Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 15 Nisan, 5784 – First Day of Passover
Parsha ‘Aharei Mot – “After the death”: (Leviticus 16:1 – 18:30)
Third Portion: Leviticus 16:25 – 16:34
Passover Torah Portions: Exodus 12:21 – 51, Numbers 28:16-25 (in a separate post)

Good morning! What an amazing day to start Passover!

Today, we have a new beginning. A chance to ask ourselves – where do we feel stuck?  Where do we feel trapped? And not in our heads….but in our HEARTS!!!!  The heart is the key today.  Where do we need to rise from our depths?

Tonight also starts the counting of the Omer. For the next 49 evenings, we will count one more day of the Omer.  Chabad has an amazing tradition of how to contemplate the Omer from their website.

Over the next 49 nights we head towards Shavuot – where the Children of Israel received the Torah.

The cycle is broken down in one week incitements with themes:

• Week 1 of the Omer represents Hesed (love)
• Week 2 represents Gevurah (discipline)
• Week 3 represents Tiferet (compassion)
• Week 4 represents Netzah (determination)
• Week 5 represents Hod (humility)
• Week 6 represents Yesod (bonding)
• Week 7 represents Malkhut (dignity)

So tonight, we will study over the period until sundown tomorrow, Hesed of Hesed – the Love of Love. Or lovingkindess of lovingkindness.

I will write more on that tomorrow, but for now, we can reflect on this season – it is all about Love. Kindness. Compassion. Where are we needing this?  Let’s dig into the portion today:

This week’s Parsha is titled “after the death.” What happens when we grieve?  In one sense, we are left to question what happens after we die?  To even ask such a question allows for the possibility SOMETHING exists after the death. We are so afraid of death – to let go – to surrender. This week, with Passover and this parsha, we are asked to consider “what if?”

The context for today’s portion is Aaron just completed the sacrifice within the Holy of Holies he was to do on Yom Kippur. Now he was to go OUTSIDE the Holy place and offer up the sacrifice for the people.

Let’s go:

25And he shall cause the fat of the sin offering to go up in smoke upon the altar.

26And the person who sent off the he goat to Azazel, shall immerse his garments and immerse his flesh in water. And after this, he may come into the camp.

So I find it interesting here that we come back to the goat that was sent off the cliff.  Remember Azazel is not a person, not an angel. It literally means “high cliff.” The goat with all the sin – the shame – the guilt -was killed.  THAT is what we are called to release and die to.

27And the sin offering bull and he goat of the sin offering, [both of] whose blood was brought to effect atonement in the Holy, he shall take outside the camp, and they shall burn in fire their hides, their flesh, and their waste.

28And the person who burns them shall immerse his garments and immerse his flesh in water. And after this, he may come into the camp.

So basically, EVERYTHING was taken care of on Yom Kippur.  And isn’t it BEAUTIFUL that all of our calendars within Judaism start coming together:

• Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur begin the Spiritual year – it is when the gates of heaven are opened and we are inscribed in the book of life for the year. This is ALSO when the calendar year switches over.  However…
• Passover begins the Calendar year (we are in the “first month”) because this is the anniversary of being freed from Egypt.
• The Passover Portion today in Exodus? It was read on Tu B’Shevat Earlier in the year – the “New Year for Trees.”

It can get confusing, can’t it? And yet? Clarity comes.  Because here is a secret: Time is just a human construct. It measures change. These are all concepts designed to bring us into our HEARTS.

29And [all this] shall be as an eternal statute for you; in the seventh month, on the tenth of the month, you shall afflict yourselves, and you shall not do any work neither the native nor the stranger who dwells among you.

30For on this day He shall effect atonement for you to cleanse you. Before the Lord, you shall be cleansed from all your sins.

31It is a Sabbath of rest for you, and you shall afflict yourselves. It is an eternal statute.

32And the Kohen who is anointed or who is invested to serve in his father’s stead, shall effect [this] atonement, and he shall don the linen garments, the holy garments;

33And he shall effect atonement upon the Holy of Holies, and he shall effect atonement upon the Tent of Meeting and upon the altar, and he shall effect atonement upon the kohanim and upon all the people of the congregation.

34[All] this shall be as an eternal statute for you, to effect atonement upon the children of Israel, for all their sins, once each year. And he did as the Lord had commanded Moses.

This is Yom Kippur.  Atonement. No guilt. No shame.

This is the Human Experience. How we navigate our guilt and shame. Do we cover it? Or do we expose it with strength and loving-kindness? Do we bring tenderness to our guilt and shame? Can we see it the way Brene Brown sees it? As courage?

