Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 9 Sivan, 5784
Parsha Naso – “Lift”: (Numbers 4:21 – 7:89)
Seventh Portion: Numbers 7:84 – 7:89

Shabbat Shalom!!!  Today we finish up the final portion of Parsha Naso – we are “lifting” up from the direction of the Torah.  Let’s dig in:

84This was the dedication offering of the altar presented by the chieftains on the day it was anointed; there were twelve silver bowls, twelve silver basins and twelve gold spoons.

85The weight of each silver bowl was one hundred and thirty [shekels], and that of each basin was seventy [shekels]; all the silver of the vessels weighed in total two thousand four hundred [shekels] according to the holy shekel.

86Twelve gold spoons filled with incense; each spoon weighing ten [silver shekels] according to the holy shekel; all the gold spoons totaled one hundred and twenty shekels.

87The total of the cattle for the burnt offerings was twelve bulls, twelve rams, and twelve lambs in their first year with their meal offerings. And [there were] twelve young he goats for sin offerings.

88The total of cattle for the peace offerings was twenty four oxen, sixty rams, sixty he goats, and sixty lambs in their first year. This was the dedication offering for the altar, after it was anointed.

So even though the offerings were brought one tribe at a time – they were collected and offered all together.  We have the balance and harmony of the individual and the collective. This is how we “lift” ourselves up – being on our own AND being a part of a collective. So often it feels like we have to choose one or the other. We can be both/and.

89When Moses would come into the Tent of Meeting to speak with Him, he would hear the voice speaking to him from the two cherubim above the covering which was over the Ark of Testimony, and He spoke to him.

What better way to hear this, then hearing Hashem speak from two. The Cherubim on the Ark spoke to Moses. It wasn’t one – it was both. There is a duality – and it’s the harmony of the duality that is rich.

May our shabbat be full of this deep and rich duality.  May we find peace on our own, and in community.

These are my thoughts – what are yours?

Here is my commentary from two years ago:

Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 14 Sivan, 5783

Shabbat Shalom!  AND. It’s the Full Moon tonight!!!

My thoughts as we close the Parsha Naso, is centered around the idea of being both an individual and part of community.  As I have been walking down this road of Torah study, I continue to be put in touch with the idea the Torah is a story of Spiritual Liberation and Freedom.  Which seems so counter intuitive from what I was raised believing about the Torah – that it was restrictive. It is oppressive.

I was having a conversation with someone about the idea of multidimensionality.  Because our Neshama exists within us – there is a part of Hashem in us.  My Neshama and your Neshama are connected.  There is no “me” there is no “you” there is only “us.”  AND. At the SAME TIME there is a “me” and “you” having vastly different experiences in our bodies – we are separated by the physical.

And. we have a consciousness.  I can choose. I have power. I have sovereignty on where to focus my consciousness.  I have learned all about this in my meditation practice.

As an example – I can focus my consciousness on writing these Torah thoughts. Or I can stop and focus my consciousness on my coffee cup. Or my phone. Or feeling my feet touch the floor.  But it is quite the challenge to do all of those at the same time.  I can move like waves between them – but to focus my full consciousness on all of that at the same time?  I can’t do it.  Maybe you can, and I just need to keep practicing.

So this is where our true power lies. Where we focus on consciousness.  Now the question is – what is this?  Is my consciousness my Neshama? Is it my body? Is it something else?

I don’t have great answers – just the questions.  And. As I focus my consciousness – I will confess – I also hear things within my consciousness that are NOT my consciousness.  What is THAT?  Are those my consciousness becoming aware of others’ consciousness? Are those parts of my SUB Conscious?  Ouch.  This is making my head hurt. Lol.

Ok.  So – we have our individuality.  But what about the idea of a COLLECTIVE consciousness.  Is our consciousness impacted by another?  When my consciousness gets puts in touch with another’s’ consciousness, do our collective consciousness have an impact?

As an example – if I am walking with someone – and they become conscious of a pretty flower growing out of the sidewalk, and they share that with my consciousness – I can choose to participate in that moment and focus on that flower and now our collective consciousness is in sync with one another.

So to bring this back to the Torah portion – it would seem as if Hashem is telling us in this portion – which means “lift” and is the LONG portion we first read after Shavuot (the giving of the Torah) we are to lift our consciousness out of a one dimensional way of thinking (Ego centered) and into a multidimensional way of thinking (Conscious/Subconscious centered).

What are your thoughts?

Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 12 Sivan, 5782

Shabbat Shalom! So excited to share thoughts from today’s portion!

This Parsha closes with the total dedication offering; and it’s interesting- that although each tribe brought their offering each day, the portion today starts out with; “This was the total dedication-offering of the altar from the leaders, on the day it was anointed.”

What this tells me is that although the leaders were bringing their offerings each day, it was this final day that they were all anointed together.

I think I reflect on how unique we are; we are different. And yet there is a collective to us that when we work together speaks to unity. That’s what I am sitting with.

And all of this- from the beginning of the portion and talking about adultery, to the Nazarite vow, to the Blessing of Aaron; to the closing of the portion of unity – we have an amazing picture of peace.

And the parsha closes with confirming for us; Moses heard God inside the tabernacle the way He heard God on Mount Sinai. This wasn’t some “smaller” connection between Moses and God. It was the same connection as was on the mountain!

What are your thoughts?

As always; on Shabbat – Haftorah portion comments follow:

Todays Haftorah is from Judges 13:2-25

The Haftorah recounts the birth of Samson. It is the pieces of the puzzle that led up to Samson being born.

The Haftorah starts out by telling us Samson’s dad (Manoah) had a wife who was barren.

An angel appeared to Samson’s mom, promising her she will bear a son. The angel tells her to take the nazarite vow (which we learned about in this week’s portion) and to make sure the son does too, because the child will have a permanent nazarite vow.

When she went to her husband – there were a lot of questions that were unanswered. So she went back and prayed to God to ask him to send the angel back for more guidance.

The angel appeared to Samson’s mom who was alone in a field. But instead of engaging – she ran to get her husband.

Basically, the husband asked the angel to confirm what his wife said. The angel said “listen to your wife.”

How good is it for us to heed that advice!!!

The husband asked the angel to stay and they would prepare a goat for the angel.

That seemed very hospitable – but the angel needed to clarify, because he wasn’t going to eat a meal; he could feed the goat. And I’d they were preparing the goat as an offering – it was for God and not the angel.

The Haftorah says the husband did not know it was an angel; because the goat was intended to be a meal.

The husband asked for the angels name because they wanted to honor the angel; the angel said it was a secret.

The husband and wife prepared the goat as an offering to God; the angel helped by producing fire from the rock; and as the flame rose, the angel went up into the flame; and the husband and wife fell on their faces to the ground.

This is the landscape upon Samson being born.

We often hear the story of Samson as children – and it’s all about cutting hair. This explains why that was so critical. Samson was designed for a purpose – to take the vow of a Nazarite. That’s where his power came from.

It’s interesting how this was all built into Samson’s life!

What are your thoughts?