Exodus - Cycle One - 2720-3010 - Tetzavah

Tetzavah shows us how to be in the pre‐kiss moment, the continual pre‐kiss moment with God. Continual? In real life, it feels like glimpses, stops and starts. So, how do we make the glimpse eternal?

Well, in Tetzavah we are commanded to do just that. We are commanded to love. Imagine. You are at a waterfall. Each pine needle glows like an ancient gem, jade, amber, violet. You feel the gold sun draping your body, the drops from trees on shoulders and chest. You shiver. There are a million levels of warmth. It’s good you have gold here, the mist rising from rocks like eternal flames, the liquid muscle and guts of the water as it rolls and spins down the creek. It’s good that the splendid part of you is first, that you can remember spirits in the hills, those who may have blessed this place a century ago. You turn and hear the charms around your neck, touch mud to forehead, feel it between the eyes as if it’s a stone engraved with…kadosh l’adonai.

And even though you are lit and your lips are wet‐red, you’re aware of a greater light, one being presented so it does not hurt. You do this often. You let your heart bring in more of the God who always comes near. You don’t forget that this is a unique and sacred process, a place of trust, of rendez‐vous, a rapprochement, the eternal encounter, the lovers’ corner, where partners meet even once the meeting is finished.

You begin to cry as even more tones of waterfall‐music fall into your hands. With these hands you can now mold one flame, one exquisite floating sound. The sun is behind the clouds. Oh, you think. The golden robe on your back is from beyond the sun. You laugh with gratitude. That’s when you see your lover best friend walking towards you on the path from the home you share above. He’s coming near. He’s lit up too, beautiful.

You walk to him. You can feel his hands on your shoulder, solid hands. You look into his eyes. It’s all real, you think, all to share. You know you are about to kiss and you smile. In Tetzavah as well we are about to kiss. Love, we realize, is about the continual approaching of light to light. We turn our radiance up a notch to come near God. And God finds ways to come near us. But it takes attention to detail, mindfulness.

The parasha begins with the idea of clear illuminating oil made from hand crushed olives. So we get it all at the start, the lifting of our luminosity, our part in the work, the approaching, the gateway in the flame.

Then, we bring up our energy more by focusing on the parts of ourselves that are the most illuminated. We create gold clothing. This will (hopefully) keep out scraps of darkness. The breast plate is not to be loosened from the ephod: Our shell has to be self contained. We create a gold forehead‐plate with the words kadosh adonai. This brings focus and strength to the projected energy. We inscribe the names of the sons of Israel on gems on our shoulders and breastplates. This reminds us of our ancestry and causes us to embrace, unify and arm ourselves with all levels of light. The words Urim and Thumim awaken us to the power in merging levels. It pushes beyond even our bodies, through the darkness, to the edge where God can meet us. What I find interesting is that clearly this edge is also that of another sphere. God, as well, is always preparing to meet with us.

How does God prepare? Well, by telling us what to do. That’s big. But I think even the glow we come near is not the divine radiance. It is instead the result of growth towards us. So, given that even our raised luminosity is dim to God, we want to create openings to offer a common point, to welcome the divine.

We want to open our hearts. We want to expose them to one heart, one gateway. In 28‐3 the wise‐hearted is in the singular. This (according to the Zohar) refers to the Shechinah. God can see our many openings through her. Next, God needs our other sacred attributes to be visible, audible and sensed. We want to expose the sefirot in us as our head fits through the ephod, the music in us with bells on our robe, the ephemeral in us with frankinsence. The offerings and the blood on our ears, hands and feet allow God to further feel our sensitivity and physicality. They also serve to warn God. We are on our way. We are close. Now, God can be safe and let the radiant presence be known.

In all, God says…(I) will make my presence felt among the Israelites….that they will realize that I, God your Lord, brought them out of Egypt to make My presence felt among them. I am God
your Lord. If this isn’t a message of love, I don’t know what is.

So, may we respect the details that revolve around love, that enable our rendez vous with each other and God. May we place our most holy self in the forefront. May we enrobe ourselves with enough light to keep the darkness out. May we do what is necessary to become within reach. May our open hearts, minds and souls lead us through the gateway towards the Shechinah. And even if others are in the dark, may we hold their hands and love them even more. May we eternally be in the moment of pre‐kiss.