Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 16 Elul, 5783

Shabbat Shalom!  We only have one more Shabbat before Rosh Hashanah – which starts the Sabbath following next weekend!  We are drawing to a close this cycle of 5783.

Moses is reminding us in today’s portion that Hashem did some AMAZING things we didn’t even realize.  You may have asked these questions over the past year studying the Torah- but I did not:

• Where did people get their clothes?
• Their shoes?

Think about it – wandering 40 years in the wilderness? And the shoes didn’t wear out? Their clothes didn’t need repairing?  Think of how many ways – TODAY – Hashem has taken care of us – and we don’t even think or realize it?

That’s right! Today’s theme? Gratitude.

From the Haftorah of comfort in Isaiah:

“You will no longer need the sun for daylight, nor the moon to shine at night. God will always be your light, and your God will be your glory. Your sun will never set and your moon will not be eclipsed by another nation, for God will always be your light and source of power. Your days of mourning will come to an end.”

Are we grateful? As we move through this past year – the highs and lows? Can we be camped here – ready to go into the new year – and bring with us the things we’ve learned we want to sustain? Can we leave behind the things we’ve learned that held us back? Can we trust Hashem to take care of us in the Promised Land?  Because there is a great possibility – in this moment. We are sitting on the banks of a river of something amazing in 5784.  Will we be mindful of each moment? Grounded in a reality that is beyond the scope of what we can see, feel, hear, touch, and taste?

We have witnessed what the Universe/Hashem/God did for us this past year.  We were taken care of.  Can we just be? And allow the universe to just provide us comfort?  That is what we are called to do.  Rest. Be. Receive.

Rest.

Be.

Receive.

What are your thoughts?

Here is my commentary from a year ago:

Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 21 Elul, 5782

Shabbat Shalom! What a wonderful morning on our journey from slavery to liberation! Let’s dig in!

Moses has given instructions this week for when we enter the promised land – our land of liberation.

He closes us by gathering us around – “Moses called all of Israel…”

He brings us together – “you’ve seen all that God has done before our eyes in the land of Egypt.”

Which is interesting because at this point the people gathered mostly did NOT see what happened in Egypt. That generation passed away.

Moses is reminding us; we have heard testimony; we have experienced our own personal Egypts and watched what Hashem did to lead us out of slavery.

But Moses tells us we are still missing something:

“Until this day, God has not yet given you a heart to recognize His true kindness, eyes to see it or ears to hear it.”

Moses is insinuating – and he’s about to make clear- it’s not that Hashem hasn’t been kind to us. It’s that we haven’t seen it.

Moses lays out this case:

• We wandered for 40 years in the wilderness and our garments did not wear out from daily use
• Our shoes did not wear out (imagine owning a pair of sneakers that lasted 40 years!)
• We did not eat bread or drink wine. It was mana and water that sustained us (and some meat)
• When we arrived at the Jordan; right before entering the promised land, two kings came out to battle us. We annihilated them.

That was Hashem’s kindness.

And Moses closes the parsha with “Since you have witnessed God’s greatness – guard the words of the covenant and observe them, in order that you succeed in everything we do.”

So friends; this morning, on our journey to liberation; what are we grateful for? Where do we see kindness in the midst of the struggle? This will get us into a good place for Rosh Hashanah!

What are your thoughts?

As always, Haftorah thoughts posted in comments below:

Todays Haftorah is the sixth Haftorah of comfort – we are two weeks from Rosh Hashanah!

Todays Haftorah is from Isaiah 60:1-22

This passage starts with joy and light:

“Arise, shine and rejoice, O Jerusalem! For your light has arrived, and God’s glory has shone upon you!”

It is like the description of the full moon.

And Isaiah continues:

“Darkness and suffering will cover the earth and thick clouds will cover the nations.”

But for us? Isaiah encourages us: “God will shine the light of salvation on you, and His glory will be seen on you.”

We become the full moons lighting the earth.

That is what liberation does. It breaks us away from the darkness around us.

Isaiah paints us a picture of a broken down city restored. A beacon among the nations.

Isaiah closes with this image: “You will no longer need the sun for daylight, nor the moon to shine at night. God will always be your light, and your God will be your glory. Your sun will never set and your moon will not be eclipsed by another nation, for God will always be your light and source of power. Your days of mourning will come to an end.”

Friends; let’s just soak that in. It’s been a long journey to get here. We are coming to the end of the Torah cycle – and we have gone through some stuff, haven’t we? But it’s all for our good. To shine in liberation.

Are you receiving it?

What are your thoughts?