Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 8 Adar II, 5784
Parsha Va-Yikra’ – “And He affectionately called”: (Leviticus 1:1 – 5:26)
Second Portion: Leviticus 1:14 – 2:6

Good morning.  As we jump into the second portion of Leviticus, I wrote this a year ago, and it feels crucial:

“Something I’m chewing on is how sacrifice in a healthy (human) relationship is reciprocal. If one person is always sacrificing for the other, that isn’t healthy.

It is also unhealthy if someone Is always sacrificing in silence. Communication is crucial. The sacrificial offerings in the Torah were not private – you went to the priest. There was communication about what was being sacrificed. And Hashem’s acknowledgment reveals to us He recognizes the sacrifice.

The saying is “love others as you love yourself.” But WHAT IF it’s more challenging to love ourselves more than we love others? Wouldn’t it be also true to say “love yourself the way you love others?”

Reciprocating love is the cornerstone to healing, isn’t it?

This feels like the foundation for Leviticus.  We are reading about the sacrifices. Love involves sacrifice. What does healthy sacrifice in a relationship look like? Yesterday read about the unblemished sacrifice.  Today? We are reading about the public nature of sacrifice.

This morning I read in “The Book of Awakening” by Mark Nepo:

“Accept this gift, so I can see myself as giving.”

How often are we sacrificing from a place of self? It’s more about our own perception of wanting to be a giver instead of truly asking ourselves what does someone need? Let’s take this spirit into today’s portion of the Torah:

14And if his sacrifice to the Lord, is a burnt offering from birds, he shall bring [it] from turtle doves or from young doves.

15And the kohen shall bring it near to the altar, and nip off its head, and cause it to [go up in] smoke on the altar, and its [the bird’s] blood shall be pressed out upon the wall of the altar.

16And he shall remove its crop along with its entrails, and cast it next to the altar on the east side, to the place of the ashes.

17And he shall split it open with its wing feathers [intact], but he shall not tear it completely apart. The kohen shall then cause it to [go up in] smoke on the altar, on top of the wood which is on the fire. It is a burnt offering, a fire offering [with] a pleasing fragrance to the Lord.

This was a sacrifice – and it was a “pleasing fragrance to the Lord.”

I reflect on our sacrifices in our relationships.  At the core? A sacrifice is best when it is a pleasing fragrance to BOTH parties. When I sacrifice and the person I am sacrificing for is unaware? How can they be pleased? And if I approach the sacrifice from a place of “hey, look at me! I am sacrificing for you!” How can that be pleasing?

And I go back to – the only way someone is going to know we are sacrificing? Is if we sacrifice from a place of being unblemished.

In the example I gave yesterday – Batman and Pickle pizza – if the person who cares about me – who I KNOW isn’t a fan of Batman – came to me one day and said “hey, I read a batman comic book – I really enjoyed the character of Two face because I can see how it connects to the Archetype of those around us who say one thing but do another. I am curious to know who your favorite batman villain is!”

THAT would be a sacrifice AND it would be communicated in a way that was clear.

If they read the batman comic book but never engaged with me about it? I wouldn’t know. Let’s say over the year they read 20 batman comic books without me knowing? And one day I just got so frustrated because I felt unseen and uncared for. And I communicated that.  And they respond; “But I have been sacrificing all year reading batman comic books!”

That would be concerning. We would have a moment where I could recognize the sacrifice, but they aren’t making that sacrifice and communicating it in a way that lands.

This is the key. So. We are learning:

• Sacrifices need to be unblemished – if you like Pizza and I don’t, making you apple pie isn’t an unblemished sacrifice
• Sacrifices need to be for the motives of truly giving – if you like Pizza and I don’t know how to make pizza? And I learn to make pizza for you, but never make you a pizza? That’s a problem.
• Sacrifices need to be brought to the altar – if they are left in our tent? They do no good.

Let’s keep going

1And if a person brings a meal offering to the Lord, his offering shall be of fine flour. He shall pour oil over it and place frankincense upon it.

2And he shall bring it to Aaron’s descendants, the kohanim, and from there, he [the kohen] shall scoop out his fistful of its fine flour and its oil, in addition to all its frankincense. Then, the kohen shall cause its reminder to [go up in] smoke on the altar; [it is] a fire offering [with] a pleasing fragrance to the Lord.

3And what remains of the meal offering shall belong to Aaron and to his descendants; [it is] holy of holies from the fire offerings of the Lord.

4And if one brings a meal offering baked in an oven, it shall consist of [either] unleavened loaves [made] of fine flour mixed with oil, or unleavened wafers anointed with oil.

5And if a meal offering on a pan is your sacrifice, it shall be [made] of fine flour, mixed with oil; it shall be unleavened.

6Break it into pieces, and you shall [then] pour oil over it. It is a meal offering.

