Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 10 Nisan, 5785

Good morning! We are a few days away from the Passover – the time we remember the exodus from slavery into the freedom and liberation of the Children of Israel.  This is a BEAUTIFUL time to be reflecting on how we got here – AND where do we want to go!

As we reflect – one of the ideas from today’s portion is around poverty vs abundance.

We can have peace in either situation. And? There are dimensions to this.

Spiritual

Emotional

Physical

Intellectual

Where are we?

Are we in spiritual poverty or spiritual abundance? More importantly? Which DIRECTION are we headed?

Are we in emotional poverty or emotional abundance? Which direction are we headed?

Are we in physical poverty or physical abundance? Which direction are we headed?

Are we in intellectual poverty or intellectual abundance? Which direction are we headed?

Today’s portion shows us – we can have peace in any and all situations.

We can be grateful in those situation.

Being generous? That becomes the challenge, doesn’t it?

Because the gratitude and peace that is grounded in poverty is different that the gratitude and peace that is grounded in abundance

Where are we on our journey in these different dimensions? It is a beautiful one!

What are your thoughts?

Here are my thoughts from last year:

Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 16 Adar II, 5784
Parsha Tzav – “Command”: (Leviticus 6:1 – 8:36)
Third Portion: Leviticus 7:11 – 7:38

Good morning! It is really a significant time of shifting. As we are learning about these sacrifices and offerings in Leviticus? I wrote this two years ago, and it seems really apropos today:

“Hashem wants us to sacrifice – but in a way that draws us closer to Him and not further from ourselves.”

When we sacrifice, are we drawing closer to Hashem, or further away from who we are? Think about this in terms of our relationships; when we give, are we giving from a place of losing who we are, or are we giving to draw closer to those we care about? 

We have, so far, dealt with our sin – our mistakes. We have also dealt with our guilt. Today? We dig into peace.

How many of us can say we know peace? True peace within? Maybe we’ve had moments. And I believe today’s portion is about those moments of peace! Let’s dig in:

11And this is the law of the peace offering, which he shall bring to the Lord.

So. We have peace? We should bring an offering to the Lord. If we find moments of peace in our relationships? We are to bring an offering. 

12If he is bringing it as a thanksgiving offering, he shall offer, along with the thanksgiving offering unleavened loaves mixed with oil, unleavened wafers anointed with oil, and scalded flour mixed with oil.

13Along with loaves of leavened bread, he shall bring his offering along with his thanksgiving peace offering.

14And he shall bring from it one out of each offering, as a separation for the Lord; the kohen who dashes the blood of the peace offering it shall be his.

15And the flesh of his thanksgiving peace offering shall be eaten on the day it is offered up; he shall not leave any of it over until morning.

So if we have peace, ONE offering we can make is thanksgiving. Gratitude. So we’ve dealt with our mistakes (our sin), we’ve navigated our guilt. We have peace.

The first thing is gratitude.

Let’s break this down a bit.

• Thanksgiving offering – the Torah doesn’t EXACTLY tell us what that is. In verses 14/15 we see it is an animal (blood and flesh) But along with it, he brings:
  • Unleavened loaves of bread mixed with oil
  • Unleavened wafers anointed with oil
  • Scalded flour mixed with oil

To me it is interesting – the thanksgiving offering has three additional offerings with it. Loaves, wafers, and flour. And it is all mixed (or anointed) with oil.

I am reflecting on loaves, wafers, and “scalded flour.”

What is the difference between a loaf of bread (without leaven) and a wafer (without leaven)?

Obviously the first thing that comes to mind is “fluffiness” – wafers are thin. Bread is thicker.

Looking online, the difference seems to be around the concept of dough vs batter. Bread is made from dough kneaded by hand then baked. Wafers are mixed into a batter and then dropped onto a sheet and cooked. So some of this is the liquid content, some of it is touched ahead of time.

How does this relate to thanksgiving?

I am starting to wonder it’s “how” we offer thanksgiving. When we show gratitude for PEACE – maybe there are different dimensions to this gratitude:

• There is gratitude for the “elements” of peace (scalded flour)
• There is gratitude for the “act” of peace (wafers)
• There is gratitude for the “intent” of peace (bread)

When we are grateful from a place of peace; is it because we can see gratitude for these different dimensions coming together?

