What was going on when I was born?

International U.S. commitment to Israel's security was reaffirmed by the Reagan Administration after protests from the Israeli Government and Israeli diplomats in Washington over the Administration's announcement that it would sell arms to Saudi Arabia. Israel is especially against the proposed sale of five Awacs surveillance planes. After a meeting in Jerusalem with the United States Ambassador, Samuel Lewis, Prime Minister Menachem Begin said ''the Government of Israel expressed deep pain and unqualified opposition'' to the arms deal. (Page A1, Column 6.) Senator Jesse Helms was challenged by the White House in his efforts to have a person of his choice named assistant secretary of state for inter-American affairs as the Senate Foreign Relations Committee began confirmation hearings on key State Department appointments. The White House nominated Thomas O. Enders, a career diplomat and economic specialist with no Latin American experience. Senator Helms, who indicated he would oppose Mr. Enders, has put forward Louis Tambs, a professor at Arizona State University and a former contractor in Latin America. (A1:5.)

Nabisco Inc. and Standard Brands Inc., two of the country's largest producers of packaged foods, announced yesterday that they would merge into a new company to be known as Nabisco Brands Inc. The transaction will involve an exchange of stock with an estimated value of more than $2 billion. Robert M. Schaeberle, Nabisco's 58-year-old chairman and chief executive officer, will become chairman and chief executive officer of the combined corporation. F.Ross Johnson, 49, the chairman and chief executive officer of Standard Brands, will become the new company's president, chief operating officer and executive committee chairman. Nabisco and Standard Brands said in a joint statement yesterday that they would keep their separate identities. Both companies make many highly advertised food products that receive major display in the nation's food stores. Standard Brands' sales totaled $3.02 billion last year, while Nabisco's sales were $2.57 billion.

An analysis by the Office of Management and Budget has found that the impact of President Reagan's proposed budget reductions will fall equally on each region of the country and not disproportionately on the Northeast and Middle West, as some Congressional critics are contending. The study, which began soon after the economic proposals were submitted to Congress in mid-February, is expected to be made public at a news conference tomorrow afternoon by David A. Stockman, the budget director. Based on past spending patterns in affected programs, the budget analysts predicted a ''virtually equal'' effect on each region. Per-Capita Calculations The analysts calculated that in the Northeast and the South the reductions would amount to $170 per capita; in the West, $168, and in the Middle West, $158.

The way our porch looked in winter was the way they all looked: tarpaulin on the glider, wicker chairs turned to face and lean on the wall, a few snow-coned flower pots. In late April, but never earlier because spring is elusive in New England, the tarp was taken to the attic, the chairs were righted and windowsill plants were carried out for sunbaths. But I cannot recall people sitting on their porches in daylight. It was toward evening that the porch sitters appeared, invisible audiences for those on the stage that was the sidewalk, audible only in the squeak of a glider or the scratch of a match. Most of the time I was on stage - going to the drugstore or the library before they closed at 9, coming home from supper at a friend's - but there were many nights when I sat with the grown-ups, as silent and as watchful as they.

A trial judge in the Bronx has accused the office of the New York City Corporation Counsel of ''atrocious conduct'' and a ''gross miscarriage of justice'' in the defense of a million-dollar lawsuit that charges the city with malicious prosecution. The judge - Justice Louis Fusco Jr. of State Supreme Court - said Allen G. Schwartz's office had ''violated a multitude of rules'' and failed to have a lawyer ready to defend the suit despite the granting of repeated adjournments. In a 75-page opinion published this week, Justice Fusco refused a request from Mr. Schwartz's office that he rescind a Jan. 26 ruling in which he had entered a judgment of default against the city. Justice Herbert Shapiro, also of State Supreme Court in the Bronx, had held a nonjury damages hearing in February following the default. On Monday, he awarded $250,000 to the plaintiff, Miguel Colon. Mr. Colon, a 43-year-old unemployed house painter from the Bronx, was jailed for 21 months on a murder indictment before the charges were dismissed in 1975.

