Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 22 Shevat 5784
Parsha Yitro: (Exodus 18:1 – 20:23)
Fifth Portion: Exodus 19:7 – 19:19

Good morning! We are getting closer now to the new moon into the first of the Adar months. As we continue to collect the blessings from the first part of the month, may we connect to Hashem and come back to him.  In each moment – going “up” to Hashem on the mountain to find our intuition on how we can move forward to the next moment.

Let’s dig into the portion.  Moses just went up to connect with Hashem, who gave him a message for Israel. Simply put:

1. Remember – we witnessed Hashem’s miracles
2. Listen to Hashem, Connect with Hashem
3. Stay connected with Hashem – see your worth and value (we are treasures)
4. If we do #2 and #3? We will be ministers and holy.

That’s it!  Let’s see where we go today:

7Moses came and summoned the elders of Israel and placed before them all these words that the Lord had commanded him.

Moses brought the elders together and shared with them this formula. And how did they respond?

8And all the people replied in unison and said, “All that the Lord has spoken we shall do!” and Moses took the words of the people back to the Lord.

Moses received the words of the people and went back to Hashem on the mountain.  Moses was intervening on behalf of Israel.  How did Hashem respond?

9And the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I am coming to you in the thickness of the cloud, in order that the people hear when I speak to you, and they will also believe in you forever.” And Moses relayed the words of the people to the Lord.

Here’s how Hashem responded (I am paraphrasing):

Alright – let’s go, Moses – I will come to you when you speak to the people of Israel – not just the elders. The people will hear you because I am with you. And they will believe in you forever.

Hashem wanted the people to believe “in” Moses forever?

I am sitting with that.  Why doesn’t the Torah say “in order that the people hear when I speak to you, they will also believe in me forever?” Why did Hashem make this about Moses?

I think it goes back to the original plan from Hashem:

1. Remember – we witnessed Hashem’s miracles
2. Listen to Hashem, Connect with Hashem
3. Stay connected with Hashem – see your worth and value (we are treasures)
4. If we do #2 and #3? We will be ministers and holy.

The Torah seems to be about #1 and #2. Our role is #2 and #3, and our purpose is #4.

Hashem wants us to believe in Moses forever. The Torah is the way.  It shows us the miracles of Hashem. It helps us listen to Hashem. When we connect with Torah? We can do amazing things!

And. What is interesting, Hashem did all of this BEFORE Moses relayed the words of the elders to the Lord. Hashem laid this out and THEN Moses told Hashem the elders said “All that the Lord has spoken we shall do!”

So after Moses tells Hashem, what happens next?

10And the Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people and prepare them today and tomorrow, and they shall wash their garments.

11And they shall be prepared for the third day, for on the third day, the Lord will descend before the eyes of all the people upon Mount Sinai.

12And you shall set boundaries for the people around, saying, Beware of ascending the mountain or touching its edge; whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death.’

13No hand shall touch it, for he shall be stoned or cast down; whether man or beast, he shall not live. When the ram’s horn sounds a long, drawn out blast, they may ascend the mountain.”

So Hashem laid this out. Prepare the people to hear Us Moses. You and Me!

1. Two days (Today and Tomorrow)
2. Wash their garments
3. Day 3? Hashem is coming down.
4. Set boundaries around the mountain so people don’t die
5. When the shofar blows (the Ram’s Horn) then they can come up the mountain.

Why?

That’s what I am sitting with? Why this elaborate process?

Because of Awe.

What is Awe? It is fear mixed with safety.

As a culture, we have watered down Awe a lot. Those of us who grew up in the 80s? Awesome was a part of our vernacular. And this watered down the idea of Awe. Because there was no longer fear. It became “cool.”

Hashem is not Awesome in the way we understand the word.  He’s not just “Cool.”

Hashem is something to both be afraid of and feel safe with.

This is something we’ve lost.

Here’s the takeaway (I think).  What in our lives are we in Awe of?

My kids. I am in awe of them. I am afraid of them. I am afraid they will reject me. I am afraid of making mistakes. I am afraid of them getting hurt. And. I am safe. As their parent, I feel safe – I didn’t always feel this way; but I do today. I feel safe. And afraid. At the same time.

