Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 9 Adar 1, 5784
Parsha Teztzavveh: (Exodus 27:20 – 30:10)
First Portion: Exodus 27:20 – 28:12

It’s a new week, with a new Parsha! This week, we are preparing for the full moon that is arriving on Shabbat. We will have the fullness of light shone on our rest. As we celebrate Mazal in the month of Adar (of which we get a double portion) – we will want to dig into our rest.

This week we are studying Tetzavveh which means “you should command.” These are the first word of the parsha.  The next is children.  “You should command the children (of Israel).”

As we have set up our tabernacle, today’s portion provides us insight into the tools we have at our disposal to navigate our role as royalty. Let’s dig in:

20And you shall command the children of Israel, and they shall take to you pure olive oil, crushed for lighting, to kindle the lamps continually.

The purpose of us “commanding” the children -of leading – is to maintain the light continually. Our identity is to be royalty. And. Maintain the light of those we lead in our kingdoms (our areas of influence – whether at work, at home with our children, or with those we meet each day).

21In the Tent of Meeting, outside the dividing curtain that is in front of the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall set it up before the Lord from evening to morning; [it shall be] an everlasting statute for their generations, from the children of Israel.

We are called – forever – to keep the fire lit with our love.  “They shall take to you pure olive oil.” We are the olive oil.  Hashem in us. Our Neshama.  We are the nurturing Olive oil.  And – it is because we have survived “the crushing.”

Most of us reading this have experienced this crushing. We have experienced “soul crushing” moments in our lives – and we have navigated them.  And we became resilient. We became oil. Pure essence poured out.

We have the opportunity to rebuild the tabernacle of our hearts with the oil of the crushing experiences in our lives to light the way for others. To be that holy light that draws others to their lit souls.

This is the main thought this week. How will we “transmute” and “transform” these soul crushing experiences into oil that will keep our flame lit forever. And. Light our children’s flames. Because as they experience soul crushing experiences – we are called to remind them – although their soul feels crushed – it is purely because there is meant to be fragrant oil produced from the process. So they are light to those around THEM.

Let’s keep going:

28:1And 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.

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.

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.

This is the key line (for me) as the Torah lays out the alter:

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

We have, at our command – pots to remove the ashes of the altar.  As we experience within us – and those around us – the burning up of the soul crushing experiences – to transform them into pure oil to keep our light on fire? The ashes produced? They need to be removed. We need to let them go. Release them.

We have shovels to move the ash to the pots. The shovels can also be used to move wood to make the fire hotter (or cooler) to make sure the fire burns consistently.

We have sprinkling basins – which hold the blood – for us to sprinkle on the altar of those who have been wounded. To take the blood that was sacrificed in the soul crushing experience and make that experience holy.

Finally, we have flesh hooks and scoops – to hold our flesh that has been scarred from these soul crushing experiences – to bear witness to, and continue the idea that these soul crushing experiences provide oil for the fire to be continued to burn.

Those are my thoughts.  What are yours?

Here are my thoughts from the past two years:

Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 5 Adar, 5783

Good morning! It’s a new week and a new Parsha!

As I reflect on this passage, I’m becoming more aware of a deeper idea being shown to us in the Torah. It’s around pacing.

This morning in “The Book of Awakening” Mark Nepo talked about the concept of pacing. Slowing down enough to experience life as opposed to getting to the “next thing.”

This is what he writes:

“It seems we run our lives like trains, speeding along a track laid down by others, going so fast that what we pass blurs on by. Then we say we’ve been there, done that. The truth is that blurring by something is not the same as experiencing it.”

I see the Torah slowing us down here in our journey to freedom. It’s slow. Methodical. Hashem is wanting us to experience EVERY moment of this process. To the details presented to us. As much of a struggle as it is to look at these details, it can be a GREAT reminder to look at the details in our lives.

As I go on walks, I’ve learned to slow down. And I turn my consciousness towards the trees along my path. I pay attention.

I have a good friend who is a really incredible model of this. They notice small things I miss when they go on walks. We never really understand how much of life passes beyond our consciousness. How much reality we miss as we hyper focus on our own.

Slow down. Appreciate the beauty. Of each and every moment. That’s what I am taking away today!

What are your thoughts?

Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 5 Adar I, 5782

A new Parsha! This week we are studying Tetzavveh which means “you should command.” Now that the tabernacle is built, we will explore the items created to work with the tabernacle and those who engage with the tabernacle.

One of the interesting things about this Parsha is that Moses name isn’t mentioned.

It starts out with “and you should command the children of Israel…”

Hashem is telling us to bring the olives to make olive oil for the candelabrum in the temple. This is also where God commands the candelabrum stay burning for eternity.

God is obviously speaking to Moses without mentioning his name, because the next line says “you should draw Aaron your brother close to you.” Hashem is telling Moses about the priesthood. Aaron’s sons are to be the priests for the Children of Israel.

Next we learn that holy garments should be made for Aaron. Hashem describes them:

1. A breastplate
2. An apron
3. A robe
4. A checkered tunic
5. A turban
6. A sash

Now, we start with the apron and Hashem describes it:

The apron is to be made of gold thread. It will have two shoulder straps. The apron has a belt as well.

Hashem says to take two shoham stones and list the names of the tribes of Israel. They will go on the shoulder straps.

Again, the detail of which Hashem provides us information is incredible here. This was important.

My takeaway from this is how crucial the priests were to the community.

What about you? What are your thoughts?