Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 26 Tevet 5784
Parsha Va-‘Era’: (Exodus 6:2 – 9:35)
First Portion: Exodus 6:2 – 6:13a

Good morning! We are starting a new week. A new opportunity. And – this week? We start a new moon cycle – the Jewish month of Shevat.

This is a great time to set intents for this cycle. We are leaving chaos and repair of Tevet and moving into Shevat – which has more order.

You can read more here – but Shevat is about “taste.” Taste and see. We are meant to have the experiences we will have – From Chabad:

According to the Sefer Yetzirah, the sense connected with Shevat is ‘Le’itah’, taste. “Tamu ure’u ki tov Hashem,” ‘Taste and see that G‑d is good.’ (Ps. 34:9) Reb Elimelech of Lizhensk interprets this verse: ‘Taste and see that all goodness is in fact G‑d.’ In this state of consciousness, the pleasant tastes of food are no longer mundane, they are holy in themselves.

The goal of this next moon cycle is to EXPERIENCE.  There is more order to it – the first 14 days of the cycle will be grounded in “harshness” – we then go into Tu B’Shevat – which is the new year from trees. The harshness will ground us. Root us. For the blessings to come in the second half of the moon cycle after the full moon. We will taste and see!

More to come – but for now, let’s dig into Va-‘Era’!

Va- ‘Era’ means “And I Appeared.” Hashem is showing up. I believe this week we are going to both SEE Hashem show up AND EXPERIENCE the impact of it!

Let’s dig in!

This is the context for today’s portion:  Moses was being challenged by the leaders of Israel – Dryness and Pain of the dessert vs. the pain of slavery. Moses went to God, and his response at the end of the last parsha was “watch me work.”  It wasn’t going to be something the family of Israel would choose. It would be something thrust on them by Pharoah. Let’s dig in:

2God spoke to Moses, and He said to him, “I am the Lord.

3I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob with [the name] Almighty God, but [with] My name YHWH, I did not become known to them.

Hashem says – “Moses. You gotta trust me here. This isn’t my first rodeo. And. This is different. I have shifted. I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob with one name. But – with a different name, I did NOT become known to them.

Remember – “I will be who I will be.” That is the new name. Hashem isn’t coming to save us as “I will be who you want me to be.”  He is coming to save us as HE IS. It’s up to us to receive it – or resist it.

Let’s keep going:

4And also, I established My covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their sojournings in which they sojourned.

5And also, I heard the moans of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians are holding in bondage, and I remembered My covenant.

So – Hashem tells Moses – “I have shifted AND I am STILL keeping my covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I am of my word. It is because of the moans of the children of Israel – I remembered my covenant.”

A few things I take away.

Hashem DOES change. We often see Hashem has stagnant – unchanging. Almost statuesque.  But Hashem changes. Shifts. And I think sometimes we miss it. We see Hashem as the ark. The rescue. The safety. But we miss his shift – we need him to tell us to come out of the Ark.

He tells Moses – the tears – the cries – they matter to Him. We OFTEN hold back our emotions and feelings – we judge them. But Hashem is clearly telling us –  He hears them.

Dry. Pain.

Grief.

Tears.

Taste and See.

Hashem sees and hears (tastes?) our grief. Witness in our lives how he will heal it. And now that he is finished telling Moses – “look you gotta trust me” He gives Moses a direction, purpose, and mission:

6Therefore, say to the children of Israel, ‘I am the Lord, and I will take you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will save you from their labor, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments.

7And I will take you to Me as a people, and I will be a God to you, and you will know that I am the Lord your God, Who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.

8I will bring you to the land, concerning which I raised My hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, and I will give it to you as a heritage; I am the Lord.’ “

Hashem tells Moses to go and give a message to the people.

• I am God.
• I will take you out of slavery
• I will redeem you
• I will take you to Me as a people.
• I will be Love to you (my paraphrase)
• You will know I am Love. That freed you from slavery.
• You are free.

Moses goes and does this – and it does not land:

9Moses spoke thus to the children of Israel, but they did not hearken to Moses because of [their] shortness of breath and because of [their] hard labor.

They were exhausted as slaves. They were drained. They could not receive.  Hashem stepped in.

10The Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

11″Come, speak to Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, and he will let the children of Israel out of his land.”

Hashem recognizes the people will not free themselves. They are too enmeshed with the slavery. It’s too real for them. So – Moses is going to Pharaoh now instead. Hashem is forcing the hand here.

What is our takeaway?

Sometimes we are so enmeshed in our stuck-ness. Our slavery. Our bondage. That we need to be forced out. Into the wilderness. Sometimes against our wishes in a moment. This feels like a betrayal.  Because we are now CHOOSING to remain slaves. And. We desire freedom and liberation. Hashem speaks to our DESIRES and not our Momentary WISHES.

