Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 8 Tamuz, 5783

Today’s double portion continues our journey as we enter the second week of the moon cycle of Tamuz.  We reached the solstice (the day of the year with the MOST light) a few days ago – and as the days begin to get shorter and darker, we turn to the moon for our journey.

Yet, as we begin this stage, the moon reminds us to move towards the radiation of light for others. We will move this week towards a full moon – where the moon shines brightest reflecting the sun’s light.  This week is all about adding to our reflection of the sun.  We will culminate at the end of the week into the full moon!

Today’s passage is really interesting in this context.

In short, today’s portion has a few themes:

• The death of Aaron, and the transition to the next segment of the journey of the Israelites from Aaron to Eleazar as high priest.  The Torah even covers the grief process as we move from one segment of our life into a new segment.  This is a natural occurrence in our journeys.
  • What are the “Aarons” in our lives that are being gathered with other past moments that have been inspiring and enlightening to us?  Can we allow ourselves to grieve these as we begin to let go and move forward with NEW inspiration?  Eleazar is just as capable of leading us as Aaron was.  Hashem chose Eleazar (just as He will choose Joshua to lead after Moses)
• Immediately, we went to war. Entering new “segments” of our life can lead to internal battles that need to be fought.
• Hashem took care of the war for the Israelites. Instead of feeling safe, the Israelites complained. They went “backwards.” They were still scared.
  • Consider how these internal wars we have entering new segments of our lives can cause us to feel unsafe.  Like the Jews who complained and wanted to go back to Egypt because it was “comfortable” we tend to want to go where it’s comfortable.  Even if that place of comfort is TRAUMATIC.  We will choose to remain in trauma instead of growth.  This is the idea I wrote about last week – Post Traumatic Growth and Post Traumatic Resilience.
• God made it painful for them – venomous snakes.  Snakes. Why did it have to be snakes?  And these snakes kept biting them. Israelites were dying.
  • What within us needs to die? What do we need to let go of in order to feel safe and move forward? We often think death is “bad.”  Death and letting go can be a good thing.  Like a snake shedding it’s skin, what must we shed to enter a new segment of our life with fullness, freedom, and liberation?
• And. Moses prayed on their behalf, and their salvation came the way they were harmed.  They looked at the snake, and they were healed.
  • The traumas within us – that cause us to react and be triggered. Looking at these traumas? That is healing.

And that is how the first portion ended. It does seem like the Torah is showing us how to navigate our trauma and feelings of safety here.  All in the name of trusting that Hashem has our best intentions.  Things are happening FOR us.  Not TO us. The snakes biting us? They are meant to kill off those things holding us back.  Looking at the snakes, examining the trauma (with a professional therapist would be advised) is going to be the path of healing and safety.  THIS is the message of the Torah!

In the next portion, the journey continues and we see a miracle. Had the Israelites not healed and moved forward? They would never get to see the miracle in the “next segment” of their journey.

As we close today, many of us seem to be going through transitions from one segment of life to the other.  A lot of us are afraid of the next chapter. The next segment.  Looking at the snakes within that are causing the fear? That is the way to move forward and heal.  It’s not about anyone else.  It’s about the healing within.  This is why, I believe, Tikkun Olam starts within our hearts.

“Heal ourselves, Heal the world.”

I’d love your thoughts too!!!!

Here is my commentary from a year ago:

Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 8 Tamuz, 5782

As we continue to look for “light in the darkness” of Tamuz, may we find spiritual light in the Torah to guide us! Let’s dig in!

Yesterday we discussed how the Children of Israel wanted to pass through the land of their brothers; Edom. And we’re refused. Today the Torah portion starts with the children of Israel traveling from Kadesh towards the “double mountain.”

What is a double mountain? Are we talking twin peaks?

Rabbi Schneerson writes this:

“A mountain on top of a mountain, like a small apple on top of a big apple (Rashi)

One of the lessons that you can learn from the fact that the Torah was given on a mountain is that while, generally speaking, you are supposed to be meek and humble, this should nevertheless not lead you to be easily walked over? When it comes to defending matters of Torah, you ought to be proud and confident, like a mountain.

That is the case for Torah in general, which was given through Moses, but when it comes to the love and concern for the physical and spiritual needs of others–which was the trait of Aaron, you should have a double measure of determination, a “double mountain.” (End quote).

