Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 14 Adar 1, 5784
Parsha Tetzavveh: (Exodus 27:20 – 30:10)
Sixth Portion: Exodus 29:38 – 29:46

Good morning! Tonight is the full moon of Adar I!  May we feel the fullness of light of celebration of the month and the work we are doing as we do our internal spiritual work.  Yesterday, we discussed a formula for internal peace.

• Step 1: Know what matters to us. Know what we need. Know what we feel.
• Step 2: Approach each moment able to HOLD that moment for someone else. Ask “what matters to them? What do THEY need? What do THEY feel?”
• Step 3: Wave that moment – feel into it – empathize with it. DON’T TRY TO FIX IT. Because it’s NOT A BROKEN MOMENT.
• Step 4: Connect and communicate so the other person feels that they matter. They feel understood (needs). They feel seen (feelings)
• Step 5: If there IS space, share what matters to us. Share what we need. Share how we feel.
• Step 5a: If there is NOT space, just Be. Relationships are not designed to be transactional. They are designed to be transformative.

I can share I had some opportunity yesterday to live this out. And I was successful – and I wasn’t.  There were moments I lost sight of this. And there were moments I was in this fully. It is really interesting, but the idea of holding space being a part of peace is crucial. With this context, let’s dig into today’s short passage:

38And this is what you shall offer upon the altar: lambs in their first year, two a day, continually.

39The one lamb you shall offer up in the morning and the other lamb you shall offer up in the afternoon.

40And one tenth of fine flour, thoroughly mixed with a quarter of a hin of crushed [olive] oil, and a libation of one quarter of a hin of wine, for the one lamb.

41And the other lamb you shall offer up in the afternoon; you shall offer [it] up like the meal offering of the morning and its libation, as a spirit of satisfaction, a fire offering to the Lord.

So I think the context here is important.  This was the sacrifice of transition. This was performed when Aaron gave over his position as high priest to his son, and would be passed down through the generations.

In order to succeed – to transition – to move? It will require sacrifice.

And for me? That means adding a NEW spiritual practice for myself.  You see, I have been doing morning prayers for the past almost three years. What I have neglected that this passage brings up? Afternoon prayers. I am learning how my afternoons and evenings are a struggle for me. It’s when I tend to eat the most junk. It’s when I struggle with my anxiety more.

If we are going to succeed, we need to transition into a new phase. To do that, requires new sacrifices.  This is just me.

What is something you can add in your afternoon routine for self care? Because that is what we are talking about here.

Let’s wrap things up for today:

42It shall be a continual burnt offering for your generations, at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting before the Lord, where I will arrange meetings with you, to speak to you there.

43There I will arrange meetings with the children of Israel, and it will be sanctified by My glory.

44I will sanctify the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and I will sanctify Aaron and his sons to serve Me [as kohanim].

45I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel and I will be their God.

46They will know that I, the Lord, am their God, Who brought them out of the land of Egypt in order that I may dwell in their midst; I am the Lord, their God.

So basically – the Torah tells us – This is for all time. All generations. We can approach the tent of meeting (which we have been learning is WITHIN us) and Hashem will meet us there.

I observe three times the use of the word sanctified (sanctify) – which means “set apart.”  So Hashem sets apart the meetings He has with us. He sets apart the tent of meeting and altar (our bodies/hearts) and He sets apart the fullness of who we are.

And. In doing this? He will dwell among us. Why?

So we KNOW – Hashem is God – He is all. He brought us out of slavery and into freedom. Why? BECAUSE HE WANTS TO BE IN A RELATIONSHIP WITH US.  This is the purpose. Our relationship with Hashem is within us. And it is meant to be TRANSFORMATIONAL not transactional.

This is my thought.  What about you?

Here are my Torah thoughts from the past two years:

Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 10 Adar, 5783

Reading this passage again, it stands out that this is all around meeting with Hashem at the entrance to the tent of meeting.

Really, Hashem is in us; our Neshama. We have a tent of meeting – the heart. So are we listening to our hearts?

I was journaling this morning, and I had planned to take myself out on a date tonight – just me. I wanted to have a good night to focus on me. Originally I had planned to cook myself dinner and then go see the new Ant Man movie. But in my journal this morning, I knew that’s not what my heart wanted. My heart wanted me to cook myself some dinner, enjoy Shabbat- challah, juice, candles, and then go to Starbucks to read and journal some more. My soul wants me to just LISTEN to what it has to tell me.

Am I willing to meet myself and my Neshama at the entrance of the tent of meeting? Or do I want to distract myself with a movie? That’s not to say movies are bad. There are times to distract; especially when life is tough and we need a break. But that’s not what my soul wants. I feel it.

So as we think about the tent of meeting in our own lives; the place we go to hear from the Universe itself, the place where we can hear Hashem, what do we need? Do we need some rest and to get away? Or do we need to lean in and dig into what our soul is trying to tell us? That’s what I’m reflecting on today!

How about you?

Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 10 Adar I

Todays portion describes what should happen on the altar:

1. Offer the following on the altar; lambs in their first year, two a day, regularly. One in the morning, one at night.
2. With the first lamb, offer bread with flour and olive oil, with wine.
3. With the second lamb, the same should be offered as you did with the first lamb.

This is to be a lasting ordinance for all generations; to do at the entrance of the tent of meeting – so whenever God meets with us, this is what He is expecting (my thought).

I think the idea is regardless of our interactions with Hashem, there is a cause for eating/feasting. Bread, wine, meat. Is that how we approach God?

Again a short passage today. I wish you health, happiness and safety on your journey!