And? Moses pushes back:

12But Moses spoke before the Lord, saying, “Behold, the children of Israel did not hearken to me. How then will Pharaoh hearken to me, seeing that I am of closed lips?”

It’s interesting and curious here – Moses spoke to the PEOPLE it would seem – but would not speak to Pharaoh. Moses felt like he did not have an external voice. He could speak within.

How often do we feel like we have a voice within us – and we keep that voice locked within us and don’t share it out? What if that voice within – that sometimes listens, sometimes does not – is MEANT to be shared externally? What if that is what we are called to do?

Because what if – we get focused on outcomes. Moses here was solely focused on the outcome – “Pharoah isn’t going to listen to me because Israel didn’t listen to me – and I have no voice with Pharaoh.”

How often do we do this? Focus on outcomes and miss the moment.  Take burdens on that are not ours to take? Let’s finish this out:

13So the Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, and He commanded them concerning the children of Israel and concerning Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, to let the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt.

Hashem doesn’t get angry here. He just gathers Moses and Aaron to Him – and laid out the plan.

And – this is interesting, right? This seems like a good place to end the portion today. And. It’s not. We go HALFWAY into the next verse:

14These [following] are the heads of the fathers’ houses: The sons of Reuben, Israel’s firstborn: Enoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Karmi, these are the families of Reuben.

Reuben.  We end with Reuben. I go back to the blessing Jacob gave to Reuben in Genesis 49:3-4

3Reuben, you are my firstborn, my strength and the first of my might. [You should have been] superior in rank and superior in power.

4[You have] the restlessness of water; [therefore,] you shall not have superiority, for you ascended upon your father’s couch; then you profaned [Him Who] ascended upon my bed.

I wrote this in response:

Reuben is the oldest. He is strong. He is Jacob’s strength.  He should be at the top.  However. He is restless. Like water. 

Strength and power? If it is combined with restlessness? We have an agitated, active heart, don’t we? Power with agitation and being active can do a LOT of damage. 

The takeaway? If we are feeling restless? We need to repair this. We aren’t broken – but the restlessness – if repressed and not dealt with? Can cause damage. Lean into feeling restless if that is how we are feeling in a given moment.

So – I think? Hashem is telling us the plan. He is going to deal with Israel’s agitated, active heart. Because Reuben? Represents entropy.

The rise from an agitated, active heart to a peaceful active heart? This is the journey from entropy to beauty.

And. I. Appeared.

This is the journey. This is just the beginning.

Of the Exodus.

These are my thoughts. What are yours?

Here are my commentaries from the past two years:

Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 22 Tevet, 5783

Good morning! I apologize for the lack of Torah Thoughts yesterday. I don’t think that’s happened before. Maybe once?

But it is VERY interesting that happened; because my day yesterday was pretty busy and full of fun and distraction.

As I read the portion today, and as I reflect on the thoughts from a year ago, this part really jumped out at me:

“To hear God’s messages you (we) need to declutter your (our) mind. Take a pause from life’s pressures and invite in a moment of stillness.”

What distractions get in our way that prevent us from hearing from God? What do we need to pause from and invite stillness into our lives? That is what I am reflecting on here. (End passage)

I can see yesterday I was quite distracted. I’ve been so close to my weight loss goal from 12/24/21 (which was set 2 days before I wrote this Torah portion). I have been focused on many other things. And I need to pause and settle my mind to focus on the message Hashem wants me to hear.

What is distracting you? What things are getting in the way of hearing from Hashem? What are we stuck in or on? What aren’t we letting go of? These are all great questions to navigate.

Especially in light of Hashem appearing.

What do you think?

Torah thought for today’s portion will arrive soon!

Tyler’s Torah Thoughs for Tevet 22, 5782

Today starts a new Parsha “Va-‘Era’”. Which means “And I appeared.”

Todays portion begins with God continuing to speak to Moses after his complaint “Why have you mistreated this people?”

God says “I am God. I revealed Myself to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob with the name ‘El Shaddai (almighty God), but with My true name ‘Adonai (“Havayah”), I did not become known to them.”

There’s a lot to unpack here:

Rabbi Menahem Nahum Twersky asks the question;

If God is infinite and the world is finite, how can He really be found in the world?

The answer: God contracts Himself, so to speak, in a way that the world can bear. This is what the Talmud means, ‘You shall love God very much, with every measure that He metes out for you.” (Babylonian Talmud, Berakhot 54a). God “measures” Himself, so to speak, allowing a perfect amount of His light to reach the world, so that you don’t get “burned.” This “measure” of God’s presence varies at different times in your life. And it is always exact:

At any given time it is impossible for you to receive more of the Divine Presence than is flowing to you at that moment. When you know and appreciate this fact, you will rejoice in the precise “measure” of God’s presence that is coming right now, thanking Him for giving you the exact amount that you are capable of receiving-no more, no less.

