Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 22 Tishri, 5785
Shmeni Atzeret

Good morning! Today is the “eighth day” of Sukkot. It’s a “bonus” day to spend with Hashem.  And it flows into Simchat Torah, where we “begin again.”

You can read more here: Shmeni Atzeret/Simchat Torah

Today? We prepare ourselves for the business of Simchat Torah – there is a lot to do over the next few days:

• Tonight at sundown is Simchat Torah – we talk a lot about Torah, and read the final portion of Deuteronomy. We then turn the Torah back and start over in Genesis
• Tomorrow we do the same thing during the day. And we prep for the first Sabbath in Genesis
• Saturday we read the ENTIRE parsha of Bereshit – the beginning. We cram seven days of portion into one day.
• Sunday? We jump right into the portion of

So this is a “time warp” of Torah we are entering into. Fast and furious.

Tonight our energies shift a bit as well. We had been navigating the shadows of corruption to come to a place of equilibrium, with the payoff Harmony.

Tonight, as we enter Simchat Torah? We are navigating the shadow of purposelessness, to discover the gift of Totality.  The prize of this is immortality.

Which is perfect given the connection to the Torah. If we do not have purpose? Reading the Torah with remind us of our purpose. Because after all, this is what a soul “is.”  It is, at the end of the day, who we “are.” Purpose. When we discover our purpose, we can live our lives in Totality. This leaves a legacy on the collective that has immortal ramifications.

This is the story of Moses. Adam. Chava. Noah. Legacy. And we enter into this space over the next four days in BEAUTIFUL fashion!

What are your thoughts?

Here are my thoughts from last year:

Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 22 Tishri, 5784.

Shmeni Atzeret/Simchat Torah

Shabbat Shalom! What an amazing and special day!  As we leave Hoshanah Rabbah – and the final moments of judgment and salvation, we enter into a special two day period.  We not only receive the Shabbat Rest today, we enter tonight into reading the last portion of the Torah, and “Begin Again” with Genesis.  As such, I want to focus on the final portion of Deuteronomy today, and I will focus on Genesis tomorrow.

As we paused on Deuteronomy before Sukkot – the Harvest has come. The judgments made for the year. We now get a moment to rest.

I wrote yesterday: “To Be in a moment or Not to Be in a moment” is the question we ask ourselves.  And as we close the last book of the Torah, Kabbalah gives us this quote:

“Your consciousness is your only real address. If you stand in London but your mind is in New York, then you are in New York. You are not in London at all.”

And spoiler alert? The Torah NEVER brings us into the Promised Land.  We are left with the end of Deuteronomy standing outside. And starting over.

And we are left with Moses leaving the earth in a moment when Hashem kisses him.  Is that the promised land?

Or. Is the promise land THIS moment. And then THIS moment. And THIS. And THIS.  Each moment we live – is the promise.  To live in a moment or to ignore a moment. To numb ourselves in a moment. To distract ourselves in a moment.  To live or die in these moments MAY BE the answer to Spiritual Freedom and Liberation.

And. It may not be.

It may ALSO be that the Promise Land ALREADY Exists.  Our Consciousness can decide – will we be OUTSIDE the promised land within? Or will we enter it within? That may be the final message of the Torah.  Basically, The Torah can lead a horse to water (the Promised Land) but the Torah cannot make us drink.  We have to CHOOSE to enter. That is it.

Or maybe it’s both/and? MAYBE THE Torah wants us to AVOID Either/Or thinking.  To see it both/and.  At THIS moment. We are both IN the Promised Land, and OUTside of it. We are IN Heaven and OUT of it. Hashem is both withIN us and OUTside of us. We don’t seem to think this way. We think it’s one or the other.  Both/AND is liberation thinking. Just my opinion.

Either way, as we finish tonight on Simchat Torah, and we start again tomorrow with Genesis.  The journey continues.

Once again, THANK YOU for those of you who have been a part of this journey the past two Torah cycles. It has been an amazing two years.  And we will continue into the next – because I believe 5784 and this new Torah cycle is going to be something special and amazing! But we can’t get ahead of ourselves – because that is dying to this moment. The next 30 seconds. This moment. Then THIS moment. Then THIS moment.  Just be here. Now.

Moses blesses all of Israel. Moses blesses us. And as we close each book of the Torah we proclaim:

“Be strong! Be strong! And may we be Strengthened!”

See you tomorrow for Genesis!