Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 7 Tishri, 5785
Parsha Ve-Zo’T Ha-Berakhah – “This is the blessing”: (Deuteronomy 33:1 – 34:12)
Fourth portion: Deuteronomy 33:18 – 33:21

Good morning! Today we are three days from Yom Kippur. These are the moments of reflection that will spill out into our 5785. Where are we spending our energy?

For me the theme of being present is bubbling up to the surface. We can get very focused on the future – whether things will work out for us – in our family, in our career, in our friendships, in our romantic partnerships. We often see the future as something we need to scrutinize every decision we make in a moment.  One wrong decision destroys the possibility of the future we’ve locked onto.

What if? Each moment allows us the freedom to just be and decide what feels best for us in that moment? And instead of attaching that to a future, we just trust the future versions of ourselves to handle their moments when they arrive?

One question that has helped me (from my therapist) is “what decisions need to be made in this particular moment?”  We often think about “big” decisions – when in reality, those decisions don’t need to be made in the next 30 seconds. We may want to make them now, so that it’s not “hanging over” us, but then we are choosing the comfort of “knowing” with the process of “being” in a moment. Because most decisions we make? Aren’t about choosing where we are going. The decisions we make are more around closing the door on a direction we are not willing or wanting to go. Or? Remain in.

Just because we connect with someone, doesn’t mean we will be lifelong friends.  I can decide today that someone is going to be my “best friend” and I can label them as my “best friend.”  The truth though? I have not been a good predictor of who my best friends have been and will be. Because I have always been surprised when things get tough – who shows up for me? Who checks in with me? Those have been the people I feel most connected with. The ones who take the time to know the depths of my life story. The ones who are showing “for me” and not because of their guilt or obligation.

And? It inspires me to want to show up for others. To see them. To listen and hold space.

This is the hard work. This is the ease. And this is the theme going into today’s portion. Let’s dig in!

18And to Zebulun he said: “Rejoice, Zebulun, in your departure, and Issachar, in your tents.

19They will call peoples to the mountain; there, they will offer up righteous sacrifices. For they will be nourished by the abundance of the seas, and by the treasures hidden in the sand.”

Zebulun and Issachar are going to call people to them. They are nourished by abundance coming from the flow of the sea. The treasures dug out from the sand.

20And of Gad he said: “Blessed is He Who grants expanse to Gad; he dwells like a lion, tearing the arm [of his prey, together] with the head.

21He saw the first portion for himself, because there, the portion of the lawgiver is hidden. And he came at the head of the people; he did what is righteous for the Lord, and what is lawful with Israel.”

For Gad? He expands his territory. Hashem allows that to happen. Gad did what was righteous for the Lord, and maintained the boundaries with Israel.

So this is beautiful as we head into Yom Kippur.

• Where do we see our abundance? What is the sea that brings it to us? What is the sand we are digging into – in order to find it?
• Why would our world expand? What are we living that we should receive MORE from the universe? Are we aware and conscious of the beliefs in a given moment that drive our actions and behaviors? Do we know why we do what we do?

These are good questions for us to dig into.

What are your thoughts?

Here are my thoughts from the past two years:

Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 12 Tishri, 5784

Today’s portion is all about balance.  Ease and work.

There is blessing in things coming easy for us.  And there is blessing in things being challenging.

I grew up believing if you work hard, good things will come.  Things aren’t “supposed” to be easy. Living a life of ease was somehow connected to laziness.  I’m reflecting on this.

I know people who believe life is supposed to be easy – and those who work hard are “uneducated” because they were not able to develop a strategy to work “smarter” not “harder.”

In both of these philosophies, there is judgment.  And today’s portion seems to be addressing both.

If our lives are easy? Complacency is likely to set in.  Working is called for to get out of complacency.  Because maybe things are physically easy, but we need to be challenged emotionally and spiritually – and to do so we need to push ourselves physically.

If our lives are hard?  Being overwhelmed and feeling helpless may set in.  Self-care and ease are maybe what is called for. Taking rest (Hashem did create Shabbat, after all) and finding a way for some ease may be what is called for.

But we should meet each other where we are at.

Balance. Harmony. This is freedom.  This is expansion.

Where are we as we begin 5784?

Going back to Yom Kippur; we had an interesting discussion about the fast.

Someone shared how the fast was easier for them because for most of their year, they focused on the external – their jobs, etc.  Yom Kippur was the one day a year they had set aside for self-reflection.  It was a day all about “doing the work” spiritually and emotionally.  For them – the fast was in the background, because it was one more thing taken out of their lives to distract from doing the work.  Yom Kippur’s fast was easy – but it was meaningful because they did the emotional and spiritual work.

There were those of us who connected with ourselves and did emotional and spiritual work most of the days of the year.  Me? I journal daily. I meditate. I reflect.  The fast was EXTREMELY difficult for me. And multiple times I wanted to give up on it. For me the physical difficulties of the day were salient to me – and making it through the fast was extremely rewarding.

These are both sides of the same coin. Balance. Harmony. Ease. Work.

What are your thoughts?

Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for Tishri 17, 5783

Good morning! Today is the third day of Sukkot; and the beginning of the “middle” of Sukkot (Chol Hamoed) here is some Info on the days:

https://www.chabad.org/…/1000452/jewish/Chol-Hamoed.htm

Let’s dig into the portion!

We are blessing each of the tribes, and today’s tribes are Zebulun, Issachar and Gad.

Moses tells Zebulun to succeed when they go out to work, and Issachar to succeed in their tents of Torah where they will establish the calendar.

Their work was important and would help the Jewish people in their freedom know when to come to Jerusalem to make a sacrifice.

Moses says that Zebulun (and Issachar) will be nourished by the abundance of the seas and by valuable things hidden in the sand.

To Gad, Moses says “Blessed is He who grants an expanding territory to Gad who lives like a Lion.” Remember – Gad took territory outside the promised land, but planned to be first to fight when they were crossing over the Jordan. He went first despite already having his inheritance. He could have taken the easy way out; but didn’t. The blessing for this was to bless them with more land!

What do we take away today? I see the diversity of the Jewish people. There are those of us at ease going out for work. Traveling, maybe going to an office. Into the field. There are those who are at ease at home, studying torah, creating things (like a calendar). And Moses seems to be saying “ease is good.”

And, at the same time, resting in ease also can make us complacent. Gad could have lived a life of ease. They risked their easy life by going to battle for their family; for what Hashem asked them to do.

Both ease and risk are blessed. I wonder if when we are struggling with difficulty, we need to be blessed with ease. And if we have ease in our life, we need to be blessed (and bless others) with action!

So. What do you need? Are things difficult? Maybe rest and take it easy. Care for yourself.

Is life easy? Maybe challenge yourself; do a mitzvah for your family? There are lots of opportunities to bless and fight for your family.

Maybe this is the takeaway today?

What are your thoughts?