Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 7 Adar 1, 5784
Parsha Terumah: (Exodus 25:1 – 27:19)
Sixth Portion: Exodus 27:1 – 27:8

Good morning! We have another short passage as we engage with Parsha Terumah – which means “contribution.”

For the past two years regarding this portion, I’ve written about the dichotomy of strength and tenderness. I have been on a journey to discover what this looks like within. I can see my writing where I was in 5782, then in 5783, and now today.

I cannot say enough the critical nature of this journey within. We believe we have to choose. Tenderness OR strength.  We can be both as the same time. Let’s dig in:

1And you shall make the altar of acacia wood, five cubits long and five cubits wide; the altar shall be square, and its height [shall be] three cubits.

2And you shall make its horns on its four corners; its horns shall be from it, and you shall overlay it with copper.

3And you shall make its pots to remove its ashes, and its shovels and its sprinkling basins and its flesh hooks and its scoops; you shall make all its implements of copper.

4And you shall make for it a copper grating of netting work, and you shall make on the netting four copper rings on its four ends.

5And you shall place it beneath the ledge of the altar from below, and the net shall [extend downward] until the middle of the altar.

6And you shall make poles for the altar, poles of acacia wood, and you shall overlay them with copper.

7And its poles shall be inserted into the rings, and the poles shall be on both sides of the altar when it is carried.

8You shall make it hollow, out of boards; as He showed you on the mountain, so shall they do.

Today we are building the altar.  We’ve looked at the tabernacle. We first built the table and stand for the challah. Then we looked at the menorah.  Now we have been creating these boundaries around the spirit within us. And the altar today is meant to be our connecting place with Hashem. And it is designed to be both strong AND tender.

How are we living in our strength today? How are we living in tenderness? These are the questions to consider!

Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 3 Adar, 5783

Today’s “feels” connect to this idea of strength and tenderness I’ve been chewing on. Working on bringing strength and tenderness into harmony relates a lot to today’s portion. I think there are times I have been strong without being tender. And that is consuming. I think there are times I’ve been tender without being strong. That is also consuming.

You see, being tender without strength? It sucks energy from others. We don’t believe we are strong so we have nothing to give. That consumes.

When we are strong and not tender, we cannot receive others emotional energy- we block it like a shield. And that is draining too.

Both of those are consuming fires.

But to be strong AND tender? That’s not consuming at all.

It is rare to meet someone who has internal harmony to the point they are both strong and tender. My desire is to work on my balance. To be strong. To be tender.

This is the internal world I’m creating.

Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for Adar I 3, 5782

Ok. We are continuing our journey of building the tabernacle. We have the ark, table, and candelabrum built. We built the roof and pillars, we built the sides, we added the curtain for the holy of Holies to place the ark in and to put the table and candelabrum outside of.

Today’s portion covers the altar.

Good tells Moses to build the alter of acacia wood. It is to be square. There are protrusions from each of the corners. It should be coated with copper.

Now. The midrash tells us that Moses was a little concerned with the design. This fire which is supposed to burn day and night will inevitably burn through the copper and burn the wood. God’s response was that this was no ordinary flame: it is a burning flame, but it does not consume.

Let’s stop here for a moment. This week we’ve looked at how the tabernacle seems to represent/is symbolic of our souls and bodies. What can we learn from a flame that does not consume?

I think about my relationships with other people. Some of what I have been recently learning is how past trauma impacts how I engage and build relationships with others. Am I a fire that consumes? Or am I a fire that burns but does not consume? I am sometimes afraid of asking for help because I’m afraid of consuming my friends with my needs. I don’t want to consume and burn up the friendship. But I realize this isn’t reality. Asking friends to determine and dictate my reality without the willingness to take a risk and do that for myself? That’s consuming. Asking for help in tough times? That’s not.

And; do I support others? Do I allow others their own realities and just provide light? Or do I consume their realities and try to bring them into my own reality? That’s consuming.

This has been something I’ve been reflecting on a lot lately; how we engage one another, how we build connections, relationships. Do we consume those around us? Do we build up?

The portion ends with the building of copper tools; pots, shovels, basins, flesh hooks, and fire pans. All to remove ashes, and place sacrifices on the altar.

The final instructions are to make poles for the altar, covered in copper. The altar is to be hollow; made from panels.

Interesting description. Tomorrow we learn about the courtyard; and how things were to be laid out.

Engineers out there? Does this kind of stuff excite you at all? You have blueprints here. It’s really technical. It engages my math brain (I have a BA in Math and Communication) and really drives me to picture this all in my head. What about you?

What are your thoughts?