Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 16 Adar 1, 5784
Parsha Ki-Tissa: (Exodus 30:11 – 34:35)
First Portion: Exodus 30:11 – 31:17

Good morning! It is a new week ahead, with new possibilities as we move from the full moon of Adar I, and head towards the new moon of Adar II.  Normally, this past weekend we’d be celebrating Purim, but that does not occur until the next moon cycle.  This month we celebrated “little Purim” – for more information, you can read here: https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/4287665/jewish/Why-Is-There-a-Purim-Katan-Small-Purim.htm

We start a new Parsha this week – Ki-Tissa – “When you raise up.” And I think about this concept of “raising up.”

In the past, I’ve written about this portion in the context of “holding on.”

What are the dark moments we are experiencing now? Or we are stuck on from our past? If we are stuck on these dark moments, and have not allowed them to penetrate our hearts for the purpose of growth and redemption, we will likely struggle to move forward.

And; the other concept I’m chewing on is the idea that money (and food) can be used to sustain life, or if left unchecked it can destroy and kill.

Are we raising up our abundance? Or is our energy towards blocking our abundance or consuming our abundance by not ever feeling satisfied? And how does our past shadows impact our current engagement?

I’ll confess with food? I have been struggling with my own sovereignty and power. I am learning to return to this idea of trust and sovereignty to raise up a healthier relationship with money and food. There is a lot to dig into today, so let’s go!

11The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

12″When you take the sum of the children of Israel according to their numbers, let each one give to the Lord an atonement for his soul when they are counted; then there will be no plague among them when they are counted.

I reflect on this. Keep in mind, most Torah scholars believe this part of the Torah is Not in chronological order. This is a future passage that occurs AFTER the incident with the Golden Calf. We just left off the succession planning passages – and we skip over the failure that occurs.

I find this fascinating, and compassionate. Because if this went in order? The Torah would say “look, here’s how to be successful! You got this!” Immediately followed by the Children of Israel saying “Ok! We got this! Let’s make a golden calf and WORSHIP IT!”

How often do we FEEL success around the corner and we pull defeat from the jaws of victory?

These first two verses seem to send the message “Look, you are GOING to make mistakes. Recognize the mistakes, re-establishing Hashem’s authority by atonement, and be COUNTED.  Doing this? You won’t suffer.”

Even when we mess up? We count. We matter. Just reflect on that. Compassion. Grace. And it’s about grief. Grieving our mistakes. Letting them go. Leaving them in the past.  Let’s keep going:

13This they shall give, everyone who goes through the counting: half a shekel according to the holy shekel. Twenty gerahs equal one shekel; half of [such] a shekel shall be an offering to the Lord.

14Everyone who goes through the counting, from the age of twenty and upward, shall give an offering to the Lord.

15The rich shall give no more, and the poor shall give no less than half a shekel, with which to give the offering to the Lord, to atone for your souls.

So this is interesting, right? The atonement for this mistake is a half-shekel. And – it’s all the same. It’s not a percentage. It’s an acknowledgement we are all responsible collectively.  Let’s keep going.

16You shall take the silver of the atonements from the children of Israel and use it for the work of the Tent of Meeting; it shall be a remembrance for the children of Israel before the Lord, to atone for your souls.”

So collectively, our atonement is used for the work of the Tent of Meeting. The tabernacle of our hearts. This continues to be about grace and kindness. Let’s keep going:

17The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

18″You shall make a washstand of copper and its base of copper for washing, and you shall place it between the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and you shall put water therein.

19Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and feet from it.

20When they enter the Tent of Meeting, they shall wash with water so that they will not die; or when they approach the altar to serve, to make a fire offering rise up in smoke to the Lord,

21they shall wash their hands and feet so that they will not die; this shall be for them a perpetual statute, for him and for his descendants, for their generations.”

So far, the process of atonement was

1. Being Counted by Atoning
2. Providing a common resource for the work of the tent.
3. The High Priest and priests washing their hands

Let’s keep going:

22The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

23″And you, take for yourself spices of the finest sort: of pure myrrh five hundred [shekel weights]; of fragrant cinnamon half of it two hundred and fifty [shekel weights]; of fragrant cane two hundred and fifty [shekel weights],

24and of cassia five hundred [shekel weights] according to the holy shekel, and one hin of olive oil.

