April
26-27, 2013 / 17 Iyar 5773
Day 32 of
the Omer
Shabbat
Emor
Torah
Portion: Leviticus 21:1-24:23 / Haftarah
Portion: Ezekiel 44: 15-31
“Saving
Lives”
Dear Friends,
Kol Hakavod – All Honor to Ken and Dan Hechtman –
true heroes of our Chicago Jewish community. The brothers
are co-owners of Ken’s Diner, a great kosher hot dog and burger restaurant on
Dempster in Skokie. On Sunday evening
they witnessed a terrible truck and car collision on the Edens Expressway that
erupted in flames as gas tanks ruptured and tires exploded. Despite the heat and the flames, both stopped
traffic and ran towards the wreck to help.
They saved the lives of everyone in the crash.
What a story!
What an inspiration! Two Jewish
men put their own lives at risk to save the lives of others. For me, this is all about responding to the
call of duty whenever it is heard. It is
about acting in the service of others.
The Talmud teaches that ‘the world stands on three
things, on Torah study, on worship, and on acts of loving kindness.’ Three paths are necessary to build a
fulfilling and meaningful Jewish life.
We must learn and continually grow intellectually. We must find time to pray and express our spiritual
yearnings. Just as important as study
and prayer, we must help our fellow human being through compassionate, just and
loving deeds.
May each of us follow these three paths to living fully
Jewish lives. When called upon, may we
help those in need to the best of our abilities, whether in time of safety or
in time of danger and disaster. May we
act with kindness and compassion to lift lives, enrich lives and perhaps even,
to save lives.
Kol Hakavod, Ken & Dan. You make us all proud!
Shabbat Shalom,
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