Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 14 Shevat, 5785
Good morning! We are almost at Tu B’Shevat, which starts at sundown tonight. Get ready for an energetic shift!
The last trees are being uprooted from our lives.
Misplaced anger.
Avoided sadness.
Undealt with grief.
All of the purposes of planting new trees that can take root and provide the energy and generator of abundance, devotion, and honor.
You see, we have it all. In this moment. Like a seed.
We have within the seed of the moment; anger, sadness, grief, abundance, honor, devotion, majesty
The question is – where will we give ourselves permission to engage?
If we think avoiding sadness, grief, and anger will allow honor, abundance, devotion and majesty to grow? We are likely not going to have the seed live to its fullest potential.
We need to be fully in the moment -in the seed, and be all of it.
Be angry.
Be sad.
Be grieving.
Be abundant.
Be devoted.
Be honor.
Be majestic.
All of it.
In this moment. And allow these seeds to be planted in tonight’s “New Year for Trees.”
What are your thoughts?
Here are my thoughts from last year:
Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 21 Shevat 5784
Parsha Yitro: (Exodus 18:1 – 20:23)
Fourth Portion: Exodus 19:1 – 19:6
Good morning! Yesterday we talked about guilt and shame – and overcoming those to RECEIVE feedback that is for our best interests. Jethro has now left the scene (which again is curious given this parsha is called Yitro). I believe we are about to see the legacy of Jethro in the rest of this parsha. Let’s dig into it:
1In the third month of the children of Israel’s departure from Egypt, on this day they arrived in the desert of Sinai.
Oh. The Children of Israel have spent 3 months in the wilderness after leaving Egypt. They arrive at Sinai. And you know what they receive here? This very Torah. They wander for 3 months. Then? They get DIRECTION. The Torah provides us guidance and direction!
2They journeyed from Rephidim, and they arrived in the desert of Sinai, and they encamped in the desert, and Israel encamped there opposite the mountain.
So Jethro leaves, the children arrive. And The Torah goes back and reminds us of how we got here.
I am sitting with that. We so quickly forget how we arrive in a moment. The Torah seems to encourage us to always remember. How did we get here? Who are the Jethros in our life? Where have we been to arrive in a moment?
What happens next?
3Moses ascended to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, “So shall you say to the house of Jacob and tell the sons of Israel,
4’You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and [how] I bore you on eagles’ wings, and I brought you to Me.
5And now, if you obey Me and keep My covenant, you shall be to Me a treasure out of all peoples, for Mine is the entire earth.
6And you shall be to Me a kingdom of princes and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the children of Israel.”
They arrive. And Moses goes up.
So when we arrive in a moment? Where do we go? Do we camp in this moment? Do we go down? Do we go up? There is no right or wrong here – we are free.
I wrote this two years ago regarding this section:
This is the message:
- We have witnessed Hashem’s miracles. He brought us together in unity. We were protected as being carried on angels wings.
- Now that we are here, listen to Hashem and keep His covenant by connecting with Hashem through the Torah
- If you (we) keep connected with Hashem, you (we) will be a precious treasure – to Hashem among all the peoples – because the earth belongs to Hashem.
- If we do #2, we will be #3 and then live out the purpose for which we were created: To be a kingdom of ministers and a holy nation.
This is our calling as Jews. A “kingdom of ministers.” How are you (we) ministering today? This has to be our goal. Our purpose. Our focus. But we can’t do it if we are not connected to the Torah!
These are my thoughts! What are yours?
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