25You shall make this into an oil of holy anointment, a perfumed compound according to the art of a perfumer; it shall be an oil of holy anointment.

26And you shall anoint with it the Tent of Meeting and the Ark of Testimony,

27the table and all its implements, the menorah and its implements, the altar of incense,

28the altar of the burnt offering and all its implements, the washstand and its base.

29And you shall sanctify them so that they become a holy of holies; whatever touches them shall become holy.

Step 4 was to create holy anointing oil for all of the objects in the Tabernacle.

It was meant to be fragrant. I have been playing around with the concept of smell. The truth is, we struggle to smell ourselves. Others smell us much more than we can smell our own fragrance.

Here’s a question for us as a takeaway; How do we smell? I am not necessarily talking body odor. How about spiritually? What spiritual smell do we give off? How would we know?  Something I am contemplating on.  So we anointed the items in the tabernacle. What next?

30And with it you shall anoint Aaron and his sons and sanctify them to serve Me [as kohanim].

31And to the children of Israel you shall speak, saying: ‘This shall be oil of holy anointment to Me for your generations.

32It shall not be poured upon human flesh, and according to its formula you shall not make anything like it. It is holy; it shall be holy to you.

33Any person who compounds anything like it or puts any of it on an alien shall be cut off from his people.’ “

So this was ONLY to be used for the Priests. The people were not to do this for themselves. It was a warning.  Trust our leadership. Hashem would not allow leaders to lead the Children of Israel who would lead us astray unless we were meant to for a purpose.  This happened AFTER the Golden Calf. Think about this? Re-establishing trust was significant for the people after what happened. They literally were lead astray by the leadership. They need to have trust re-established.

34And the Lord said to Moses: “Take for yourself aromatics, [namely] balsam sap, onycha and galbanum, aromatics and pure frankincense; they shall be of equal weight.

35And you shall make it into incense, a compound according to the art of the perfumer, well blended, pure, holy.

36And you shall crush some of it very finely, and you shall set some of it before the testimony in the Tent of Meeting, where I will arrange meetings with you; it shall be to you a holy of holies.

37And the incense that you make, you shall not make for yourselves according to its formula; it shall be holy to you for the Lord.

38Any person who makes anything like it, to smell it[s fragrance], shall be cut off from his people.

So step 5? Incense.  Moses made oil for the priests. He was now instructed to make incense for the entrance to the tent of meeting. It was all about smells. How we smell matters. I think of how often I judge the smell as good or bad – pleasant or unpleasant.

The takeaway for me? Who is in our lives that will tell us we “smell bad?” If we had really bad Body Odor, would someone tell us this? Would we want them to? Or would we be embarrassed by it? This is where I am at this morning.

And let’s relate this to food. Or money. If I had an unhealthy relationship with food, would someone tell me? Or would we be too embarrassed by this? If I had an unhealthy relationship with money, would someone tell me? Would we want them to?

What are YOUR thoughts?

31:1The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

2″See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah,

3and I have imbued him with the spirit of God, with wisdom, with insight, with knowledge, and with [talent for] all manner of craftsmanship

4to do master weaving, to work with gold, with silver, and with copper,

5with the craft of stones for setting and with the craft of wood, to do every [manner of] work.

6And, behold, with him I have placed Oholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, and all the wise hearted into whose hearts I have instilled wisdom, and they shall make everything I have commanded you:

The Torah gives honor to Bezalel and Oholiab as being masters of this – wisdom, insight, knowledge.  This is Chochma, Binah, and Das. They have synthesized all of this for the purpose of the community. And they were the ones commanded to create for the tabernacle:

7The Tent of Meeting and the ark for the testimony, as well as the cover that [shall be] upon it, all the implements of the tent,

8the table and its implements, the pure menorah and all its implements, the altar of incense,

9the altar for the burnt offering and all its implements, the washstand and its base,

10the meshwork garments, the holy garments for Aaron the kohen, the garments of his sons [in which] to serve [as kohanim],

11the anointing oil and the incense for the Holy; in complete accordance with everything I have commanded you they shall do.”

All of this work is created by these two men. Wise hearted men. Wisdom is not in the mind. It is in the heart.  Reflect on that. Do we normally see wisdom from our hearts?

Heart wisdom. This is what I am reflecting on. Mind understanding.

