Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 2 Shevat 5784
Parsha Va-‘Era’: (Exodus 6:2 – 9:35)
Sixth Portion: Exodus 8:19 – 9:16

Good morning!  I am excited to dig into the Torah this morning.  Yesterday was an incredible day and energetic shift. Things are happening that are MAGICAL. And to some of us, it feels “harsh” – which is the design.  Again, the goal of Shevat at the beginning of this cycle is to root up old trees that are blocking our journey so that new trees can be planted for us to move us into the next level of our lives.

As I reflect on this passage, there are some things that stand out for me from the past two years reading this:

First:

And as I consider the freedom and liberation of the past year, watching people I care about suffer plagues and instead of opening their hearts and moving forward, I watch as they close their hearts and get stuck? It’s really a challenge.

I’ve been talking a lot about how we get into relationships to fix others. And by fixing them, I can distract myself from doing my own work.

And then we watch as we see signs and wonders in their life moving them in a really good direction, and watch as they respond with hardening their hearts and doubling down on their trauma.

And I say “they.” But in reality I watch MYSELF do the same thing. I harden my heart internally as well.

And I feel like this is what we are moving towards.

We have a choice – to open our hearts and expand, or close our hearts and contract. Always. This is a choice. This is freedom.

And. I spoke a year ago about how I went “off script” over the past year.  I am reflecting on how this past year I have also gone “off script” – there were less about physical experiences and more spiritual:

• Did my first Reiki vendor show
• Did Randonauting for the first time
• Went to a lily festival
• Worked on a book
• Had my oldest two kids begin spending the night with me
• Led my first meditation classes
• Went on hikes BY MYSELF to waterfalls this past summer

Just to name a few.

Finally, as an Aries – and being into my Aries moon, I felt this passage from two years ago – commentary from a rabbi is helpful context for us:

Abraham ibn Ezra writes that the The Egyptians were worshiping the image of Aries; the Ram. “The Egyptians were, in face, vegans- refrained from eating meat, milk, blood, fish or eggs, or anything from a living creature. They did not allow meat eating people into their country and they despised the profession of shepherding. They did, however, own many cattle and livestock for the purposes of carrying burdens – riding, plowing – and they kept sheep for wool.”

Moses was radically challenging the worship of Aries. I think about how my ego (as an Aries) is something I may get stuck on worshipping within myself. And how I have made promises to myself that create roadblocks for others to engage.

I am home within myself. I don’t want to live in a way where others don’t feel welcome. They can choose to not feel welcome (peace can feel unwelcoming for someone who is trying to start wars as an example) but I want to do what I can to create a home within myself where people feel safe being around me. I am not fully there – but I am closer to that than I have ever been.

And what do I want for others with their safety? I want them to feel safe being angry, jealous, ashamed, guilty, joyful, excited, sad; the FULL RANGE of emotions. We often limit the emotions we allow people to experience around us -we tell our kids – “you are NOT ALLOWED to be angry” instead of  “your anger is valid – how do we navigate that together?”

This is the safety I want to create in my home.  As an Aries – I am fire.  I have been studying Tibetan Tantra – which brings in the element of space. How can I be fire in space? Space is a vacuum. The only way I can be fire in space is to allow the vacuum to suck in air – and elements for me to light. This is the conundrum we face. I face. Fire/Space. I’m still learning – and – I am learning.

Before we dig in – I am also sensing a shift and going “off script” with how I do my Torah thoughts.  I am not going to go into this with as fine of a lens as I have been digging. I am going to “pull back” a bit and share some concepts from larger sections. I am not sure how long this will go, but I am feeling called to do this for now.  Let’s dig in:

 The Lord was speaking to Moses about what to tell Pharaoh. Here is where we left off yesterday:

16And the Lord said to Moses, “Arise early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh, behold, he is going out to the water, and you shall say to him, ‘So said the Lord, “Let My people go out and serve Me.