I like Rabbi Schneerson’s take on this. I’m really reflecting on the juxtaposition of Moses and Aaron.

So Aaron and Moses approach God and he speaks to them at the bottom of double mountain on the edge of Edom. He tells them Aaron is going to be “gathered” to his people.

It’s an interesting way to look at death, isn’t it?

He tells Aaron to go with Eleazar (Aaron’s son) to go up the double mountain. He tells Moses to “divest” Aaron of his priestly garments and dress Eleazar with them; then Aaron will die on the double mountain.

Moses then did what God asked. They all went up, in the presence of the entire congregation of Israel. Aaron died on the mountain- and Moses and Eleazar came down.

The entire house of Israel wept for Aaron for 39 days. Some interesting commentary here from rabbi Meir Simchah of Dvinsk:

“The entire house of Israel wept for Aaron. But for Moses, only men wept, because Moses used to rebuke the people severely. Aaron, on the other hand, never said to a man or woman, “You have acted offensively.”

When Aaron was walking in the street and met a wicked person, Aaron would greet him. The next day, when the man wanted to commit a sin, he would say, “Dear me! How will I lift up my eyes afterwards and look at my friend Aaron? I am ashamed, because he greeted me. In this way, the man would refrain from sinning.

When two people quarreled, Aaron went and sat down with one of them and said to him. “My son! Do you know what your friend is saying? His heart is in a turmoil and he is tearing his clothes saying, ‘Dear me! How can I lift up my eyes and look at my friend? I am ashamed because I have wronged him.’” Aaron would then sit with him until he had dispelled the grudge from his heart.

Then Aaron would go and sit with the other one, and say to him, “Do you know what your friend is saying? His heart is in a turmoil and he is tearing his clothes saying, ‘Dear me! How can I lift up my eyes and look at my friend? I am ashamed because I have wronged him.’” Aaron would then sit with him until he had dispelled the grudge from his heart. When the two of them would then meet, they hugged and kissed each other (Avot de-Rabbi Nathan).

By saying the ‘entire house of Israel wept for Aaron’ we can deduce that during all the years that the Israelites traveled in the desert, not even one case of manslaughter had occurred.

According to Jewish law, anyone guilty of manslaughter would have been exiled to the Levites camp: he would be allowed to return home only after the passing of the High Priest. Therefore, an accidental murderer and his family would be joyful when the High Priest died.

However, when Aaron passed away, everyone mourned; not even one family had reason to rejoice in the return of an exiled relative!” (End quote)

Interesting thoughts!

Ok. Now, the Canaanite King of Adar heard that Israel had come. He thought they would be weak. So he waged war. He was only able to take one captive from them.

Then Israel made a vow to God; deliver the people into the hands of the Israelites, and they will consecrate the plunder of their cities.

God heard Israel’s voice and delivered the Canaanites. He destroyed them and consecrated their cities.

God was faithful. Yay! Their faith must have been REALLY strong!

Noooooooope.

They retraced their steps because Edom wouldn’t let them pass. Because they were tracing their steps back, the children of those who left Egypt were triggered (defame demoralized) because they remembered how their parents were sent back to the desert for 38 years.

So what did they do? They complained!!! There was a lack of gratitude.

So what Happens next? God sent venomous snakes among the people. The snakes bit people. Many people of Israel died.

The people saw the error of their ways and went to Moses – they acknowledged their sin against Moses AND against God. They asked Moses to pray to God to remove the snakes.

Moses prayed on behalf of the people.

And this is fascinating- the way the people were dying was actually going to be used to save them.

God told Moses to “make a venomous snake” and place it on a pole. What will happen is, whoever has been bitten with look at it and live.”

And that is what happened.

So – that’s how todays portion closes.

Let’s look at some commentary on the snakes: Rabbi Solomon Kluger wrote:

“The people erroneously thought that the snakes were the cause of the many deaths. Therefore they begged Moses to pray that God “remove the snakes.”

Moses, however, knew that it was their sins, not the snakes that were responsible for all the deaths. Therefore Moses prayed on behalf of the people” that they should repent.

Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Lyndy went a little deeper:

Obviously, the copper snake was not capable of curing people, it was meant to trigger an emotional response from the people encouraging them to focus heavenward and repent, so that God would let them live (Rashi)

The reason a serpent was chosen and not some other object was to magnify the miracle.” God had so desired, the need for an object could have been avoided, and the people would have been immediately healed. By using the serpent, the miracle was made more overt, so that they would not say it was mere chance (Rabbi Joseph b. Isaac Bekhor Shor, 12th century).