12The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

13″And you, speak to the children of Israel and say: ‘Only keep My Sabbaths! For it is a sign between Me and you for your generations, to know that I, the Lord, make you holy.

14Therefore, keep the Sabbath, for it is a sacred thing for you. Those who desecrate it shall be put to death, for whoever performs work on it, that soul will be cut off from the midst of its people.

15Six days work may be done, but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of complete rest, holy to the Lord; whoever performs work on the Sabbath day shall be put to death.’

16Thus shall the children of Israel observe the Sabbath, to make the Sabbath throughout their generations as an everlasting covenant.

17Between Me and the children of Israel, it is forever a sign that [in] six days The Lord created the heaven and the earth, and on the seventh day He ceased and rested.”

And after all of this? Hashem tells us to REST.

I am imagining the aftermath of the golden calf. What compassion it was for Hashem to say we matter – we COUNT. And to give us a path BACK to a relationship with him:

1. Being Counted by Atoning
2. Providing a common resource for the work of the tent.
3. The High Priest and priests washing their hands
4. Create holy anointing oil
5. Anoint the objects in the Tabernacle
6. Anoint Aaron (The High Priest) and his sons
7. Create incense for the tent
8. REST

Oh. And make sure it’s all created by those who are WISDOM HEARTED

Wisdom hearted. Reflect on this! How do we smell?

Here are my thoughts from the past two years:

Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 12 Adar, 5783

Today starts a new portion. I have a lot of thoughts – especially as this week we celebrate PURIM!

First, let’s talk about Purim. Tomorrow morning starts the “Fast of Esther.” Here’s a great primer on it;

https://www.chabad.org/…/The-Fast-of-Esther-What-Why…

As the article points out, we are more lenient with this fast because it’s not one of the four fast ordained by the prophets.

But it is a good framework for the concept in today’s portion. The idea that we must go down in order to go up. The idea that food, like Money, if left unchecked can cause significant damage.

In the story of Purim, Esther asked the people to fast as she went to the king to save us. This is why we fast.

Digging into todays portion, I’m struck by the quote about dark moments leading to growth and redemption.

What are the dark moments we are experiencing now? Or we are stuck on from our past? If we are stuck on these dark moments, and have not allowed them to penetrate our hearts for the purpose of growth and redemption, we will likely struggle to move forward.

And; the other concept I’m chewing on is the idea that money (and food) can be used to sustain life, or if left unchecked it can destroy and kill.

Financially it’s been a slog the past year. I reflect on whether I am stuck because I need to continually learn this lesson around how I’ve spent money unchecked in the past. And how I need to use money (and food) to sustain life, and help myself (and others) grow. If a windfall of abundance came into my life right now, what would I do with it? Would I blow it all? Or would I use it to sustain growth and development?

The past 15 months have been about getting a check on my food intake. I’m much more healthy than I’ve been. I’m learning how the scale (for me) is like a warning light. As I begin to put weight back on, I reflect on whether this is natural (our body goes in cycles naturally) or whether there is something I’m stuck in emotionally. The journaling, meditation and discussion (with my therapist) has been super helpful. The encouragement of friends is also helpful. It’s about balance, gentleness, and strength. again. for me.

What about you? What are your thoughts? When it comes to you? I always want to encourage us to look within; that’s where the work is.

And to share without judgment. As Ted Lasso (yay season 3 coming soon) says; ”be curious; don’t judge.” And yes, I know he wasn’t the first to say that. He’s a fictional character after all.

What are you thoughts?

Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 12 Adar I, 5782

We have a new Parsha! Ki-Tissa’ which means “When you raise up.” This Parsha tells the tragic story of the golden calf. It is interesting the juxtaposition of these concepts. But as the version of the Torah I am reading points out, “Because even the darkest moments of Jewish history have been orchestrated by God as a pathway to growth and redemption.”

So the Torah portions in this Parsha aren’t necessarily in chronological order. Our first portion occurred AFTER the golden calf.

God speaks to Moses and tells Moses that when the need arises to count the people of Israel (“take the sum”) to not do it directly. He tells Moses to count them by letting each man give to God an atonement for his soul.

The midrash says; The word tissa’ (You take) could also be translated as “you Lift up.” This would be referring to the uplifting quality of donating the half shekel which came after the spiritual regression of the sin of the Golden Calf.