In India, there's a protest for every occasion A2 Dozens killed and wounded in Bei- rut fighting A3 United Arab Emirates will buy British military aircraft A4 Around the World A5 U.N. delegates stage walkout at Namibia debate A6 Member of Soviet Politburo criti- cizes U.S. on arms linkage A6 New Namibia plan gains at Lon- don talks A7 Decision to end curb on grain sales to Soviet reported near A11 East Germans renew criticism of events in Poland A14 Poles charge West exaggerated size of Pact maneuvers A15 Government/Politics How reapportionment affects one Senator in New Jersey B2 General Around the Nation A16 Anchorage and New York among costliest U.S. cities, report says A16 Chicago puzzled by school aide's charges that she was bugged A17 Some Cuban refugees finding U.S. a land of opportunity B3 More brain surgery is ordered for B13 Of stoops and steps, salons of the street C1 Helpful Hardware C2 Six rooms made for romance C3 The old rain barrel makes a comeback C3 Home Improvement C4 House tours forthcoming in the area C6 Tired of lawn mowing? Rent a sheep C9 Gardening: Successful roses, by any name C12 Fashion: Casual luxury in Adri's new collection C1 Hers C2 Design Notebook C10 Children's ads versus Quebec C11 Arts/Entertainment Choreography by Dana Reitz C13 Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center to co-produce concert series C15 House unit opens hearing on drug use in Hollywood C17 Unusual revivals enliven today's operatic repertory C17 Ballet Theater in another evening of plotless works C18 The Hartman in Stamford stages "Merton of the Movies" C18 "Animals" opens at the Princess C18 New York Woodwind Quintet per- forms at Goodman House C20 Rushdie's novel, "Midnight's Children," is reviewed C21 Byron Janis in piano recital C21 Kai Winding plays at Sweet Basil C22 Documentary on Jonestown tragedy on public radio tonight C22 Kei Takei presents six of her "Light" choreographies C23 Two works by Carter and a film at Composers' Forum C32 Sports Islanders lose to Oilers, lead series by 3-2 D19 Rangers defeated by Blues, hold 3-2 series lead D19 Yanks beat Tigers, 7-2 D19 Mets-Pirates game called in ninth, to be played over D21 Shoemaker to ride Cure the Blues in Kentucky Derby 19 Dave Anderson on Yanks' Johnny Oates D21 Valenzuela, Dodger rookie, hurls his third shutout D21 North Stars oust Sabres, Flyers D22 Kings even series with Rockets What Reagan compromise? Finish the financial revolution Honesty and grace in City Hall Topics: live and learn Letters A22 William Safire: down the slippery slope A23 Anthony Lewis: nightmare brought to life A23 Jack Doyle: the new green revolu- tion A23 Dick Clark: American arms and Angola A23

Since the first price for heating oil futures contracts was shouted on the floor of the International Petroleum Exchange's headquarters in Cereal House, Mark Lane, in the heart of London's financial district, business has been better than the most optimistic forcasts. ''I've been involved in commodity trading for 25 years and I can't recall any other commodity market starting out as constructively as this one,'' said Brian Edgeley, managing director of the London subsidiary of Bache Halsey Stuart Shields Inc., which is a member of the new exchange. The exchange reported trading amounting to some 6,919 contracts during its first two weeks ending last Thursday. Each contract calls for the future delivery of 100 metric tons of heating oil, or 31,000 gallons.

An article yesterday about a group of constitutional scholars who criticized proposed legislation to ban abortion omitted one member and incorrectly identified another. The group included Prof. Paul Brest of Stanford University Law School. Erwin N. Griswold, now a Washington lawyer, is a former dean of Harvard Law School.

North Carolina introduced a landmark financing yesterday that will enable the state's pension funds to channel more funds into the local housing market. Similar plans to encourage investments by state and local government pension funds in local mortgages or businesses have been proposed in other parts of the country, including New York City and New York State. Local government officials expect to strengthen their own economies by investing more of the pension money in local enterprises. In New York City, Comptroller Harrison J. Goldin has endorsed plans for city pension funds to buy mortgage securities guaranteed by the United States Government and backed by property in the city. Along with state officials, Mr. Goldin has also supported plans to direct more pension fund money to businesses in New York.

Twenty-seven persons who have been convicted of felonies continue to operate or receive revenue from nursing homes in New York State because of legal requirements that allow hearings and court appeals in state efforts to displace them. This situation was reported yesterday in a statement by Representative Charles E. Schumer, Democrat of Brooklyn. The 27 persons are involved with 43 homes, according to Barbara S. Thomas, public information officer for the State Health Department. They include 16 individuals, with 24 homes, for whom revocation of operating certificates has been delayed through hearings or court appeals.

Philip Morris Inc. announced yesterday that it had agreed to buy a large stake in Rothmans International Ltd. in a transaction valued at $350 million, beating out its archrival in the United States, R.J. Reynolds Industries, which was also after Rothmans. Wall Street analysts said that the complex pact would give Philip Morris, the nation's second-largest cigarette maker, a holding of more than 22 percent in Rothmans International, a large London-based tobacco producer, as well as potentially valuable trademark rights. ''It's another example of the Philip Morris one-upmanship,'' said Diana Temple, a tobacco analyst for Salomon Brothers. ''The fact that part of the Rothmans empire might combine with Reynolds almost certainly had to be a factor in Philip Morris's decision to pursue Rothmans,'' said Jeffrey M. Weingarten, an analyst for Goldman, Sachs & Company.

President Reagan, in his first public discussion of the attempt on his life last month, recounted today how an initial feeling that he had not been hit by the gunfire gave way to ''the most paralyzing pain'' and then a sense of panic over being unable to breathe. In an interview with two news agency reporters, the President said his ''main concern'' in the first minutes after he was shot last March 30 was that ''the more I Transcript of interview is on page B12. tried to breathe and the deeper I tried to breathe, it kept seeming as if I was getting less air and, you know, that panic that you can get if you're strangling on something.'' Mr. Reagan said that he felt pleased at his pace of recovery since the assassination attempt, but he added that he was still experiencing pain and discomfort. He said he had resumed a regimen of ''exercises that I've always done for keeping fit'' but that his pace was slower ''and I don't think I'm going to hurdle any tables in the room here for a while.''