Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 8 Adar 1, 5784
Parsha Terumah: (Exodus 25:1 – 27:19)
Seventh Portion: Exodus 27:9 – 27:19

Shabbat Shalom! We are finishing up Parsha Terumah (Contribution) – and setting up our tabernacles. How are we connecting and contributing to the world within ourselves as opposed to distracting ourselves with what is external? How often are we numbing ourselves so we don’t do the work within to create pure sacredness?

Let’s dig in:

9And you shall make the courtyard of the Mishkan on the southern side [there shall be] hangings for the courtyard of twisted fine linen, one hundred cubits long on one side.

10And its pillars [shall be] twenty and their sockets twenty of copper; the hooks of the pillars and their bands [shall be of] silver.

We’ve set up the Holy of Holies; we set up the roof and the walls.  But now we are working on the internal courtyards. The spaces within.

We are starting here, after the altar -the space where we connect with Hashem. We have a courtyard to the south.  I think about this idea of “space” and how after we connect with Hashem, we need this space to digest what we are navigating.

Thinking about the exodus – and leaving slavery for the wilderness.  What can we contribute?  Space.  This idea of creating space, holding space, maintaining space for someone else’s heart (or even our own) is pretty significant. We see the space created to the south. Let’s see where we go from here:

11And so for the northern end in the length hangings one hundred [cubits] long, its pillars twenty, and their sockets twenty of copper; the hooks of the pillars and their bands of silver.

12The width of the courtyard on the western side, hangings fifty cubits, their pillars ten and their sockets ten.

13The width of the courtyard on the eastern side, fifty cubits.

14The hangings on the shoulder [shall be] fifteen cubits, their pillars three and their sockets three.

15And on the second shoulder [there shall be] fifteen hangings, their pillars three and their sockets three.

We see this courtyard to the south be created very intentionally – the space set up in exact dimensions with exact materials.  And we see three walls constructed with “shoulders” meaning this was not likely a perfect square space.

16And at the gate of the courtyard shall be a screen of twenty cubits, [made] of blue, purple, and crimson wool, and twisted fine linen, the work of an embroiderer; their pillars four and their sockets four.

We see the “gate” of space being created from a beautiful tapestry – with the “work of an embroiderer.”

What I love about this idea? If you look at the definition of embroidery? It says Embroidery “is the art of decorating fabric.”  The gate of the courtyard in the tabernacle – the space created? It a work of art.

I think when we think about relationships – and this idea of ‘holding space” there is a desire to find a formula to figure it out; a problem to solve.  In reality, the idea of holding space; both for ourselves and others? It requires creativity – a work of art. There is an artform to holding space.  And this is the doorway to freedom!

We see here there is an “exactness” to the space we are creating AND the way into the space is art.  I love this juxtaposition.  And we close with this exactness.  So it’s almost like an “art sandwich.”

17All the pillars around the courtyard [shall have] silver bands, silver hooks, and copper sockets.

18The length of the courtyard [shall be] one hundred cubits and the width fifty by fifty [cubits]. The height [of the hangings] shall be five cubits of twisted fine linen, and their sockets [shall be of] copper.

19All the implements of the Mishkan for all its labor, and all its pegs and all the pegs of the courtyard [shall be] copper.

Those are my thoughts.  How about yours?

Here are my thoughts from the past two years:

Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 4 Adar, 5783

Wow. The message of “feeling our feelings” is vital as we build our internal tabernacle. How often are we just allowing ourselves these feelings?

Instead I find myself trying to figure out the cause of the feeling in hopes of making the feeling stop….or even continue (in the case of joy, pleasure, love, etc).

We overthink feelings. We seek to place blame and responsibility on other for our feelings.

As set up our tabernacle- can we allow the feelings to come like the weather? Let the storm pass through and enjoy the thunder and lighting? Recognize the chill of wind is there for a reason?

That is what is so difficult. “I feel angry” or “I feel unsafe” and I won’t stop until someone ELSE takes responsibility for these feelings in me. I won’t heal unless I get closure.

Instead to feel the anger, the sadness, the loneliness and own it. That it is ours. Because if we can learn to do THIS? Imagine how it would feel to own joy, contentment, happiness, pleasure, etc.

Our tabernacles are the place our feelings dwell. Let’s build health tabernacles for the sake of healing ourselves; and in turn, healing the world.

Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 4 Adar I, 5782

Shabbat Shalom! As we wrap up the tabernacle this week, I wanted to share something “beyond Torah” (nothing is really beyond Torah- this is reinforcing Torah I believe) that I have been learning.

This morning I read this from Mark Nepo’s “Book of Awakening:”

“Often we find it easier to think our way around things rather than to feel our way through them: What can we do to pull ourselves out of a bad mood? What can we buy, remove, or repair that will reduce or solve a loved one’s anger or sadness?

In retrospect, I realize I have spent many hours problem solving emotional facts I just needed to feel. I know now that my frequent labors to understand what went wrong, while somewhat useful, often were distractions from feeling the sadness and disappointment necessary to heal and move on.”

How do we navigate sadness and disappointment in our lives without distracting ourselves from those legitimate feelings, AND at the same time not go to the place of pity? Someone I was discussing this with suggested gratitude. We need to allow ourselves to feel sadness and disappointment without rushing to get away from them or figuring out how to “fix” them- but instead be grateful they are there. Something I learned this morning that I am working to place in the tabernacle of my body.

Ok: let’s get to today’s portion;

We move from inside the tabernacle to Hashem’s instructions for the courtyard around the tabernacle.

My first thought here is how do we surround ourselves? What do we put in the courtyards of our spheres of life? Are these things in line with the tabernacle of our hearts? Or do they distract us from focusing there?

The instructions are pretty clear; set up curtains to the south and north that are 20 cubits long; then to the east and west curtains that are 50 cubits long. On the Easter side there is an entrance of 20 cubits.

My takeaway here is setting up boundaries for ourselves.

And that’s it for this weeks Parsha! Pretty short but vitally deep. How is the tabernacle of your soul set up? Add your thoughts below.