Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 24 Tevet 5784
Parsha Shemot: (Exodus 1:1 – 6:1)
Sixth Portion: Exodus 4:18 – 4:31

Good morning! I really encourage you to read the commentaries below from two years ago.  There is a lot there.  This morning, as we prepare for the Sabbath rest before the next new moon (Wednesday night) we are leaving a cycle of Chaos and Repair and heading towards Order – with the first half of the month more “harsh” and the second half more “blessing.”

I think we will find we will long for the chaos – AND appreciate the repair that the harshness will bring.  With this, let’s jump in:

18Moses went and returned to Jether, his father in law, and he said to him, “Let me go now and return to my brothers who are in Egypt, and let me see whether they are still alive.” So Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace.”

What I find curious here is that Moses asked Jether for permission to return to Egypt. Dude just experienced Hashem in the burning bush – AND – now is asking Jether for permission.

Just because we know our calling spiritually. Just because we see ourselves as free and liberated. Just because we may have a peaceful, active heart. We sill live in this limited space/time.  It’s both/and – we don’t need to choose one or the other. If it is Hashem’s will, this space/time won’t stop us from our goals.

Let’s keep going:

19The Lord said to Moses in Midian, “Go, return to Egypt, for all the people who sought your life have died.”

20So Moses took his wife and his sons, mounted them upon the donkey, and he returned to the land of Egypt, and Moses took the staff of God in his hand.

21The Lord said to Moses, “When you go to return to Egypt, see all the signs that I have placed in your hand and perform them before Pharaoh, but I will strengthen his heart, and he will not send out the people.

22And you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘So said the Lord, “My firstborn son is Israel.” ‘

23So I say to you, ‘Send out My son so that he will worship Me, but if you refuse to send him out, behold, I am going to slay your firstborn son.’ “

Alright. Hashem is talking to Moses here on his way to Egypt. Telling him how this will all unfold. “My firstborn son is Israel.”

This is powerful. Moses is telling Pharoah that Hashem sees Israel like a first born child.  As a dad – I reflect on my firstborn. She is the human that MADE ME a father.  Until she was born, I was not a dad. Her birth – that is my identity as a father.

We – as Israel – are what makes Hashem a father (or mother).  Without us, that would not be a part of HIS identity. Think about that. How important is that? And? Anyone stops us from being free? They will be slayed.

What is our takeaway? We can trust that Hashem wants us to be spiritually free and liberated. Why? So we are free to WORSHIP.  We are free to connect with the Universe. To be at one with Hashem – and the Neshama within us. Hashem cares SO MUCH for this connection? He will slay whatever is within us that gets in our own way.

Let’s keep going.

24Now he was on the way, in an inn, that the Lord met him and sought to put him to death.

Wow.

I read this before. And it seemed odd. Like out of the blue. But given what I just wrote? It makes a TON of sense. Hashem is literally going to slay what is within us – so we are free.

Zipporah figured it out quickly, because Moses was likely in shock.

25So Zipporah took a sharp stone and severed her son’s foreskin and cast it to his feet, and she said, “For you are a bridegroom of blood to me.”

26So He released him. Then she said, “A bridegroom of blood concerning the circumcision.”

Moses had a son who was not circumcised.  This was a break of the covenant made with Abraham.  This was going to get in the way of Moses doing the work Hashem called him to do.

This was harsh.

And. It was repair.

And. It was blessing.

Interesting.

Let’s keep going:

27The Lord said to Aaron, “Go toward Moses, to the desert.” So he went and met him on the mount of God, and he kissed him.

Moses was also unaware – Hashem was with Aaron – providing the context for the gift for Moses – at Moses’ request. Aaron met Moses – and they kissed.  Blessing. Repair.

Let’s continue:

28And Moses told Aaron all the words of the Lord with which he had sent him and all the signs that He had commanded him.

29So Moses and Aaron went, and they assembled all the elders of the children of Israel.

30And Aaron spoke all the words that the Lord had spoken to Moses, and he performed the signs before the eyes of the people.

31And the people believed, and they heard that the Lord had remembered the children of Israel and that He saw their affliction, and they kneeled and prostrated themselves.

With this repair? Moses and Aaron gathered the elders – and they believed.

Next takeaway:

To do the work we are called to do – to be who we are called to be – we must experience repair – both in chaos, and in order. We must experience harshness and blessing. All to live out – freedom, liberation, and love.

ESPECIALLY when we are stuck and enslaved.

 And? I think this repair? Is connected to grief.

What are your thoughts?

Here are my thoughts from the past two years:

Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 20 Tevet 5783

This is a crucial passage in many ways. As I reflect on my thoughts from a year ago, I am both put in touch with how much MORE healing was to come (especially with other Egypts in my life at the time I wasn’t even aware of).

What strikes me now is the idea that Hashem tells Moses – I’m sending you to do a task, and you seemingly won’t be able to do it. It may appear I’m going to set you up for failure. I’m telling you to go to Pharaoh and tell him “let my people go” AND I will harden Pharoah’s heart so he won’t do it.

Wow. That might seem cruel; but it was for a purpose. Sometimes we aren’t going to succeed; but it is for the purpose of freedom and liberation. It is so we deal with our Egypts.

What are your thoughts?

Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for Tevet 20, 5782

Todays portion begins with Moses (after meeting Hashem at the burning bush) returning to his Father in Law Jethro; and asks for permission to return to his brothers in Egypt to see if they are alive.

