Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 14 Tevet, 5784
Parsha Va-Yehi (Genesis 47:28 – 50:26)
Third Portion: Genesis 48:17 – 48:22

Good morning!  Today is the fullness of the moon of Tevet. The full light of repair within the midst of chaos is being shown to us!  This morning has been an incredible time of insights for me personally. I read something in Mark Nepo’s book of awakening –

“Our crucial task when in pain or despair is not to let the sour feelings spill into everything, so that we stain our sense of the world. Yet we must also take care not to so contain our feelings that they fester and infect our sense of ourselves. Somewhere between these two extremes waits the life of healthy expression, not personalizing everything and not painting the world with our troubles.”

“Our inner work is often most demanding when we are sad and afraid, for we can so easily be overwhelmed by the power of these emotions that we can start to believe the world less possible or ourselves diminished. Once feeling less than, we stop feeling the truth of what is genuine and start losing touch with the Great Winds of life.”

This inspired me this morning to reflect and take what I learned from Mark Nepo.  I believe I co-created with Mark Nepo and a friend something crucial for us on this journey to spiritual liberation and freedom:

“The journey of the divine masculine is to move from an agitated heart to a peaceful heart in each moment we come to.”

“The journey of the divine feminine is to move from a passive heart to an active heart in each moment we come to.”

Within us – this is harmony and balance. An active peaceful heart vs an agitated passive heart.

This is beautiful. This is love.

As we live in this light today, where do we see ourselves on the matrix?

• Active Peaceful Heart?
• Active Agitated Heart?
• Passive Peaceful Heart?
• Passive Agitated Heart?

To know ourselves in this moment of chaos and repair gives us a foundation to live the next moment. And the next.

With this spirit, let’s dig into today’s portion (of “And He Lived”). Let’s remember our lesson and how we left off yesterday.  We discussed realities and perspectives. How we live in a multiverse of realities. Israel saw Joseph’s perspective and validated it. He placed his hands on the children according to Joseph’s perspective. Let’s go:

17And Joseph saw that his father was placing his right hand on Ephraim’s head, and it displeased him. So he held up his father’s hand to remove it from upon Ephraim’s head [to place it] on Manasseh’s head.

18And Joseph said to his father, “Not so, Father, for this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.”

Oh hello, Joseph! Active Agitated Heart much?

Now remember. The Torah uses “Israel” here in this part on blessing.  Israel is in his divinity. I think that is important.  Israel was validating Joseph’s perspective – and it agitated him.  He could have kept quiet – but he didn’t.  He reacted. Joseph knew the firstborn was supposed to receive the right hand. Which is interesting, considering Israel himself was NOT the first born, and received the blessing from the Miracle child Isaac.

How does Israel react?

19But his father refused, and he said, “I know, my son, I know; he too will become a people, and he too will be great. But his younger brother will be greater than he, and his children[‘s fame] will fill the nations.”

20So he blessed them on that day, saying, “With you, Israel will bless, saying, ‘May God make you like Ephraim and like Manasseh,’ ” and he placed Ephraim before Manasseh.

Israel maintained a peaceful active heart.  He affirms Joseph. “I know, my son, I know.” He does not ARGUE with Joseph. He does not get agitated. He affirms Joseph’s accuracy. And. He affirms Joseph’s reality – because Joseph placed the younger (Ephraim) on HIS OWN right, and placed the older (Menasseh) on HIS OWN left.

Now I am reflecting on this.  I wonder – did Joseph do this because he didn’t think Israel could see?  Joseph wanted to make it easier on his father to bless the children correctly? Did Joseph try to make the decision FOR Israel on who to bless on which side?  I can see a reality for Jospeh where internally he was thinking (subconsciously?) “I will seat them on my lap according to Israel’s reality because I can’t trust he will get it right.”

And here is my takeaway…

For us? How often do we make decisions for others to make their lives “easier?”  To navigate their reality FOR them? And we care about them right?  We do this because we care.