17For if you do not let My people go, behold, I will incite against you and against your servants and against your people and in your houses a mixture of noxious creatures, and the houses of Egypt will be filled with the mixture of noxious creatures, as well as the land upon which they are.

18And I will separate on that day the land of Goshen, upon which My people stand, that there will be no mixture of noxious creatures there, in order that you know that I am the Lord in the midst of the earth.

And wow. I just realized. The next line?

19And I will make a redemption between My people and your people; this sign will come about tomorrow.” ‘ “

Why was verse 18 and 19 separated?

Because Hashem wants Egypt and Israel to Be. To Be REDEMED with one another. So basically, this was about establishing equilibrium. Balance. The next sign is about us reconciling and redeeming ourselves with others. Let’s pay attention:

20The Lord did so, and a heavy mixture of noxious creatures came to Pharaoh’s house and his servants’ house, and throughout the entire land of Egypt, the land was destroyed because of the mixture of noxious creatures.

21Thereupon, Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron, and he said, “Go, sacrifice to your God in the land.”

22But Moses said, “It is improper to do that, for we will sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians to God our Lord. Will we sacrifice the deity of the Egyptians before their eyes, and they will not stone us?

23Let us go [for] a three day journey in the desert and sacrifice to the Lord, our God, as He will say to us.”

24Pharaoh said, “I will let you go out, and you will sacrifice to the Lord, your God, in the desert, but do not go far away; entreat [Him] on my behalf.”

As I read about this plague – my first question – is THIS the sign Hashem was giving us to redeem us? Is it the noxious creatures destroying the land? Or is that something that happened on the SAME DAY Hashem said “And I will make a redemption between My people and your people; this sign will come about tomorrow.” ‘ ”

That matters, I think. Because we may miss the sign. Because this is what happens next:

25Moses said, “Behold, I am going away from you, and I will entreat the Lord, and the mixture of noxious creatures will depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people tomorrow. Only let Pharaoh not tease anymore, by not letting the people go to sacrifice to the Lord.”

26So Moses went away from Pharaoh and entreated the Lord.

27And the Lord did according to Moses’ word, and He removed the mixture of noxious creatures from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people; not one was left.

Let me repeat:

25Moses said, “Behold, I am going away from you, and I will entreat the Lord, and the mixture of noxious creatures will depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people TOMORROW. Only let Pharaoh not tease anymore, by not letting the people go to sacrifice to the Lord

The signs of redemptions of the plagues aren’t the plagues themselves. Maybe? Maybe the sign of redemption is the REMOVAL of the plagues. Which we discussed yesterday, the Egyptian necromancers – COULD NOT DO.

I’m chewing on that.

Let’s keep going:

28But Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also, and he did not let the people go.

1The Lord said to Moses, “Come to Pharaoh and speak to him, ‘So said the Lord, God of the Hebrews, “Send out My people so that they may serve Me.

2For if you refuse to let them go, and you still hold on to them,

3behold, the hand of the Lord will be upon your livestock that is in the field, upon the horses, upon the donkeys, upon the camels, upon the cattle, and upon the sheep, a very severe pestilence.

4And the Lord will make a separation between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, and nothing of the children of Israel will die. ” ‘ “

5The Lord set an appointed time, saying, “Tomorrow, God will do this thing in the land.”

6God did this thing on the morrow, and all the livestock of the Egyptians died, but of the livestock of the children of Israel not one died.

7And Pharaoh sent, and behold, not even one of the livestock of Israel died, but Pharaoh’s heart became hardened, and he did not let the people out.

So Hashem gave the sign of redemption – the REMOVAL of the plague.  And now we get a shift, don’t we? Instead of EVERYONE suffering a plague, and Hashem removing it? He is SEPERATING the plague. Egypt received the plague, Israel was protected from it.

Redemption. Separation.

What is our takeaway?

We are called to be redeemed. To reconcile within ourselves and with others. And – up to a point, Hashem will assist us with this by removing plagues. And then? He will separate us.