If remembering God brought about the cure for the Jewish people, then why was the copper snake necessary at all? Why did Moses not simply tell them to think about God?

Even the most negative or tragic occurrence in this world has a spiritual root which is entirely good. “From heaven, no evil is issued forth” (Lamentations 3:18)-it is only that sometimes the physical world is not ready to absorb the good which comes from heaven. The resulting incompatibility presents itself as something negative.

The solution, therefore, is not to eliminate the negative thing, but to reveal its true inner essence as something good.

And this was the purpose of the copper snake, erected on a pole, which Moses made. By encouraging the Jewish people to look upwards at the snake, Moses was reminding them that, in their spiritual source above, the snakes which had bitten the Jewish people were rooted in Divine goodness. In this way, the people “reconnected” the snakes with their true source above, revealing their inner good–and that good was then also revealed below.” (end quote)

I think this is a fantastic end to chew and reflect on!

 Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 9 Tamuz, 5782

So we left off yesterday with the children of Israel complaining again and then being hurt and then healed by the snake. Today, we see Israel moving and traveling – going to Oboth.

Then they moved from Oboth to Iye-abarim in the wilderness between Moab and the land of the Amorites to the east where the sun rises.

Then they moved to the Zered Brook and camped there.

Then they travelled and camped on the other side of the Arnon Brook which is in the desert – extending from the Amorite border. The Torah tells us the Arnon Brook was the Moabite border between Moab and the Amorites.

This was a miraculous encampment according to Torah.

The Torah tells us the miracles that happened at this camp were on the same level as the Sea of Reeds that God split. This is the miracle:

(Numbers 21:15-16) The blood of the Amorites was spilling into the valleys when the mountain actually moved, crushing the Amorites and it turned to settle at Ar, leaning against the border of Moab. From there, the blood flowed to the well so the Jewish people could see the victory. That is the well that God said to Moses “Gather the people and I will give them water.”

Let’s stop here. In our journey from slavery to freedom, the first thing I pick up from today’s portion so far; we are going to do a lot of traveling – EVEN AFTER being “freed” from the bondage of slavery in Egypt. It’s a tough long process. Lots of starting. Lots of stopping. Lots of camping. Many times, it will likely be boring and uneventful. But other times? We will see miracles! And yet, we are still on the journey. We haven’t yet reached that promised land of freedom.

That’s something I’m reflecting on. Especially in this month of Tamuz; where we are being asked to see light within the darkness.

Back to the Torah;

When the Jews saw the well fill with blood, they sang a song:

O well, arise from the valley! Raise your voices in song to it!

A well dug by ministers, carved out by Moses and Aaron, nobles of the people, through the lawgiver, with their staffs, from the desert, they received the well as a gift!

From the time they received this gift, it went down with them to the streams and from the streams it went up with them to the heights!

From the heights to the valley in the field of Moab, at the top of the summit that overlooks the wastelands!

What an ending to the passage!

The miracle here is that the people saw God’s faithfulness and recognized He was with them in the lowest valleys and highest mountains of their journey.

On our journey towards freedom, do we ONLY see God in the heights? In the joy? In the deliverance? Or do we also see him in the valleys? In the sadness? In the anger? And the struggle?

Or, vice versa? Do we only see and count on God in the valleys? In our sadness? In our anger? In our struggle? Or do we ALSO see Him in the heights? In the joy? In the deliverance? In the comfort?

Sometimes we get stuck and camp in a place where it’s just restful. We move emotionally, physically, spiritually – but the camp was just a place of rest.

In other places we get stuck, we camp and see miracles? We do the work and recognize we aren’t alone! Hashem is with us when we experience the highs and lows of our wilderness; because we are no longer slaves, and yet we are also not fully liberated in the promised land!

This may be the entire point of the Torah. That may be a bold statement – but as I think about it; the Torah is all about the struggle from slavery to freedom. Our personal stories, our current experiences lead me to believe all of us are stuck. We aren’t quite slaves, but neither are we liberated. We may be slaves to the idea of

Hubris and ego; to a system grounded in trying to convince us we are actually free. But we aren’t liberated. Not yet.

What are your thoughts?