Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 4 Av, 5783

Shabbat Shalom! Today we finish the Parsha of Devarim – my thoughts are going to be brief because later today, I am planning on posting an additional Torah Thoughts from a guest commentator – who is having her Bat Mitzvah today! If you look at the Haftorah portion – it’s centered around teenagers – so a bat mitzvah commentary sounds PERFECT!

Quick thoughts on today’s Torah portion to close out Devarim.

Victory. Doubt.

Victory. Doubt.

Doubt. Victory.

Doubt. Victory.

These are two words. The order of these words in which our brain processes them? Makes a difference.

Being on the cusp of Victory and having doubts? That’s going to happen.  It happened to the Israelites. Hashem and Moses knew it was going to happen.  And they planned for it.  And how did they deal with it? Reminding them of the victories that have come before. They turn our attention to the victories. That is the solution.

Victory. Doubt. Victory.

Victory. Doubt. Victory.

To close, there is a new song that has been playing on repeat for me.  It’s called “You Say” by Lauren Daigle.  Here are the words:

Imagine this song playing out within us.  This isn’t some external God saying these things.  These are voices within us telling us:

• We are loved
• We are strong
• We are held
• We belong

But we doubt those voices.

But there is victory. If we choose to – we can remember.

• When we were loved – and moments when we loved ourselves
• When we were strong – and moments we overcame trauma and hardship
• When we were held – because we remember moments we held ourselves
• When we belonged – because we chose placed and moments that belonged TO US.

These are my thoughts.  I am curious about yours!

Here is my commentary from a year ago:

Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 9 Av, 5782

Shabbat Shalom!!!!!

It’s time. Today is Tisha B’Av. One of the darkest spiritual days in the Jewish calendar. And yet. Today? We are given a day of reprieve because it is Shabbat. It is a day of rest. If you can, soak in as much light today – which will help charge you for the time starting at sundown in which we fast and reflect on our spiritual life and mourn the destruction of the temples. But Tisha B’Av is also a day of hope.

It is the day Messiah is supposed to be born. That may be a literal messiah. It may be a personal inspiration that leads you to liberation out of your own personal slavery. It may be a new age birthed. We don’t really know. But we can keep our eyes open in the darkness and reflect joy and light.

Tomorrow I will not be studying Torah as is the tradition on Tisha B’Av. I will share a thought or two on the moment. This will be intentional and honor the space of the day.

If you feel compelled, fast with me. I am beginning my fast at sundown tonight. There is also traditions around fasting with personal care- not taking a shower, not wearing make up, not wearing leather. I encourage you to put something you are learning into practice; even if it’s fasting from sweets. Choose something small you think you can handle.

Ok let’s dig into todays portion!

It’s a short one today. We are finishing out the division of land outside of the promised land. Gad and Reuben are given their inheritance.

Moses then turns to those tribes and tells them – those of you who are going to fight the battle should go ahead of your brothers. He tells them you are the mightiest tribe. He tells them their wives, young children and cattle (which there are a ton of) may live in the land, and they may not return to the land until their brothers are settled in the promised land.

He then commanded Joshua; since he will be leading the battle and tells him:

“Your eyes have seen all that God, your God, has done to these two kings. God will do likewise to all the kingdoms through which you will pass.”

He turns back to the tribes of Rueben and Gad and says:

“Do not fear them, for it is God, your God, who is fighting for you.”

My thoughts and takeaway are around the idea that they are all on the eve of victory. God knows they will be victorious. Moses believes they will be victorious. And still. They know doubts will come.

How often are we assured of victory, and yet we doubt? We doubt whether Hashem will come through for us. And yet each time He does.

Just remember the victories that have come, which have brought us to this moment. As we enter this day of darkness, and the rest today before we enter in; whatever we face tonight and tomorrow? The victory is ours. The light is assured. We can trust that. Believe that. Rest in that.

Shabbat Shalom.

As always on Shabbat, Haftorah thoughts will be posted in the comments below a little later.

