Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 19 Av, 5783

Good morning! We start a new Parsha on a new week!  This is an amazing week as we celebrate the day I became a Father.  August 8, 2007 is my oldest child’s birthday.  This is a significant day for her for sure – she is turning 16.  But on that day 16 years ago? I became a father for the first time.

The Name of this week’s Parsha is Re’eh.  This literally means “see.”  And going back to my last paragraph?  This week is the anniversary of seeing that I was a father for the first time.  Because I was a father long before that date.  The significance of the date is merely the day I saw it become real!

This week’s Parsha is about our destiny.  The paths of Blessing and curses.

The Chumash has this beautiful thing to say to us: “Regardless of the route you have traveled until this moment, the future direction of your life depends entirely on your decisions today.” That is an amazing piece to think about.

Moses starts today’s portion giving us blessing and curse.  Our choice determines our destiny.  And. As I reread the commentary I wrote a year ago? I feel like it was written for this moment just as much as it was written a year ago.  It exists outside of time.

Here it is:

Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 24 Av, 5782

It’s a new week! And today is a super special day. This is Eliana’s Hebrew Birthday. She was born 15 years ago on the 24 Av, 5767.

We have a new Parsha this week. Parsha Re’eh. This literally means “see.” It’s as if part of our liberation process from Slavery to freedom (as we get closer and closer to the promised land) requires us to “see” – to open our eyes. To awaken.

This Parsha is going to deal with destiny; opposing paths of blessing and curse. The Chumash has this beautiful thing to say to us: “Regardless of the route you have traveled until this moment, the future direction of your life depends entirely on your decisions today.” That is an amazing piece to think about.

I’ve been chewing on this idea of creation vs creator. Hashem has obviously given us the ability to create. Are we wanting, in this moment, to create the future direction of our lives? Or are we wanting that created for us? And what is the role of our imaginations in this process? Have we filled our heads with things that have filled our sense of imagination and wonder? And does that make it difficult in this moment to want to create? Again, It seems as if we come back to deciding whether we are the artist of our life or the canvas. In reality it can be both at the same time. How much do we create? Let’s dig in:

We start with the passage and Moses is continuing his last lecture before the people go into the promised land.

Moses tells us he is giving us a blessing and a curse. We have a choice. Our destiny is ours in the choices we make. It’s like we discussed yesterday. Do we choose love as God? Or do we choose oppression as God? It’s a choice.

Moses says – if we listen to the mitzvahs and do good – out of love? We will be blessed.

If we choose not to, curses will come. We will go astray from the lessons and good we have learned. If our goal is liberation, we must always choose love!

Moses says when we cross the Jordan, we will see miracles that will be a sign for us. When we become liberated, we will see amazing things!

Moses then tells us that when we go into the land, we need to make sure we keep these in mind, once we achieve liberation; true liberation!

When we enter this new space of liberation; we need to go where the nations who possessed the land before us performed acts of worship and destroy their gods.

Something I reflect on in this place of liberation – I’m not sure we should take this literally. It was a historical account of a specific moment in time. How we apply this part of the Torah? As we enter into liberation – spiritual liberation; we should consider the ways others connect with Hashem, and focus on what got you to Liberation. We don’t need to change things up. And what worked for us in our journey to spiritual liberation – may not work for others. And. Vice versa.

(Note from this present moment in 5783. I am reflecting on this last passage, and the idea of co-creation seems more crucial. Finding willing co-creators to make this moment free.  If we are with people stuck in the past, we cannot make them join us in the present moment with us. Likewise, if we are stuck in the past, we cannot require them to join us.  There are boundaries that need to be respected on all accounts).

Let’s keep going.

Moses tells the people to place the tabernacle at Shiloh. That’s where all of our sacrifices should go.

And we are told as the portion ends, for the first 14 years after liberation, we should not erect private altars to carry out all the sacrifices.

What is going to happen is we are going to cross into liberation – however, there is a battle to fight. We have to conquer the enemy that was possessing that space.

Let’s stop for a minute. When we read this. Is your mind thinking about an external battle? Or are you thinking about the battle within? The fight within our hearts, souls, bodies? When we cross over into liberation, there were occupants in our mind that lived in the spaces we now want to occupy in our liberation. How do you allow Hashem to conquer those thought patterns? Because that’s the first step.

The second step is apportionment. When we achieve liberation, our souls will equalize within us appropriately. We will be perfectly aligned – with the full palate of colors to create. And once that is done? Moses tells us to close the portion out; “He will give you rest from all your enemies surrounding you – and you will dwell securely.”

We can dwell securely in our hearts and minds. The internal determines the external.

What are your thoughts?