So this offering was a poor person’s offering. The Torah didn’t require poor people to sacrifice more than they had.

The takeaway here is that – we don’t need to sacrifice OURSELVES for someone else. A small sacrifice is what matters.

So let’s say I know my romantic partner loves flowers and getting flowers. And I’ve had an incredibly busy day at work. I am in a rush to get home, because I am tired. I stop for gas, and the gas station has flowers. I buy flowers. That’s romantic. That will land.  That’s what I had to give.

But let’s say I spent the entire day out and about, I drove past their favorite flower store that was an hour away, but right before going home, stopped at that same gas station, and bought those same flowers? Not so much, right?

Let’s say I had an entirely free day – and I drove outside my way to get flowers from that place that was their favorite flower store? That’s big!

The sacrifice is all about the heart. Where it comes from. That is the third takeaway.

Let’s add to our learning:

• Sacrifices need to be unblemished
• Sacrifices need to be for the motives of truly giving – they need to be communicated as such
• Sacrifices need to match our resources – we don’t need to be a martyr. And – it’s not a sacrifice if its an afterthought. There is a butter zone.

These are some amazing takeaways! What are your thoughts?

Here are my thoughts from the past two years:

Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 27 Adar, 5783

Good morning! On this Monday I read the portion for today, and I reflect on how we sacrifice for who we love and care about.

Something I’m chewing on is how sacrifice in a healthy (human) relationship is reciprocal. If one person is always sacrificing for the other, that isn’t healthy.

It is also unhealthy if someone is always sacrificing in silence. Communication is crucial. The sacrificial offerings in the Torah were not private – you went to the priest. There was communication about what was being sacrificed. And Hashem’s acknowledgment reveals to us He recognizes the sacrifice.

Think about this; if someone we care about is sacrificing a part of who they are to be around us? Wouldn’t we want to know that? Even if done with the best motives?

Now like everything – this can be taken to extremes. I’m not going to enjoy being around friends who constantly remind me of how difficult it Is to be around me. Unless I’m a complete jerk and continue acting in ways I know make it difficult for them to be around.

But I do want to know how my behavior impacts those I care about.

And given this reality within me, how likely am I to share with my friends when their behavior impacts me? Do I suffer in silence? Do I treat myself the way I would want my friends to treat me?

Which leads me to an “aha.”

The saying is “love others as you love yourself.” But WHAT IF it’s more challenging to love ourselves more than we love others? Wouldn’t it be also true to say “love yourself the way you love others?”

Reciprocating love is the cornerstone to healing, isn’t it?

What are your thoughts?

Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 4 Adar II, 5782

Today, we have more on the offerings;

– we start with bird offerings. They are to be from turtle doves; either mature ones or young ones.

Nachmanides writes:

“Because of the unique character of the turtledove and the young dove, they were chosen from all birds to be used as the bird offerings. The turtledove clings to one mate; when he loses his mate, he will not attach himself to another. This symbolizes the children of Israel, who cling to God, never attaching themselves to another God.

God also chose the young dove, which has not yet begun to mate and cherishes the nest in which it is raised, never abandoning it. This hints to the children of Israel, who will not exchange God or His Torah.”

After the bird offerings, we then learn about the unbaked meal offering:

– if a poor soul vows to bring a meal offering to God, it should be of unbaked fine wheat flour.

Rabbi Samuel Bornsteinbof Sochaczew writes;

“Regarding all the voluntary offerings, the only instance where Scripture states the word “soul” is in the case of the meal-offering.

Who usually donates a meal-offering? A poor man. God says: “I consider it as if he has sacrificed his very soul!” (rashi)

Unlike a wealthy person, who is able to give voluntary offerings in the Temple from expensive animals and birds, the poor man is only able to offer flour. Nevertheless, the Torah attributes more significance to the poor man’s offering, as Rashi writes. This is because the poor man could not possibly be proud of his meager offering, so his is the most genuine of all, dedicated to God amid feelings of humility. Of him God says, “It is as if he has sacrificed his very soul!”

This is crucial in our takeaway as we study the sacrifices. Hashem is telling us clearly that the sacrifice isn’t as crucial as the heart behind them. This isn’t to say the specific sacrifice isn’t important; it’s to say that even the poorest person (I take that materially, emotionally, and spiritually) can bring a sacrifice to God and it will be counted SIGNIFICANTLY because it was done out of poverty.

This is reinforced because the Torah (Leviticus 2:2) says “it is a fire offering so that it’s owner will be remembered positively before God, a pleasant aroma for God!”

There is another offering mentioned – and it’s a baked meal offering. And then a shallow fried offering.

Later on it will be mentioned that these offerings too are a pleasant aroma for God, but going back to the flour offering brought by a poor soul, that is mentioned right away.

So what do we have to bring as a sacrifice?

What are your thoughts?