Jethro gives Moses permission and tells him to go in peace.

God encourages Moses (he was certainly super patient with Moses) and tells him all the people who sought his life are dead.

Moses takes his wife and sons and mounted them on a donkey. This is no ordinary donkey though.

Rabbi Schneerson writes;

“Moses mounted his wife and children on a unique donkey. This was the donkey which Abraham himself prepared for the journey to sacrifice his son, Isaac. And it is the donkey on which the Messiah is going to be revealed, as the verse states that the Messiah is “a poor man riding on a donkey” (Zechariah 9:9; Rashi, 11″ century).

God arranged for Moses to use this famous donkey to carry his family, as the unique qualities of this donkey indicated the answers to two questions:

(a) It was Abraham’s donkey, which he used for the journey to the binding of Isaac. The Torah recounts that when Abraham was told to sacrifice his son, he did not question God and acted with the utmost haste, preparing his own donkey for the journey (Genesis 22:3). Thus, God was hinting to Moses, “You might not want to accept this mission, since you feel that your brother is greater. Why don’t you learn from Abraham, who did not question Me? He followed My orders right away without asking any questions, and his spirits were joyful, since He knew he was doing My will. And that was despite the inhumane act that he was asked to do!”

(b) It was the Messiah’s donkey. This indicated an answer to Moses complaint that God should send the final redeemer instead of himself.

“Please, my Master, send the one that You will eventually send” (4:13). God was hinting to Moses, “You may think that you are in no way connected to the final redeemer. But you are wrong! The Messiah will only come because you made the entire concept of redemption a possibility. The Messiah will finish off the task that you are now starting.”

This is really fascinating and I’m chewing on the implications. It’s hard to fathom this was the same donkey as Abraham used to carry Isaac.

But it does help us understand God really wanted Moses to respond with the burning bush the way Abraham did. But that Moses argued with God was not want Hashem wanted.

God continues to talk with Moses; “When you return to Egypt, reflect upon all the miracles I have placed in your hand, And perform them before Pharaoh. I will, however, strengthen his heart and he will not send the people away.”

Something I notice – the miracles were in Moses’ hand; not his heart. I wanted to read that line “reflect on the miracles I placed in your heart” because the heart is often where i reflect. Reflecting on the miracles “in my hand” is something quite peculiar (in my opinion). I connect this to the idea of meditation- where I focus on my body, the breath, the feelings in various body parts, etc.

God continues; “You shall say to Pharaoh, ‘This is what God said; “Israel is My son, My firstborn.” Therefore I say to you; “Send out My son so that he may worship Me. If you refuse to send him out, I am going to slay your firstborn son.”’”

Rabbi Meir Simchah of Dvinsk writes this; “A firstborn child transforms a man into a father. The firstborn has the earliest privilege to call his father “father” and the subsequent children follow his lead.

The Jewish People were the first to recognize God as the single creator of all humanity and master of the world. They declared Gods

Existence to the world and referred to Him as their father, causing others to do the same. Therefore they are considered God’s “firstborn” even though many nations existed before them.”

The idea that Hashem would remove Pharaoh’s firstborn is a big deal; as the role/purpose of “father” (or “mother”) is likely one of the greater purposes of our lives on earth. This is not to say those who are not fathers or mothers have no purpose; but those who are assigned the purpose of father or mother have no greater purpose (maybe except for Torah).

So. The journey from Egypt to Midian was a quick one for Moses (or at least the details were light). The journey from Midian back to Egypt is dense with engagement from/with Hashem.

Something I reflect on here. How often do we flee a tough situation to get some respite, and how fast does that flee from toxicity or danger happen? Then while healing, we are called to go back and confront that toxicity- but Hashem goes with us! That’s the design. We need to confront our “Egypts” with God by our side!

In my personal journey; the past year has been my Midian. As I find healing, and start back working for The Arc Otsego, I’ve had to go back to my “Egypt” on a daily basis because my daughter goes to Headstart there. It’s been an interesting situation as I confront my past and recognize the healing (and other areas that still require healing) as i journey to “Egypt” to pick up my daughter to bring her home!

Ok. Sorry for the detour. Let’s keep going;

At the inn on the way back to Egypt, an Angel of God met Moses and wanted to kill him.

Hold up. WHAT? Why? Dude was on a mission from God; and then God sends an angel to kill him?

Well; we get an answer. Zipporah becomes the hero here; SHE recognizes the problem. Her son had not been circumcised. She takes a sharp stone and circumcised her son and threw the foreskin at Moses feet. She turned to her son and said “you are my husbands attempted killer.”

Whoa. Zipporah knew. She knew that if Moses was going to follow Hashem and lead, he had to have his ducks in a row with Hashem.

While this was happening, Hashem spoke to Aaron; “Go meet Moses in the desert.”

Aaron immediately goes and meets Moses. And they embrace. Moses tells Aaron all that happened between him and God.

In those days, the faith it took for Aaron to go was significant. I reflect; no cell phones. No way to know for sure Moses would even be in the desert. And yet he went.

So Moses and Aaron head into Egypt. The assembled the elders of the children of Israel and Aaron spoke all the words God spoke to Moses and performed the signs before the people.

The people believed. They bowed and prostrated themselves on the ground.

What an amazing portion! So much to digest and process!!! What are your thoughts!