Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 20 Tishri, 5784

Today is the Sixth day of Sukkot.  The fourth day of Chol Hamoed.  Tonight begins the final three days of the Torah cycle:

• Sundown tonight to Sundown tomorrow night: The final day of Sukkot – Hoshanah Rabah
• Sundown Friday night to Sundown Saturday night: Shmeni Atzeret AND Shabbat
• Sundown Saturday night: Simchat Torah – when we roll back the Torah and “begin again.”

As we enter into this special time, may we continue to reflect on our impact in the world – as there are the last moments of this previous cycle in which we go out into the world with what we’ve learned.  And then we “begin again”  with the Torah and our learning process.

Here is the passage we read for today: Numbers 29:26-34:

26And on the fifth day nine bulls, two rams, and fourteen lambs in the first year, [all] unblemished.

27And their meal offerings and their libations, for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, according to their number, as prescribed.

28And one young male goat for a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering, its meal offering, and its libation.

This is the sacrifice yesterday – 9 bulls. 26 total animals

For today:

29And on the sixth day, eight bulls, two rams, and fourteen lambs in the first year, [all] unblemished.

30And their meal offerings and their libations, for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, according to their number, as prescribed.

31And one young male goat for a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering, its meal offering, and its libations.

Today, we sacrifice 8 bulls.  Again, 8 is the number of perfection.  Chabad writes something very beautiful about the number 8 here. 

What is interesting about this – 8 is higher than seven, and Seven is the natural order of things. From Chabad:

Eight, on the other hand, being higher than seven, symbolizes the Super-natural. The human brain is a creation of G‑d, and part of Nature. Human intelligence is therefore limited to the Natural order; anything which is above and beyond Nature is also above and beyond human understanding.

So on this day – the sixth day of Sukkot. We sacrifice 8 bulls. Today is beyond our understanding.  TOMORROW on Hoshana Rabah, we return to 7 – the natural order of things. As we descend to nature – and then “begin again” on Saturday evening, we can experience a super natural joy today.  Will we receive it? Or will we resist it?  This is the message.

Because tomorrow – THIS is the sacrifice:

32And on the seventh day, seven bulls, two rams and fourteen lambs in the first year, [all] unblemished.

33And their meal offerings and their libations, for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, according to their number, as prescribed for them.

34One young male goat for a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering, its meal offering, and its libation

What are YOUR thoughts?