We should work to be redeemed. Always. (MY opinion).

Let’s keep going:

8The Lord said to Moses and to Aaron, “Take yourselves handfuls of furnace soot, and Moses shall cast it heavenward before Pharaoh’s eyes.

9And it will become dust upon the entire land of Egypt, and it will become boils, breaking out into blisters upon man and upon beast throughout the entire land of Egypt.”

10So they took furnace soot, and they stood before Pharaoh, and Moses cast it heavenward, and it became boils breaking out into blisters upon man and upon beast.

11And the necromancers could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils were upon the necromancers and upon all Egypt.

12But the Lord strengthened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not hearken to them, as the Lord spoke to Moses.

The next plague – boils. This is so elemental. Hashem transformed the natural element of dust and turned to a plague of boils.

13The Lord said to Moses, “Rise early in the morning and stand erect before Pharaoh, and say to him, ‘So said the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, “Let My people go so that they may worship Me.

14Because this time, I am sending all My plagues into your heart and into your servants and into your people, in order that you know that there is none like Me in the entire earth.

15For if now I had stretched forth My hand, and I had smitten you and your people with pestilence, you would have been annihilated from the earth.

16But, for this [reason] I have allowed you to stand, in order to show you My strength and in order to declare My name all over the earth.

So – we close today’s passage with a prelude to the next plague. What do we hear:

• Hashem wants his people to worship him
• The plagues will NO LONGER be external. They are in our hearts.
• The purpose of these plagues in our hearts is so that we will know there is no one like Hashem on the earth
• Hashem could kill us at any time. He has that power.
• We are ONLY here – so we can see the strength of Hashem AND declare His name on this earth.

That, my friends, seems big.

Especially if (as I believe) – Hashem IS love. If we rewrite this, here’s what it might sound like:

• Hashem – the source of all love – love wants us to love. To worship love.
• The plagues will NO LONGER be external. They are in our hearts. My heart is where the plagues exist. This is what keeps me from love.
• The purpose of these plagues in our hearts is so that we will know there is NOTHING on earth like Love.
• Love could kill us at any time. Because Love involves justice. And all of us our guilty.
• The ONLY reason Love doesn’t kill us? So we can see the strength of Love AND speak love on this earth.

We have a choice – to open our hearts and expand, or close our hearts and contract. Always. This is a choice. This is freedom.

Those are my thoughts.  What are yours?

Here are my thoughts from the past two years:

Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 27 Tevet, 5783

Wow. The thing that jumps out at me from a year ago is this part of what I wrote:

“It is exciting that 2021 transitioning to 2022 is happening on the Sabbath. May we see rest from the strife of the past (7?) years and may this sabbath be a theme going into 2022 and the next (7?) years! In line with what we’ve been reading, may this upcoming year be a year of liberation and freedom for us all; especially those who have grown up oppressed and weighed down by the world around them (us?).”

I’m not sure 2022 was a year free of strife. But it was a year of liberation and freedom, for me at least. Wow.

This passage is all about the plagues of Egypt.

And as I consider the freedom and liberation of the past year, watching people I care about suffer plagues and instead of opening their hearts and moving forward, I watch as they close their hearts and get stuck? It’s really a challenge.

I’ve been talking a lot about how we get into relationships to fix others. And by fixing them, I can distract myself from doing my own work.

And then we watch as we see signs and wonders in their life moving them in a really good direction, and watch as they respond with hardening their hearts and doubling down on their trauma.

And I say “they.” But in reality I watch MYSELF do the same thing. I harden my heart internally as well.

And I feel like this is what we are moving towards.

This passage also reminds us how critical it is to sacrifice our “gods.” I was talking with a good friend last night and my eyes were opened to how much of my life is “scripted.” I think I’m taking risks, but I know the outcome. I can seem creative, but really I’m just jumping from one script to another. I never really go off the script.

Well, in the past year I most certainly have gone off script.