The elements of peace coming together in a moment.

What elements of our lives have brought us to a place of peace? All of the micro decisions and random events that we had no control of – that brings us to the moment of peace. The recognition (as I turn 52 next month) that in a moment of peace, 51+ years of circumstances, and decisions, all brought me to the moment:

The action of peace in a moment.

Once I arrive at a particular moment, do I act in a manner that brings peace? Or do I create conflict? Do I create guilt? If my action brings peace, am I grateful?  If someone ELSE’s action brings peace, can I appreciate their action?

The intent of peace.

The action that brings peace is one thing. And. Can I appreciate their INTENTION to bring peace? Can I be grateful that not only did they ACT towards peace, but they had an INTENTION to do so? It is one thing for someone to have the intention towards conflict and they UNINTENTIONALLY bring peace. It is a different ballgame to intend to bring peace. Message sent = Message received. Our realities aligned.  It’s beautiful isn’t it?

So there you have it. A peace offering for thanksgiving.

And? We are to partake in this offering the day it is offered. This gratitude offering is all about a moment. Recognizing the past, appreciating the behavior AND the intent. This is a moment.

Let’s keep going:

16But if his sacrifice is a vow or a voluntary donation, on the day he offers up his sacrifice it may be eaten, and on the next day, whatever is left over from it, may be eaten.

17However, whatever is left over from the flesh of the sacrifice on the third day, shall be burnt in fire.

18And if any of the flesh of his peace offering is to be eaten on the third day, it shall not be accepted; it shall not count for the one who offers it; [rather,] it shall be rejected, and the person who eats of it shall bear his sin.

So this is interesting. If we have peace, and as a response move from gratitude to generosity or making a future commitment or promise? This is an offering that is FUTURE focused. There are three days to eat this offering.

Gratitude is momentary – but the message of the Torah seems to be – consider carefully the vow or donation. Because there is some danger ahead. Your offering will be rejected if it is eaten on the third day.

I am reflecting on this. If I bring up my peace three days later? That may start to annoy someone.

If I act in a moment that brings peace, and the person I offer that to gets “stuck” in that moment and they keep coming back to it? They begin to live in the past, instead of the present moment.

It’s fascinating this offer is future focused – generosity and vows. AND – the potential is to get stuck in the past. The Torah seems to be warning us to continue living in a moment.

Let’s keep going:

19And the flesh that touches anything unclean shall not be eaten. It shall be burned in fire. But regarding the flesh, anyone who is clean may eat [the] flesh.

20A person who eats the flesh of a peace-offering of the Lord, while his uncleanness is upon him, that soul shall be cut off from its people.

21And a person who touches anything unclean, whether uncleanness from a human or an unclean animal [carcass] or any unclean [carcass of an] abominable creature, and then eats of the flesh of a peace offering to the Lord, that soul shall be cut off from its people.

It’s an interesting shift to discussing cleanliness – as we are discussing peace, gratitude, vows, and generosity. Why would eating the offering three days later make us “unclean?”

I am thinking about peace. I can have peace in poverty. The peace that comes from poverty is different than the peace that comes from abundance.

We believe (mistakenly) that our sin and our mistakes cause us to be in poverty. Our poverty is connected to our laziness. Our lack of effort. Our lack of faith. Lack. Lack. Lack.

We can make peace with our poverty. Emotional poverty. Educational poverty. Financial poverty. Physical poverty. But this is a MUCH different peace than peace that comes from Emotional abundance. Educational abundance. Financial abundance. Physical abundance.

The soul of our abundance matters. It can make us unclean if we get too attached to it.  The peace of poverty grounds us moment to moment. And some of us (all of us?) are tired of living moment to moment. We want the FREEDOM to make vows. To make promises. To be generous.

The peace of abundance comes with more risk than the peace of poverty. We need to consider carefully – what is the purpose of the abundance we seek? Not – “what am I going to do with my abundance if/when it comes?” It’s more – “how am I going to continue to grow and develop and draw closer to Hashem if I no longer LACK?”