When you accept whatever measure God gives you–whether He seems to act with mercy or with judgment- you succeed in “unifying” the names Havayah (representing mercy) and ‘Elokim (representing judgment). You declare, “All the events in my life manifest the kindness of the One God, who acts with me in different ways at different times so that I am able to perceive His presence at all times. I accept that His justice is also a form of kindness. It’s the right ‘measure’ for that day”

Now we can understand the verse, “God (‘Elokim) spoke to Moses and said to him, ‘I am God (Havayah)’”

Moses had just complained to God, “Why have You mistreated this people?” (5:22) God now re sponds that He had not mistreated them at all. ‘Elokim said, “I really am Havayah”. My attribute of justice is, in reality, merciful. It is what God’s unfathomable wisdom has decreed to be the precise “measure” of emanation that was called for in that particular instant.”

In addition, Rabbi Schneerson challenges the assumption that Moses was inappropriate with his question to God;

“Moses served God primarily through intellect, which is why the Torah -God’s wisdom- was transmitted through him. The Patriarchs, on the other hand, served God primarily through emotion. Since the primary emphasis of the Patriarchs’ Divine service was not intellectual, they never found a need to question God or challenge Him for an explanation of His actions. Only Moses, whose focus was intellectual, demanded to know, “Why have You mistreated this people?” (5:22).

Moses’ question was not inappropriate. An inability to understand God’s actions would have weakened Moses’ intellectual bond with his Maker. Moses questioned God, not as a challenge, but rather, in an attempt to come closer to God.

God replied, “With My (true) name ‘ADONAI (“Havayah”), I did not become known to them.”

The Tetragrammaton, “Havayah,” transcends all limitations. God was intimating to Moses, “Do not serve Me with intellect alone. Temper your intellect with emotion and faith, so that you serve Me without limitation”

Ok. That’s a lot to process in my thinking about these first TWO lines of the parsha. Hashem is limitless yet he contracts himself for our benefit. I can see this similar to my role as a parent trying to connect with my kids; my brain is much more developed than our kids (my brain is not limitless like Hashem though). But to connect with my kids, I can’t engage my full brain because they won’t understand or connect. So I contract a bit in order to relate to them.

Ok. There’s a lot more, but let’s keep moving.

God continues answering Moses; He talks about the covenant He made with Abraham Isaac and Jacob about the land of Canaan. He tells Moses he has heard the cries of the Israelites living in Egypt. He connects the moans of the Israelites with the covenant He made. He tells Moses to speak again to the children of Israel and tell them to listen and watch all the amazing things Hashem will do!

Moses speaks to the people but they ”did not listen to Moses due to shortness of breath and hard labor.”

The Torah version I’m reading has an important application of this concept;

“To hear God’s messages you (we) need to declutter your (our) mind. Take a pause from life’s pressures and invite in a moment of stillness.”

What distractions get in our way that prevent us from hearing from God? What do we need to pause from and invite stillness into our lives? That is what I am reflecting on here.

After the people didn’t listen to Moses, Hashem tells Moses to “go and speak to Pharaoh that he should send the children of Israel from his land.”

And Moses challenged God again; “if the children of Israel didn’t listen to me? How will Pharoah listen to me?” It’s a legit question because intellectually Moses was right on the money.

Rabbi Judah Aryeh Leib Alter of Gur writes;

A prophet is empowered by his listeners. It was because the Jewish people had refused to listen that Moses suffered from “sealed lips.”

This actually delayed the giving of the Ten Commandments. God’s word was in exile for a long time, as the future recipients of the Torah had not yet prepared themselves to hear it. Even if they were not actually worshiping idols, they were attached to ideas that were foreign to true spirituality. If they had been ready to hear God’s word they would have been redeemed immediately.

To be able to listen your mind must be still. This is our problem today, too- we cannot release ourselves from the world’s pleasures; we cannot clear our hearts to hear God’s word without any distractions. And that is why we mention the Exodus every day; because it empowers us to rid the mind of distraction.

Todays portion closes with a summary that God spoke to Moses and Aaron, giving them a command about the Children of Israel and about Pharaoh to take the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt.

Then; we get a bridge to close out the portion:

“The following are the heads of their fathers’ families:”

It’s an interesting way to end todays portion, and honestly feels like it should have started tomorrows portion instead of ending todays. I’m chewing on “why?” Why did the portion end like this? I don’t have any answers; but if y’all have thoughts I’d love to hear them!