And. When they get agitated about it? We get into an argument. Over our intentions vs the impact of our actions. Do we stop and get curious about WHY we did what we did with our intentions?

Israel looked beyond this.  He accepted Joseph’s reality. He affirmed Joseph’s reality. And it BUGGED Joseph.  How often does this happen to us? Our reality is affirmed and it BUGS us?

Israel then finishes blessing the children and provides a special moment for Joseph – almost as if to say “look – I know this is tough – but you are special to me:”

21And Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am going to die, and God will be with you, and He will return you to the land of your forefathers.

22And I have given you one portion over your brothers, which I took from the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow.”

Israel provides a double blessing for Joseph in the promised land.  This is curious – because the oldest is supposed to get the double portion.  Joseph gets it instead. So that, Menasseh and Ephraim get full portions instead of half portions.  So they don’t feel “less than” but feel whole.

Which seems to affirm this reality:

“Our inner work is often most demanding when we are sad and afraid, for we can so easily be overwhelmed by the power of these emotions that we can start to believe the world less possible or ourselves diminished. Once feeling less than, we stop feeling the truth of what is genuine and start losing touch with the Great Winds of life.”

Israel wants us to feel the truth of what is genuine so that we do NOT lose touch with the “Great Winds” (read Hashem) of life.

Those are my thoughts – what are yours?

Here are my thoughts from the past two years:

Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 10 Tevet, 5783

I’ll confess, this morning I am under the weather. In reflecting on this passage, I am struck by a fathers love to take care of his kids. To give them everything they need, even when they don’t see it themselves – like Joseph not understanding why his father was doing what he was doing.

I am learning to trust in this rest. To let my body do what it needs to do instead of fighting it and pushing through. It’s a tough lesson; but one that will lead us to freedom and liberation spiritually!

What are your thoughts?

 Tyler’s Torah thoughts for Tevet 10, 5782

We continue today with Jacob’s blessing over Joseph through his children. We left off with Jacob crossing his arms to bless the child in the manner he desired.

Joseph seeing what was going on did not stand by. He became upset at how Jacob was blessing the children. So he incredibly took his fathers hand and removed it from Manasseh’s head in order to place it on Ephraim’s. He told his father “you’re doing it wrong” (my paraphrase).

Jacob refused. He told Joseph he knew exactly what he was doing. And once again, our ancestors live according to the younger being greater than the older. We see this with Isaac (vs Ishmael), with Jacob (vs Esau). We now see it with Ephraim (vs Manasseh).

Jacob says Manasseh will be great; but Ephraim will he greater and his children’s fame with be spread through the nations.

Keeping in mind Joshua is a descendant of Ephraim; this statement came true as Ephraim became known because of Joshua.

Jacob blessed the children that day: he instituted the blessing “May Hashem make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.” He put Ephraim before Manasseh.

What is significant about this? It’s because Ephraim and Manasseh were born in exile. They were raised and educated in exile. The idea is that our children today are born, raised and educated in exile (obviously with some exceptions to those born in Israel).

As those living in exile out of Israel; may we indeed be like Ephraim and Manasseh!

Todays portion closes with Israel saying to Joseph; “Look, I’m going to die. God will be with you, and He will bring you back to the land of your fathers. Since you are going to the be the one to bury me, I have given you one portion more than your brothers, the city of Shechem, which I took from the hand of the Amorites with my sword and my bow.” This hearkens back to the story of Dinah and how they waged war after Simeon and Levi killed the people of Shechem.

It is interesting as I have a few friends dealing with the death of a father/close relative, and how critical it is to make sure they are taken care of. It’s not always feasible, but it’s important to be thinking about the costs of burial for your children.

Jacob here sees this and provides an extra portion for Joseph. It is interesting because remember; Joseph was almost a king. He had All the resources necessary. But still, Joseph did not want to add a burden to him. This speaks to me as a father.

What does this passage say to you?