Haftorah thoughts:

Todays Haftorah is the third of three “Haftarot of Punishment” which are read between 17 Tamuz and 9 Av.

This is taken from the opening of the book of Isaiah 1:1-27

Once again we are put in touch with the sinfulness of the Jewish people and the consequences they suffered.

The passage starts with telling us this is the prophetic vision of Isaiah – and it is about the Jews and Jerusalem.

Isaiah tells us; these are not my words, but the very words of God.

And this first line is pretty tough to hear;

“I have reared and raised My children above all the nations, and they have rebelled against Me! Even an ox recognizes its owner and a donkey its master’s trough, but Israel does not want to know Me! My people whom I have helped do not try to understand what is good for them!”

Think about this. Isaiah is telling us God is a father who has reared and raised His children above all other children. They have rebelled against their father.

And what did they do? They’ve said they want nothing to do with their father. “Israel does not want to know me.”

Doesn’t that sound like a teenager? Just sayin. This is a normal process, and God is lamenting this. As parents of teenagers, Hashem understands our pain and struggle in navigating teens.

“My people who I have helped do not try to understand what is good for them.”

Yeah. Teenagers. Israel was basically acting like teenagers.

Let’s keep going:

“Oh you sinful nation! A people who were once holy and are now heavy with sin! Holy offspring who became wicked! Corrupt children! They have abandoned God, disgraced the Holy One of Israel, and separated themselves from Him! Why do you allow yourselves to commit the same sins repeatedly, continuing to turn astray and be stricken again and again? From being stricken so many times every head is heavy and every heart is pained. From the sole of the foot to the head nothing is sound-only wounds, bruises, and open sores, untreated, unbandaged, not softened with oil, yet you continue to sin, and incur yet more lashes.”

Yup. Teenagers. I wonder how Hashem will handle this?

“If the God if Hosts had not left us a small remnant in His kindness, we would be destroyed like Sodom and like Gomorrah!”

Hashem does not give up on His teenagers. Neither should we!!!

And Isaiah tells the teenagers (maybe the parents?):

Listen. “Hear God’s word, you who resemble the nobles of Sodom! Listen to the teachings of your God, you who resemble the people of Gomorrah!”

Even though we’ve gone astray, we can still turn to Hashem and listen to His teachings. This is a God of mercy and grace that we serve!

And what should we hear?

I’m paraphrasing here.

Knock it off with your insincere confessions.

How many parents have heard our kids apologize insincerely? How many of us have offered insincere apologizes and confessions?

Hashem hates insincere confessions. As parents when our kids apologize and we know they don’t mean it? Hashem understands our frustration.

God tells us what he desires.

“Cleanse and purify yourselves by repenting. Remove your evil deeds from My sight, and refrain from doing evil. Learn to do good, seek justice, and support the oppressed. Demand justice for the orphan and plead the cause of the widow!”

“Come, now, and let us clarify who has offended whom,” says God. “If your sins are like scarlet thread and you return to Me, they will become white like snow. If they are as red as crimson, they will become like wool.”

“If you desire to listen, you will eat the best of the land, But if you refuse and rebel, you will be eaten by the sword.” for God has spoken.

How does Hashem handle teenagers? He waits for them. He is ready for them. When they are ready to do good, He will be ready to bless them.

Let me be clear. There are kids and teenagers out there who have parents who are acting like petulant teenagers. I mean as parents we can always stumble into being petulant teenagers, can’t we? None of us are innocent.

Isaiah tells us that Justice is important. God will take care of the wicked. But there is always hope. The end of the Haftorah gives us hope.

“I will restore your judges to be righteous as they were at first, and your advisers as they were in the beginning. Afterwards you will be called ‘city of righteousness-faithful city.”

The city of Zion will be redeemed through the observance of law, and those who return there will come due to their acts of righteousness.”

There is always hope. As parents of teenagers, we can rest in knowing the creator of the universe understands what we are going through!