And our brains are powerful. We can come up with a million ways to CONVINCE ourselves we will continue to grow.  And. Hashem. Our Neshama. Our Mazal knows. Can we trust that?

The Torah talks about peace and gratitude – and how if we make vows or give generously, there is potential for us to get stuck and become “unclean.” It’s not a long term lack of cleanliness – but can cut our soul off from others.

Let’s keep going:

22And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

23Speak to the Children of Israel, saying: You shall not eat any fat of an ox, sheep, or goat.

24The fat of carrion and the fat of an animal with a fatal disease or injury, may be used for any work, but you shall not eat it.

25For anyone who eats fat of animals from which sacrifices are brought as fire offerings to the Lord, the soul who eats [it] shall be cut off from its people.

We are not to eat the fat of animals. We can USE the fat of animals – we just can’t consume animal fat. We can even use fat of an animal with a disease or injury. We just can’t eat the fat. If we do?

                “The soul who eats the fat shall be cut off from its people.”

This is interesting – it’s come up a few times in the Torah. What does it mean “the soul is cut off from its people?”

Because the way it’s worded? It fascinates me. It doesn’t say “The person is cut off.” It’s the soul. This is a soul condition.

If we eat the fat? If we eat our abundance? We cut ourselves off emotionally from others. Our abundance has a purpose. It’s not just so we can be fat and happy. This is something to consider. We need to stay hungry for growth and development.  So – no fat. Let’s keep going:

26And you shall not eat any blood in any of your dwelling places, whether from birds or from animals.

27Any person who eats any blood, that soul shall be cut off from its people.

Blood. No fat. No blood. Blood is life. If our abundance comes from someone else’s life? That is not for us. If our abundance sacrifices our life? That is not for us. These are the extremes.

Let’s keep going:

28And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

29Speak to the Children of Israel, saying: Anyone who brings his peace offering to the Lord, shall bring his sacrifice to the Lord from his peace offering.

30His own hands shall bring the fire offerings of the Lord. The fat, on the breast, he shall bring it, the breast, to wave it as a waving before the Lord.

The peace that comes from abundance? We need to offer this up on our own.  We can’t hire someone to make these sacrifices for us.

31And the kohen shall cause the fat to [go up in] smoke on the altar, and the breast shall belong to Aaron and his sons.

32And you shall give the right thigh as an elevation offering to the kohen, from your peace offering.

33[Anyone] of the sons of Aaron who offers up the blood of the peace offering and the fat he shall have the right thigh as a portion.

The priests. They are the ones who benefit from our abundance. From our peace. The more peace there is, the more our priests have abundance.

This is how it is SUPPOSED to be. This is not how it IS.

Who is the high priest of our own hearts?

This is the question.

Who BENEFITS from our abundance? Is it our ego? Or our soul?

The high priest of our heart benefits. This is our soul. We do NOT want our souls cut off from the people, do we?  Why? Why is this all here in the Torah?  Hashem answers:

34For I have taken the breast of the waving and the thigh of the elevation from the children of Israel, from their peace offerings, and I have given them to Aaron the kohen and to his sons as an eternal statute, from the children of Israel.

35This is [the grant for] Aaron’s anointment and his sons’ anointment, from the fire offerings of the Lord, on the day that He brought them near, to be kohanim for the Lord.

36Which the Lord commanded to give them on the day that He anointed them, from the children of Israel. [This is] an eternal statute for their generations.

Because the elevation – as we ascend higher. As we receive more abundance; spiritually, emotionally, physically, intellectually – our high priest within? He and his sons are fed. They are anointed.

37This is the law for the burnt offering, for the meal offering, and for the sin offering, and for the guilt offering, and for the investitures, and for the peace offering,

38which the Lord commanded Moses on Mount Sinai, on the day He commanded the children of Israel to offer up their sacrifices to the Lord in the Sinai Desert.

Burnt offering. Meal offering. Sin offering. Guilt offering. Investitures (Investments in our future with generosity and vows) the peace offering.

These are the guidelines. For our relationship within ourselves, and with those around us.

Thoughts?