Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 11 Tishri, 5785
Parsha Ve-Zo’T Ha-Berakhah – “This is the blessing”: (Deuteronomy 33:1 – 34:12)
First portion (second time around): Deuteronomy 33:1 – 33:7

 Good morning! Hopefully we all had a good fast! My fast was really meaningful! I was surprised at what came up for me – in what I needed to let go of entering 5785 – and it ended with a beautiful break the fast, with my two youngest kids spending the night with me for the first time in two years!  Such a major blessing.

Today we repeat the final portion of the Torah – “This is the blessing.” This year we finish with some amazing “coincidences.”

Yesterday, we experienced the Sabbath of Sabbaths – a Yom Kippur that falls onto a sabbath.

Why is this significant? Because it almost assures us of a good year ahead. Why? Because the sabbath is a rest day. Hashem is resting from his creation. He would be breaking His own mitzvot by sentencing us to “death” on a sabbath.  This doesn’t mean we will all live this next year.  It just means the fortunes are in our favor in 5785. If we find the flow, we can ride it to abundance!

Also? We get to re-read this final portion – we get to hear about the blessings AGAIN.  What an opportunity.

This week, we will begin Sukkot on Wednesday evening. The festival lasts seven days with a bonus day, Shmeni Atzeret.  Then? We head into Simchat Torah, where we turn the Torah scroll all the way back to Genesis and start all over.

It’s a beautiful way to begin 5785!

“The Torah never ends. We read it every year in a cycle, but really it is a spiral that forever ascends heavenward. Having read the entire Torah, how have you changed? What have you learned? What blessings have you discovered in your life?”

We are always in process. This is a beautiful reminder of the process as we look into the Torah.

In reading today’s portion, I am reflecting on the commentary from last week, and this was the major takeaway:

Live in love.

Speak love.

Protect with love.

The bottom line? Love.

Live. Speak. Protect.

This is where we begin.

What are your thoughts?

This is what I wrote a week ago:

 Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 4 Tishri, 5785
Parsha Ve-Zo’T Ha-Berakhah – “This is the blessing”: (Deuteronomy 33:1 – 34:12)
First portion: Deuteronomy 33:1 – 33:7

Good morning!  Today we begin our FINAL PARSHA of the Torah. We stretch this portion over two weeks. We will read six portions and then hit Yom Kippur, then we will start over, and read the first four portions until we hit Sukkot. Then? We will finish out the entire thing on the Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah! Then we will START OVER with Genesis!

It is amazing to think we’ve come this far over the past year. It is BEAUTIFUL how this parsha overlaps -it closes the Torah cycle from 5784, but it resides fully in 5785. This is an ending, but ALSO a new beginning! I have shared this the past three years, and I love this quote:

“The Torah never ends. We read it every year in a cycle, but really it is a spiral that forever ascends heavenward. Having read the entire Torah, how have you changed? What have you learned? What blessings have you discovered in your life?”

This is the FUNDAMENTAL question to ask ourselves. For me, the blessings this past year are NUMEROUS. I have found strength. Stability. Abundance. To name a few.  Let’s DIG IN to the final parsha:

1And this is the blessing with which Moses, the man of God, blessed the children of Israel [just] before his death.

2He said: “The Lord came from Sinai and shone forth from Seir to them; He appeared from Mount Paran and came with some of the holy myriads; from His right hand was a fiery Law for them.

Moses blessed us with the blessing of Hashem. I love the image of “fiery Law.” Let’s ruminate on this for a minute.

Does the law burn us? Like a hot oven? Or is it more like a cozy energy within us? Is it a gift of the connection between our Neshama – our soul – and the Creator Hashem (the Universe)?

Does the “Law” burn brighter in us than it did a year ago?

Or do we get discouraged because it’s not “burning as bright” as we think it is SUPPOSED to? This is the fundamental question.

Growth and development or expectation and disappointment?

3Indeed, You showed love for peoples; all his holy ones are in Your hand, for they let themselves be centered at Your feet, bearing Your utterances.

The grounding of the fiery law? LOVE. The law is LOVE. Are we growing and developing in our hearts of love? Or are we disappointed in what we’ve expected of love?

4The Torah that Moses commanded us is a legacy for the congregation of Jacob.

5And He was King in Jeshurun, whenever the sum total of the people were gathered, and the tribes of Israel were together,

The Torah is a legacy of love.

6May Reuben live and not die, and may his people be counted in the number.

7May this [also be] for Judah.” And he [Moses] said, “O Lord, hearken to Judah’s voice and bring him to his people; may his hands do battle for him, and may You be a help against his adversaries.”

The tribe of Rueben  is blessed by love. The tribe of Rueben LIVES in love.

The voice of Love is Judah’s to connect him to his people. The voice of love is help against our adversaries.

This is the beginning of the blessing of the Torah.

Live in love.

Speak love.

Protect with love.

What are your thoughts?