Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 12 Sivan, 5784
Parsha Be-Ha’alotekha – “When You Fire Up”: (Numbers 8:1 – 12:16)
Third Portion: Numbers 9:1 – 9:14

Good morning! It is Tuesday and we are getting ready to enter the full moon in a few days. This month has been all about direction. May the fullness of light bring to us the direction we need to move us forward as we have been blooming and move towards the Harvest in the Fall.  With this energy, let’s dig in:

1The Lord spoke to Moses in the Sinai Desert, in the second year of their exodus from the land of Egypt, in the first month, saying:

2The children of Israel shall make the Passover sacrifice in its appointed time.

3On the afternoon of the fourteenth of this month, you shall make it in its appointed time; in accordance with all its statutes and all its ordinances you shall make it.

4Moses spoke to the children of Israel [instructing them] to make the Passover sacrifice.

5So they made the Passover sacrifice in the first month, on the afternoon of the fourteenth day of the month in the Sinai Desert; according to all that the Lord had commanded Moses, so did the children of Israel do.

So we get the first Passover. They are in the wilderness. They are doing life.  Following the rituals provided by the Torah.

6There were men who were ritually unclean [because of contact with] a dead person, and therefore could not make the Passover sacrifice on that day. So they approached Moses and Aaron on that day.

7Those men said to him, “We are ritually unclean [because of contact] with a dead person; [but] why should we be excluded so as not to bring the offering of the Lord in its appointed time, with all the children of Israel?

8Moses said to them, “Wait, and I will hear what the Lord instructs concerning you.”

And there were men who could NOT do the Passover ritual. And they were distraught. They did not have the opportunity to connect with Hashem through the Passover offering.  Moses asked them to be patient while he listened for Hashem.  This is what Hashem told Moses:

9The Lord spoke to Moses saying:

10Speak to the children of Israel saying, Any person who becomes unclean from [contact with] the dead, or is on a distant journey, whether among you or in future generations, he shall make a Passover sacrifice for the Lord.

11In the second month, on the fourteenth day, in the afternoon, they shall make it; they shall eat it with unleavened cakes and bitter herbs.

12They shall not leave over anything from it until the next morning, and they shall not break any of its bones. They shall make it in accordance with all the statutes connected with the Passover sacrifice.

Hashem gives them a second chance.  The second Passover. I have often shared how much this story warms my heart. I never knew it was in the Torah growing up. Hashem has always been a God of second chances. If we are unable to make the connection the first time, a second opportunity will come.

And. There is a caveat:

13But the man who was ritually clean and was not on a journey, yet refrained from making the Passover sacrifice, his soul shall be cut off from his people, for he did not bring the offering of the Lord in its appointed time; that person shall bear his sin.

If you KNEW the opportunity was there, and you say “oh well, there is a second passover” that is not the spirit of the idea of a second chance.

Let’s talk about second chances.

If someone made a choice? Freely? And says to themselves “well, I know I am going to get a second chance, so I am free to NOT connect” that attitude is a problem.

The idea of a second chance? We are not fully at our best. We are not ritually pure or clean. We are struggling. And we “miss it.” This is the idea.

14If a proselyte dwells with you, and he makes a Passover sacrifice to the Lord, according to the statutes of the Passover sacrifice and its ordinances he shall make it. One statute shall apply to you, to the proselyte and to the native-born citizen.

This is interesting isn’t it? The Torah is very clear – there are not multiple statutes to apply to different people. What is a proselyte? A convert. Someone new to the faith. And they get the full recognition. There are not two sets of rules. Something to reflect on.

What are your thoughts?

Here are my thoughts from the past two years:

Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 17 Sivan, 5783

Today’s portion (as I shared a year ago) is one of my favorites.  Because growing up Jewish, I never knew.  I didn’t learn until my late 20s.  That the Torah talks about a SECOND passover.

You see, growing up Jewish, I always thought I was one mistake away from Hashem’s cosmic hammer of justice slamming down on me, crushing me, and convincing me I am just a horrible person.  I am not doing any of the mitzvahs.  I am just doing whatever I want.  And – that is NOT good for a relationship, it’s what I was doing as a kid.

Then I realized.  That’s not who Hashem is.  He is love. He is kind. He is compassionate.  He provided an opportunity for those in the camp who were “ritually impure” and could not celebrate Passover an opportunity here to celebrate it.  Instead of “why didn’t you plan better?” Or “Why weren’t you EXTRA careful?” We are met with “I see you – and – I want you to have the opportunity to connect with me. So – here’s another chance!”

That is love.

And it is IMMEDITATELY connected by Hashem to the idea of converts in Judaism.  Converts to Judaism get the opportunity as well.

This was not the Judaism I grew up with.

What are your thoughts?

Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 15 Sivan, 5782

Good morning! Today is one of my favorite portions in all of Torah. When I read this the first time it really blew my mind over Hashem’s love, compassion, and empathy. And it was right there is the Torah; a book that we normally associate with God’s judgment.

We also see where the mitzvahs of ritual impurity DID impact the people. Because Hashem asked the people to come to the tabernacle three times a year. And Passover was a major one of these days.

Todays portion starts out with the importance of Passover. The Torah says we should make the Passover in its appointed time on the afternoon of the fourteenth of the first month. It should happen even if it coincides with the Sabbath and even if the majority of the people or the priests are in a state of ritual impurity.

And then we see, Moses tells the people to do, and they do it.

But. Hold up. We discover there were men who were ritually impure! It was because they came into contact with a dead person. They approached Moses distraught.

“Why should we be the losers? We’ve been prevented from offering God’s sacrifice in its appointed time, with all the children of Israel.”

Why should we be the losers? Talk about negative and critical self talk.

Let’s stop for a moment. When it comes to God, how often do we think we are losers in God’s eyes because we fall short? Because we’ve done something ”wrong?” Because we see ourselves as impure?

I don’t know about you, but I can certainly relate. And let’s see what Moses says:

“Moses said to them; ‘Wait, and I will hear what God instructs concerning you!”

So Moses tells them to be patient, and he will talk to God. And how does God respond?

“Sucks to be them!”

No. That’s not how Hashem responds. At. All.

God tells Moses to be merciful – those who can’t make the Passover because they are far away or unclean? They should do it a month later.

With a caveat. If you CAN make the Passover and don’t? That’s a problem that will require being cut off. Their soul will be cut off.

And here’s the even MORE amazing part. Good tells Moses, converts are cool!

“If a convert lives with you, and he makes a Passover for God, he should make it in accordance with the laws of preparation of the Passover and its accompanying laws.”

So. God has basically told Moses, converts can celebrate the Passover!!!

To me, todays portion is full of Grace a mercy. Hashem has established Mitzvahs for us to connect with Him. And – if things happen where we are disconnected (especially unintentionally); he provides work arounds to be back in relationship with Him.

And; if we aren’t born Jewish? We can convert and be treated as a Jew. And have the same responsibility as other Jews. There is no distinction between the gentile and the Jew when it comes to the mitzvahs.

For my Christian friends; how does today’s passage synthesize with your understanding of the God of the Old Testament?

What are your thoughts?