This is the Passover story. After the death, we do not need to be afraid of guilt and shame. We can be free to feel safe in it. And to be a safe space for others in their guilt and shame. This is the journey from slavery to freedom!

These are my thoughts on today’s portion.  How about yours?

I will have a second post with thoughts on the Passover portion.

Here is my commentary on our portion from two years ago:

Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 11 Nisan, 5782

Today we finish up learning about the sacrifice during Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. Yesterday we left off with Aaron changing his clothes from entering the Holy of holies and offering up the first goat on the alter, and then laying his hands and casting the sin of the people onto the second goat – sending it off to the desert with a designated man. After changing his clothes and immersing himself, he would then offer up two rams; one for himself and one for the people at the altar.

Todays portion begins with the final instruction for that ram sacrifice – Aaron should make the day of the sin offering go up in smoke on the outer altar.

It is interesting the portion splits the ram offering between the killing of the ram and then the fire of the ram; having it go up in smoke. I’m reflecting on why that might be split that way. I’m not sure I have good answers; if any of you have an idea, I’d love to hear it!

Next we turn to the scape goat. Hashem tells Moses that the person who sent off the make goat to the high cliff (killing the scape goat) should immerse his garments and body in the mikveh – and only then may he come into the camp.

Then we see God tell Moses someone should clean up the sin offering bull and goat of the sin offering; the skin, flesh and waste matter should be burned outside the camp. That person should ALSO immerse themselves before coming back to the camp.

The idea of purity and how death (even Animal death for the purpose of sacrifice) was a matter of purity is interesting. The animals have value here; because their death – even prior to dying (as the example of the person who brings the scape goat to the cliff to kill) has value. I think this is an important thing to chew on and consider.

The portion concludes with more about Yom Kippur.

Hashem says; “The Day of Atonement will be an eternal statute for you.”

Now let’s stop here. What does “eternal” mean?

From the Oxford dictionary; “lasting or existing forever; without end or beginning.”

If the Day of Atonement is an eternal statute, I have questions.

1. What happens when the temple is destroyed? Do we still celebrate it?
2. Who should celebrate it? Those who are Jewish? Or should all of us be celebrating – anyone who worships the God of Abaraham Isaac and Jacob?

Let’s see what the Torah says;

1. On the tenth day of the seventh month you should afflict yourselves.
2. You should not do any work- neither native nor convert who lives among you. Why? The Torah answers why;

– for on this day God will atone for you, to cleanse you. You will be cleansed from all your sins before God.

Maimonides writes; “The day ITSELF brings atonement – but it will only be effective for those who are remorseful.”

Rabbi Schneur Zalman writes;

“Repentance has the power of retroactivity. Although the past is no longer under your prerogative, nevertheless, God, who transcends the categories of time and limitation, has endowed repentance with a special and wonderful quality through which you can regain mastery over your past. By means of this special power of repentance, you are able not only to render the past neutral and ineffective, you can even reverse it and turn it into something positive. – as the Sages said: “Willful wrongs become as though they were merits” (Babylonian Talmud)

Interesting thoughts on Yom Kippur.

There is still more to be written though. The portion closes with more about Yom Kippur:

3. It is a sabbath of rest for you; and you should afflict yourselves. It is an eternal statute.
4. Only the High Priest who is anointed or one who is inaugurated to serve in his fathers place should carry out this atonement. Only he should don the linen garments, the holy garments, go into the holy of holies, etc

The portion ends with Hashem saying once again; “This will be an eternal statute for you, to atone for the Jewish people, for all their sins, once a year.”

Remember – the day itself is what atones. Just because there is no temple, does not mean we don’t celebrate Yom Kippur!!!

We see a conclusion that Aaron did exactly what God commanded him to do through Moses, in the correct order.

My takeaway here is the importance of repentance towards forgiveness from Hashem. This is for all of us. On this holy day, that for 2022 falls at sundown on October 4th (10th of Tishrei); we should be thinking about forgiveness. What are the areas we need as a community to ask Hashem’s forgiveness for?

But we also can experience this forgiveness daily on an individual level. What regrets do we have where we need Hashem’s forgiveness so we can move on with freedom and liberation and not be weighed down by our past?

I encourage all of us to reflect on this as we make our way towards Passover on Friday evening at sundown. May this discussion of Yom Kippur remind us that we experience the slavery of our sin; and yet Hashem wants us to experience freedom as we are forgiven! May this year, during Passover, may we not only remember the story of the Jews leading Egypt; but may we experience in our hearts, the regrets, shame, and guilt that weigh us down be removed so we can live free lives to love Hashem and one another!