Rabbi Jacob b Asher wrote this about “giving God an atonement.” The Hebrew word used here for “give” is a palindrome- it reads the same backwards and forwards. The message is: Your funds will not be diminished by the charity you give. The amount you offer as charity will eventually come back to you.

The portion continues telling us what to give: everyone should give a half shekel. Everyone was treated the same; the rich and the poor were to give the exact same amount.

Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson wrote this: When Moses found it difficult to understand how the half-shekel donation could achieve atonement for the children of Israel, God took a coin of fire from beneath His Throne of Glory and showed it to Moses, saying, “They should give one like this” (from the Midrash Tanhuma; The Tosafists) It is not the coin, it is the fire and enthusiasm with which you give it that will bring atonement (Rabbi Menahem Mendel Morgensztern of Kotsk, 19′ century).

By showing Moses a fiery coin from heaven, God was indicating that money, like a fire, can be used for two contrasting purposes. When used wisely, fire can sustain life; when left unchecked, it can destroy and kill. Money can be used to aid good causes, such as feeding the hungry and healing the sick; but money can also be used to fund extortion and wars. Be sure that the fire generated by your coin is a heavenly one (Rabbi Elimelech of Lyzhansk, 18′ century).

Fire differs from all other elements on this earth, in that it gravitates upwards, reaching ever higher, dancing higher, dancing and flickering, until finally it frees itself of its chains when the wick burns out and it unites with its source. Fire is the paradigm of self-effacement, having no distinct shape or form of its own.

A coin, on the other hand, is hewed from the depths of the earth, the lowest of the four elements. The antithesis of fire, the heavy coin falls ever downward, and it is clearly defined in its shape and form. Fire represents the transcendence of the spiritual; a coin represents the crassness of the physical.

It was not despite the sharp contrast between them, but specifically because of it, that God showed Moses a coin of fire. God taught Moses that the coarse and the unrefined is not necessarily the antithesis of the most holy and pure. The physical does not have to repel the spiritual, but rather, they can work in harmony, until they reach absolute unity, as represented by a coin made of fire.

On a practical level, God taught Moses that even coarse human beings who are naturally driven by selfish motives, self-love being their basic instinct, can also serve the Divine with the most noble of services, as represented by the complete selflessness of fire. (end quote)

That’s a lot to chew on.

One last thought before we move forward;

“The law of the half-shekel teaches us, among other things, that human effort, provided it is sincere and resolute, is “met halfway” by Divine Grace. Even though the goal may, at first glance, seem too ambitious or even beyond reach, you are not limited to your own human resources, since your initial effort evokes a reciprocal “impulse” from On High which assures the attainment of even the “unattainable.”

Good stuff!

After we hear about the half shekel, we learn about the urn of copper. It was for washing the hands and feet of Aaron and the priests as they entered the tent of meeting.

Next we learn about the anointing oil. There were specific instructions on making the oil. It was to used to anoint the tent of meeting and everything in it. It was to consecrate them so they become the holy of holies. Whatever touches them will become holy.

We are also given a warning about the oil – it was NOT to be used to place on humans. “It should not be placed upon Human flesh.” And “Any person who makes a mixture like it, or puts any of the mixture on an unauthorized person will be cut off from his people.”

That’s a stark warning. And I know people who use anointing oil on humans. This seems to go directly against the Torah. Curious to people’s thoughts on this!

Next. We have the incense. This incense was for the holy of holies and was NOT to be used for personal use. We are warned; if anyone tries to make this particular holy incense, they will be cut off from their people.

Now. The next section is REALLY fascinating; God calls out two individuals – Bezalel and Oholiab. Wow. Can you imagine? Moses coming to Bezalel and saying “hey, Hashem told me about you; you are filled with the spirit of God, with wisdom, with insight with Devine inspiration, and with the ability for all types of work.” How honored would we be?

And then they are asked to weave everything for the tent of meeting. What an honor!

Finally, todays portion closes with observance of the sabbath.

Even when building the tabernacle, Hashem wanted them to keep the sabbath. Those who desecrate the sabbath were to be put to death

God knew they would be excited to do the work of building the tabernacle- but he STILL wanted them to rest. That’s saying something about the importance of the sabbath.

What are your thoughts?