Last week’s Torah portion reflections: Parsha Tzav

Last week’s Torah portion reflections…Parsha Tzav (“command”) which aligns with a very special Shabbat, Shabbat Hagadol which just passed. So many details in this parsha on how to set up the sanctuary, how to be a priest, and how to make offerings. On this Shabbat we commemorated when the first born Egyptians rose up against their parents to demand they release the Jews from slavery as word of oncoming plagues spread, if Hashem saw that Egyptians denied the Jews our freedom. I loved this idea Chana Mushka shared—the plagues brought a shattering of the status quo, and through shattering, divine sparks are freed from the darkness and scattered, allowing them to rejoin the divine energy in the world 🤍

Diving deeper into some Tanya related to last week’s Torah portion, we visualized the relation between the divine soul and the animal soul inside each of us. Both are important—like a candle’s flame can only reach high (the reaching for the divine) while attached to a healthy wick (the animal body). Our purpose as humans is to elevate the everyday mundane—our bodies, our work, relationships, homes, habits, weekly flow—in the small portion of the world that is ours, which will have ripple effects globally. We elevate the mundane by remembering that within us is a Gdly spark, and it is up to us if we will infuse our actions with it every day ✨

Three mitzvot of Passover~ shmura matzoh (“guarded”) is round to signify 1 side, as in one Hashem. It is made with love and prayers, guarded from any agents that could cause rising, from when the grains are still in the field. Shmurah matzoh at the first Seder is edible faith, while during the second Seder it’s edible healing. May this Passover bring us together in remembrance, faith, and family love 🫶