Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 12 Cheshvan, 5785

“Don’t Look Back.”

And?

Let’s look back.

Let’s talk about time travel.

Our past.

I was having a conversation with someone we serve at work on Monday. We were discussing history and the past. The old adage “those who forget history are destined to repeat it.”

I am here to say – that adage? ABSOLUTELY wrong. And I googled it. It’s fairly accurate of the statement.

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” This is the accurate quote from George Santayana.

And? I think he’s wrong.

I can remember the past. And? I repeat it often. In fact the more I am stuck on remembering the past? The more I am stuck on repeating the pattern. As I look back and reflect, I see myself circling back over and over again. I remember EVERYTHING.  And I arrive in a moment and see “Oh. Here I go again.”

It’s like a perpetual groundhog day.

To me? The more we look backwards, the more we are STUCK in the past.

The quote SHOULD be – “Those who do not learn the lessons of the past? They are condemned to repeat the patterns of our past.”

As I look around – and as I look within? I see patterns. Lots of repetition. Cycles. Coming back to lessons we need to learn that we just won’t (can’t?) learn.

When we arrive in a moment, if we can connect the moment to a past event, look for the pattern arising within us, and then learn the lesson? That is how we move forward.

Lot was repeating patterns. Lot repeated a lot of the patterns of Noah.

Including being “violated” by his kids.

Abraham repeated patterns with his wife – telling people she was his sister.

And then? Isaac breaks a pattern.

He is an immaculate conception. Abraham’s seed, Hashem’s egg planted in Sarah.

“Those who ignore the lessons of the past are condemned to get stuck in the past.”

It’s time for something new.

Here’s a homework assignment.

What are your current patterns? What is something you can switch up? Even if your pattern is chaos, maybe you can add structure?

Change it up. LEARN from the patterns. Don’t look back. Be present. In this moment.

What are your thoughts?

Here are my thoughts from last year:

Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 17 Cheshvan, 5784
Parsha Va-Yera’: (Genesis 18:1-22:24) 
Fourth Portion: Genesis 19:21 – 21:4

Today’s portion is longer; and it covers a lot of ground. To summarize:

• Hashem saves Lot (though his wife dies)
• Lot’s Daughters get him drunk and sexually assault him to have kids – they are the foundation of the Moabites and Ammonites.
• Abraham repeats the situation with Sarah from before and tells people he’s his sister again
• The local King sends for Sarah and tries to take her as his wife
• Hashem steps in
• Abraham tells the king (Like Obi Won Kenobi spoke about Luke’s father Darth Vader) “well she’s my sister…..from a certain point of view”
• All is forgiven
• Sarah has the “reverse” immaculate conception as she had no eggs – Hashem put an egg in her for Abraham to fertilize.
• Isaac is born
• Isaac is circumcised 8 days after he was born.

I am reflecting on this passage.  I wrote in detail about it two years ago.  Last year, I wrote nothing. I was in facebook jail for four days.  This year, where I am at, this passage is really interesting.

Here are my takeaways:

We left yesterday with the foundation of “receive the universe; don’t resist it. This is the path to freedom and liberation.”

Given this – I am reflecting on trauma again. Our journey here is freedom and liberation or slavery. Choices along the way. Let’s revisit the summary:

• Hashem saves Lot (though his wife dies)

Hashem told Lot “don’t look back” and in a sense, we need to hear this advice. With our Trauma – we need to “not look back” and move forward.  If we get stuck in the past? We will end up enslaved. We can check the rearview mirror for sure – but if we turn around – and get stuck in the past? We will end up dead; or enslaved.

• Lot’s Daughters get him drunk and sexually assault him to have kids – they are the foundation of the Moabites and Ammonites.

Lot’s Daughters were traumatized. They were afraid the world was crashing around them.  They thought Lot and the two of them were it. Lot made the mistake to run and hide.  His daughters acted out of fear. Their reality didn’t match the reality around them – but they made the best decision they could. And it created more trauma. More problems.  Because it produced some of the biggest enemies of the Israelites in the Torah.  Trauma begets Trauma. Trust begets trust. Trust the universe and Hashem to unfold in a way that works for us.

• Abraham repeats the situation with Sarah from before and tells people he’s his sister again

Lessons not learned will repeat themselves. How do we justify this given Hashem telling us “don’t look back?” I would say it is both/and not either/or. 

• The local King sends for Sarah and tries to take her as his wife
• Hashem steps in

Even if we make decisions that aren’t in our best interests and display a lack of trust, Hashem will intervene.

• Abraham tells the king (Like Obi Won Kenobi spoke about Luke’s father Darth Vader) “well she’s my sister…..from a certain point of view”
• All is forgiven

All is forgiven – AND there are still consequences for what happened.

• Sarah has the “reverse” immaculate conception as she had no eggs – Hashem put an egg in her for Abraham to fertilize.
• Isaac is born

Through Trauma – miracles happen. New growth and birth happens. Isaac was a miracle born of Trauma.  And I think we will see Isaac’s story play out in a way that will heal this trauma – but maybe not in his lifetime. When we talk about Hashem as Jews; we talk about the God of Abraham, Isaac, AND Jacob.  Jacob will be the redemption of this Trauma (I think).  Isaac is the miracle child. We will see him (almost) get sacrificed. And we will see him father twins – Jacob and Esau.  Almost as if his Trauma was born into Esau and his healing is born to Jacob. And Through Jacob, Joseph will be born. And that is how we end up in Egypt. 

• Isaac is circumcised 8 days after he was born.

And although Isaac is born miraculously – he is still born of trauma – his foreskin is removed after 8 days to give him a “clean slate” of the covenant moving forward.

We have the real Genesis today in how we have two paths before us – one to freedom and liberation – one to slavery and death. Holding on to trauma and looking back? Slavery and death.  Forgiveness, circumcision and trust? Freedom and liberation.   This is the takeaway.

What are YOUR thoughts?