrating the redemption from our first exile, we look forward and remind ourselves of the promise of a brighter future. Some of us are quite comfortable in our current state of affairs. We live in a democratic country that affords us freedom of religion and freedom of speech. We are free to believe or not believe in anything and everything. For the most part, it is legal and affordable to buy all the necessities of life and of religious practice. Some may point out to the establishment of the State of Israel and claim that the proph- ecies we so long have waited for have finally materialized. Many of us feel pride in our achievements around the globe, our disproportionate numbers in lists of successful people and Nobel prizes as a sign that we have arrived as a people. "And in that day you will say: I offer thanks to You, O God, that You were wrathful with me …" Isaiah 12:1. The haftorah offers us a litmus test to decide if, indeed, Messianic times have arrived: Is the pain gone? Has our suffering ceased? Furthermore, is our current life so good that it justifies the atrocities that our people suffered through the ages? Do we feel gratitude for the pain that was inflicted upon us and our ances- tors? Prophet Isaiah declares that when Mashiach comes, our minds and our hearts will be so elated that we will be singing God's praises not only for His redemption, but also for the tragedies that we suffered. No human mind can come up with an excuse that will make sense of the Holocaust, the pogroms, the Inquisition, the Crusades, and the mil- lions of innocents that were and are murdered for being Jewish. We leave it up to God to make it all better for us, in a way that will erase our pain forever. Until then, no matter how good we have it, whether we live in Michigan or in Jerusalem, we are still in exile. Let's be genuine about our prayers and wishes for the Mashiach. * Rabbi Yisrael Pinson is founder and director of Chabad of Greater Downtown Detroit and a chap- lain with Jewish Hospice & Chaplaincy Network. A Prophecy For Passover Shabbat Pesach 8: Deuteronomy 14:22- 16:17 and Numbers 28:19-28:25; Isaiah 10:32-12:6. Yisrael Pinson