Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 6 Tishri, 5785
Parsha Ve-Zo’T Ha-Berakhah – “This is the blessing”: (Deuteronomy 33:1 – 34:12)
Third portion: Deuteronomy 33:13 – 33:17

Good morning! Today is the last day I have before starting my new job tomorrow. There has been a lot of processing for me over the past week. And I wanted to share something my amazing therapist shared with me – when I am struggling.

He shared there really are only four choices:

• Continue to suffer
• Control our controllables
• Change how we think about the situation
• Practice acceptance

As we navigate this space between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur; as we transition from 5784 into 5785; this seems like a real helpful framework in moving forward.

So – where are we choosing to continue to suffer? How can we shift and make different decisions about our reality?

Let’s dig in:

13And of Joseph he said: “His land shall be blessed by the Lord, with the sweetness of the heavens with dew, and with the deep that lies below,

14and with the sweetness of the produce of the sun, and with the sweetness of the moon’s yield,

15and with the crops of early mountains, and with the sweetness of perennial hills,

16and with the sweetness of the land and its fullness, and through the contentment of the One Who dwells in the thornbush. May it come upon Joseph’s head and upon the crown of the one separated from his brothers.

17To his firstborn ox is [given] glory. His horns are the horns of a re’em. With them, he will gore peoples together [throughout all] the ends of the earth these are the myriads of Ephraim, and these are the thousands of Manasseh.”

So today? We have the blessing for Joseph’s family. Joseph, who ran a hard road – sold into slavery by his brothers, became freed and then went to prison. Got out of prison and then saved Egypt and his family. Joseph did not have it easy. He suffered.

And? He chose to control his controllables, change how he thought about the situation, and practiced acceptance. Every step of the way.

What I notice about the blessing? The word “sweet” is mentioned three times. I wonder if this connects to slavery, prison, and a drought. Joseph went through three really hard periods. And prospered through it all.

The blessing was high and low:

13And of Joseph he said: “His land shall be blessed by the Lord, with the sweetness of the heavens with dew, and with the deep that lies below,

The blessing was light and darkness:

14and with the sweetness of the produce of the sun, and with the sweetness of the moon’s yield,

The blessing was ongoing and seasonal:

15and with the crops of early mountains, and with the sweetness of perennial hills,

That is a beautiful blessing and a beautiful takeaway for us all.

What are your thoughts?

Here are my thoughts from two years ago:

Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for Tishri 16, 5783

Happy Second Day of Sukkot! May this temporary time be one of joy and harvest! May we all start harvesting the spiritual and emotional work we’ve done over the past year since we started reading the Torah together!

Moses is continuing today with blessing the tribes. We get one tribe today. Yoseph. This is the blessing for Yoseph:

Deuteronomy 33:13-17

About Joseph he said: “May his land be blessed by God, with delicacies (nourished by rains) from the skies, from dew, and (from underground waters that rise) from the depths that lie below. (May it be blessed with) the delicacies of produce (sweetened by) the sun, and with delicacies from crops (ripened) by moon(light. May it be blessed) with crops (that ripen) early (on its) mountains and with delicacies from its hills, all year round. (May it be blessed) with the abundant delicacies of the (low)lands, through the goodwill (of God, who was first revealed to Me) dwelling in the thornbush. May (all this) come upon Josephs head, upon the crown of the one (who was) separated from his brothers (when they sold him. Joshua, a descendant of Joseph, is like) his firstborn ox (for he is to be a powerful king, and) glory will be (given to) him. His horns are (beautiful like the horns of an oryx. With them, he will gore (thirty-one) nations together. (as far as) the ends of the land (of Israel). These (nations will number) tens of thousands (all killed by Joshua, a descendant) of Ephraim, (besides) the thousands (to be killed in Midian by Gideon, a descendent) of Manasseh.

Wow. That’s some blessing!

Now – let’s reflect on it again. But this time instead of the word land, let’s substitute the idea of body or soul. Because in the Torah, there are literal meanings and deeper meanings.

What if…this blessing is about “spiritual delicacies?” That Hashem would bless us, like Joseph with spiritual delicacies nourished by rains from Hashem. From above and below? From the sun and the moon? Early in the year and all year round? That we may produce fruit from even the low times (lowlands)?

And this came from and out of a separation? Like Joseph being separated from his brothers, we are often times separated from others. What if this separation leads to these blessings?

And Joshua represents our children – or even those we mentor spiritually – that our blessing of spiritual fruit would grow and flourish in others?

That is a blessing indeed!!! Especially as we talk about the Harvest of Sukkot!!!

What are your thoughts?