Steampunk festival

Going to the state fair by myself

Being in the Mummers parade

Starting up a website (it’s live and raw if you want to check it out: TikkunOlam47.com )

Interpreting dreams

Getting a massage once a month

Going to a fairy festival

Wearing Jewelry

Using cologne

Caring about fashion and color coordinating my shoes and shirt

Losing 85 pounds

These are just a sampling of how I’ve gone “off script” this past year; and have found AMAZING joy.

How can we choose to go more off script this year? That’s what I’m reflecting on.

What are your thoughts?

Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for Tevet 27, 5782

On this last day of the Gregorian calendar year of 2021, I am excited to close out with some Torah thoughts! Hopefully you are enjoying them as much as i am engaging with them!

It is exciting that 2021 transitioning to 2022 is happening on the Sabbath. May we see rest from the strife of the past (7?) years and may this sabbath be a theme going into 2022 and the next (7?) years! In line with what we’ve been reading, may this upcoming year be a year of liberation and freedom for us all; especially those who have grown up oppressed and weighed down by the world around them (us?).

Ok. Let’s dig into Parsha Va-‘Era’

Todays portion picks up with the conversation Hashem was having with Moses about the fourth plague. It is interesting that the conversation is split between yesterdays portion and today. Yesterday we ended with Hashem telling Moses to tell Pharaoh that this next plague will only impact the Egyptians. That the Jews will be spared the wild beasts.

Today, we begin with Hashem telling Moses to tell Pharaoh; “I will bring about salvation (from this plague for my people), which will set apart My people and your people. This miracle will occur tomorrow.”

I’m chewing on these ideas of salvation, being set apart, and two distinct peoples – the Jews and Egyptians.

Moving forward; Hashem did just as he told Moses to do. I notice we don’t even get a passage in the Torah where Moses goes to Pharaoh to warn him. But Pharaoh calls Moses and Aaron after it happens, and the land is destroyed.

Pharaoh (sort of) capitulates; he tells them to Go and slaughter to God, but do it in Egypt.

Um. Moses tells him, “nope.” He tells Pharaoh that’s not going to happen because “we will be sacrificing the deity of the Egyptians to our God! As if we could sacrifice the deity of the Egyptians before their eyes and they wouldn’t stone us?”

Moses knows. Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra writes that the The Egyptians were worshiping the image of Aries; the Ram. “The Egyptians were, in fact, vegans- refrained from eating meat, milk, blood, fish or eggs, or anything from a living creature. They did not allow meat eating people into their country and they despised the profession of shepherding. They did, however, own many cattle and livestock for the purposes of carrying burdens – riding, plowing – and they kept sheep for wool.”

I’m reflecting on this – I don’t think I connected with just how radical the Passover sacrifice was; nor the request to go and sacrifice animals to Hashem. This was completely counter. And if Pharaoh allowed the Jews to do this, it would basically go against the peoples understanding of their fake God. There is a lot on the line here; God is challenging Pharaoh to let go of his hubris and ego. The request to sacrifice animals would have completely undermined Pharoah.

The only reason it would seem that Pharaoh would allow them to sacrifice in Egypt is that he knew how the people would respond. Moses pushes back;

“Let us go for a three day journey into the desert and sacrifice to God, our God, as He is going to tell us.”

Pharaoh responds by saying “I’ll send you out to Sacrifice to God…on the condition you do not go too far away. Plead with Him on my behalf.”

Moses said he would plead with God. The mixture of harmful beasts will depart from Pharaoh and his people tomorrow. Only Pharaoh should not continue to ridicule by not sending the people to go and sacrifice to God.

Moses pleads with God, God acts in accordance with Moses’ word. The beasts all left. Did Pharaoh keep his bargain?

Nope. Pharaoh hardened his heart and did not send the people away.

On to the fifth plague.

