Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 4 Tamuz, 5783
Rebellion.
Fear.
Protection.
Responsibility.
Intimacy.
Service.
Safety.
Gifts.
Holiness.
Inheritance.
These are the themes I pull from today’s portion. In order. Where are we? If this were a cycle, spiraling upwards or downwards, where are we?
This is not a rhetorical question.
For me? I am moving from safety into gifts. This morning, as I read in “The Book of Awakening” by Mark Nepo, he writes;
“Much of our anxiety and inner turmoil comes from living in a global culture whose values drive us from the essence of what matters. At the heart of this is the conflict between the outer definition of success and the inner value of peace.”
“Unfortunately, we are encouraged, even trained, to get attention when the renewing SECRET OF LIFE is to give attention.” (Emphasis mine).
The SECRET of LIFE is to GIVE attention. All of us. ALL OF US. No matter how rich financially. How poor we are. ALL OF US have attention to give.
I often get focused on what attention I am getting. Who is reaching out to me? Who is NOT? It has been x days since this person responded to me. I spend less time thinking about “How many days has it been since I gave that person any attention?”
We become a sponge for attention – but we don’t give it. For me? A lot of it has to do with feelings of safety. If I don’t feel safe, I tend to want to draw attention into me in order to feel safe.
But when I feel safe? I can turn around and give attention to others.
There are wonderful people in my life who give me attention. They reach out to me to check in on me. Ask how I am doing. I need to better do this for others.
So that is where I am. Who do I need to give attention to? And NOT just because they are giving me attention BACK.
Safety.
Gifts.
Those are my thoughts. What are yours?
My commentary from a year ago:
Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 2 Tamuz, 5782
Good morning! Let’s dig into today’s passage!
Yesterday we left off with Aaron’s staff blooming with almonds. The other leaders took their staffs back to their camps.
Today we start with God speaking to Moses:
“Put Aaron’s staff back in front of the Ark of Testimony, guarding it as a sign for rebellious people. Then their complaints against Me will end and they will not die.”
It’s interesting to me. This would seem to be an effective way to deal with rebellion. I’m not sure it will be. And maybe that’s the point. We have within each of us this innate voice pushing us to rebel. Part of our life is navigating that. What do we use as an anchor to remind us we can trust God?
I know that’s my current struggle. I don’t know the outcome of the future. Where will certain processes land? Will they be in my favor? Will they work against me? And it’s kind of scary. My heart wants to rebel and not trust the process – to take matters into my own hands; but I have to see the fruit produced from Aaron’s staff to trust God is in charge here. I can trust him; lean into the mitzvahs and leaders He has appointed, or I can try to take matters into my own hands. That’s a tough choice. It shouldn’t be. But it is.
And getting back to the Torah? Despite the circumstances – the people FREAKED out. They spoke to Moses – they were scared because they were worried about the tent of meeting and being destroyed. They were worried about getting too close to God.
God hears these concerns. And he does NOT want the people to be distant. So He has a solution:
- Moses, Aaron, their sons, and the rest of the paternal house of Kohath will protect the Jewish people by taking responsibility for sins concerning touching unauthorized parts of the Sanctuary
- Moses, Aaron and their sons will take responsibility for the sins of the Levites concerning participation in the priesthood duties by those not authorized.
Let’s stop again and remember – in Gershon, Kohath and Merari, Kohath had duties that were more spiritual in nature. It is no WONDER he rebelled and though he should be high priest. And yet those duties still needed to be performed. God addresses the spiritual needs here right away.
It is interesting that we could envision spirituality being rebellious. Today, I think we associate spirituality with peace. But there IS A rebellious nature to it as well.
Ok. Let’s get back to the Torah. God then addresses Gershon and Merari:
God tells Aaron and Moses to draw them close and join their sons and the remaining descendant of Kohath in their work.
They (Gershon and Merari) should serve as ministers to Aaron and Moses and the descendants of Kohath.
Full stop. What an interesting picture! Our bodies and emotions could minister to our souls and spirit? Yes!
God shares more responsibility the priests have, and it kind of feels very burdensome. The idea of being a priest seems kind of daunting.
And then God brings gifts!!!!!
God says to Aaron; ”I have given you My gift offerings, I have given you all the children of Israel’s holy things as a sign of greatness and to your sons as an eternal portion. Here is what you get after the fire offerings are on the alter in the holy of Holies:
- A portion of the offerings – meal, sin, guilt offerings and what they return to Hashem. The property of a deceased convert.
- The parts set aside from all the children of Israel’s wave offerings
- Terumah – which is the first portion of the best oil and the best wine which the Jewish people give to God
- The first fruit of everything that grows in the land.
- Any segregated field in Israel
- Every firstborn of the womb of any creature which is presented to God. Except, humans need to be redeemed to their father, and any ritually impure animal. Redeeming happens at one month, for five shackles.
- An exception to #6: ox, sheep, goats should not be redeemed. They get to eat the meal from those animals being holy offerings.
So, God acknowledged their life and responsibility is going to be tough, but he also said they would reap gifts and rewards from it.
As we consider our spiritual work, we have to understand the challenge with it. And. Recognize the gifts. The question is where is our focus?
What are your thoughts?
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