This is awe.

How about you?

Let’s pause. Just reflect.

Breathe.

Ok. Let’s keep going. What happens next:

14So Moses descended from the mountain to the people, and he prepared the people, and they washed their garments.

15He said to the people, “Be ready for three days; do not go near a woman.”

It is interesting – one of the preparations was not having sex. Why?

Upon reflection? I think because Sexual intimacy – knowing someone in this way? Is a taste of awe – that is how it is designed. To feel sacred. And Moses was saying – let’s reserve our awe for the arrival of Hashem.  So then – this is what unfolds:

16It came to pass on the third day when it was morning, that there were thunder claps and lightning flashes, and a thick cloud was upon the mountain, and a very powerful blast of a shofar, and the entire nation that was in the camp shuddered.

17Moses brought the people out toward God from the camp, and they stood at the bottom of the mountain.

18And the entire Mount Sinai smoked because the Lord had descended upon it in fire, and its smoke ascended like the smoke of the kiln, and the entire mountain quaked violently.

19The sound of the shofar grew increasingly stronger; Moses would speak and God would answer him with a voice.

This is awe.

What are we in awe of? What SHOULD we be in awe of, but we treat as if it is “cool” instead?  Something to reflect on.

What are your thoughts?

Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for Shevat 18, 5782

May we continue today in kindness!

The Torah has not yet been given to the Children of Israel. Yesterday, we learned Moses went up to talk to God on the second day of the third month since leaving Egypt, and God told him to go back and speak to Israel to listen to God and keep his mitzvahs we will be a precious treasure!

So In today’s portion, Moses comes and summons the elders of Israel and shared what God spoke to him. All of the people in unison said “Everything that God has said we shall do!”

Rabbi Joseph Ephraim shared this perspective; “Why did they respond in the past tense? God had not yet spoken to them!” A simple answer would be to argue that they were referring to the few laws given to them in advance of Sinai. The areas they had already heard.

But the inner meaning is that they were referring to the Torah that their souls had heard even before coming into the world. “Everything that God has said” – to our souls, before we entered the world – “we shall do.”

I’m chewing on that, and can see that perspective. When I read the Torah, my heart connects with it. My soul yearns for the Torah If I really get out of the way. That’s not to say I don’t enjoy distractions; but when I’m still and quiet, the Torah does line up with my heart.

After the elders share they will do this, Moses goes back to God the following day (day 3) and conveyed the words of the people.

God says to Moses; “look! I’m going to come down to you in a fog in order that the people hear when i speak to you, and they will also believe in you and the prophets that follow you forever.”

Moses returns to relay God’s words to the people. On the next day (day 4), he went back up to God to relay the people’s reply. The message was the people didn’t want to overhear God speaking to Moses, they wanted to hear God directly.

God says “fine!” Not really. He tells Moses, “if the people want to hear Me directly, then go to the people and make them ready, today and tomorrow. They should wash their garments. They should be prepared for the third day having separated from their wives, for on the third day (from today – meaning the sixth day of the month), God will descend before the eyes of all the people on Mount Sinai.

God continues with Moses; “You should set boundaries around the mountain for the people around, which say, ‘beware of ascending the mountain or touching its edge! Whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death.’ When the rams horn sounds a long, drawn out blast, God’s presence shall depart and then they may ascend the mountain.”

Moses comes down from the mountain and went directly to the people. He tells them to prepare themselves for three days (alternatively it can be read as for the third day). He tells them not to come close to their wives.

On the third day, when it was becoming morning, before the people arrived, there were claps of thunder and lightning flashes, and a thick cloud was upon the mountain. The entire camp shuddered. A rams horn blew to signify the beginning of God’s presence on the mountain.

Moses brings the people out. They all stood at the bottom of the mountain.

The mountain smoked because God had descended upon it in fire. The sound of the rams horn grew stronger.

You could cut this tension with a knife!!

Todays portion closes with this:

We get a note that since God only spoke the first two commandments, and Moses relayed the rest, the following method was used:

Moses would speak, and in order for him to be heard, God would respond by amplifying Moses’ voice.

And that’s where we leave it for today.

Thoughts?