God tells Moses to tell Pharaoh to “Let my people go, that they may serve me. For if you refuse to let them go…the hand of God will place a very severe epidemic upon your livestock that is in the field- upon the horses, upon the donkeys, upon the camels, upon the cattle, and upon the sheep. God will separate between the cattle of Israel and the cattle of Egypt and not one animal belonging to a Jew will die.” God set the time table; tomorrow.

Now. Again connecting with Aries and the worship of living creatures, this was a direct attack. The Egyptians seeing the creatures they protected just die, but seeing the Jews keep theirs would have been an impactful message.

Again, we don’t see directly Moses talking to Pharoah and his refusal – but God delivers the next day. All the livestock in Egypt died. Pharaoh sent messengers to check on the Jews and discovers their livestock lived.

And Pharaoh hardens his heart more and did not send the people away.

Ok then. At this point I’m just reflecting on the people of Egypt; what must they have been thinking? Their hearts weren’t necessarily hardened. How were they responding?

Ok. On to the sixth plague.

God tells Moses and Aaron; “Take for yourselves a double handful of furnace spot, and Moses shall throw it towards heaven in front of Pharaoh’s eyes. It will become dust upon the entire land of Egypt, and it will become boils, breaking out into blisters upon man and upon beast, throughout the entire land of Egypt.”

Ok. There are a few things here that catch my brain.

1. This is the first plague that God speaks to Moses AND Aaron. The first five plagues we read “God spoke to Moses.” This one He speaks to both. Why?
2. This is the first plague where God doesn’t give direction to speak to pharaoh BEFORE the plague happens. Why? Was God done talking to Pharaoh?

They take the soot, stood before Pharaoh, and Moses threw it towards heaven. Boils broke out into blisters on man and beast.

More questions; are we to assume the Jews didn’t experience boils here? Or did the Jews suffer? In the past two plagues God was specific that the Jews wouldn’t be affected.

We do see the return of the sorcerers here. They could not stand before Moses due to the boils. Because they were upon the sorcerers and on all of Egypt.

Now. I might take from this passage to mean Egypt suffered boils and the Jews did not because of what God said earlier; at the beginning of the portion, God said he was separating the Jews and the Egyptians. Maybe it wasn’t just for that particular plague. At this point I wonder if Egypt no longer included the Jews (in Hashem’s mind).

Either way, the boils didn’t sway Pharaoh. He strengthened his heart as God had said to Moses.

Ok. Seventh plague.

Todays portion ends with God telling Moses; “Rise early in the morning and stand in front of Pharaoh and say to him, “This is what God, the God of the Hebrews said; “Let me people go so that they may worship me. Because this time I am sending a plague equivalent to all My plagues upon your heart, your servants and your people; so that you know there is none like Me in the entire earth. But for the flowing reason I have kept you alive: I’m order to show you My steer her and thus declare My name all over the earth.”

Ok. Some takeaways.

First; I am chewing on “why” we are given our freedom. We are called to be free SO THAT we can worship Hashem. That’s our purpose. As Jews (and maybe others) that’s why we exist.

Second; I am chewing on why God keeps Pharaoh alive; “to show His strength and declare His name all over the earth.”

I wonder – and I am open to being challenged here- if these are the purposes of the Jews and non-Jews?

As Jews we are called to worship God. That’s why we exist and why we are here. That’s our role.

As Gentiles, maybe the purpose isn’t to “become Jewish” but to instead show Hashem’s strength and declare His name all over the earth?

What do you think? I think sometimes in the relationships between Jews and Non-Jews there is a sense of jealousy, and/or perceived elitism. Being ”Gods chosen people” seems like a higher calling than being the people to spread Hashem’s strength and His name over the earth? I might argue both Jew and non-Jew have been chosen. One of us chosen to worship Hashem in all we do, the other chosen to establish His strength and name over the earth. It’s a wonder why we struggle to work together to accomplish these purposes. Just something I’m reflecting on.

Have a good evening as we reign in the new Gregorian year!

Shabbat Shalom!