Parashat Tetzaveh
By Julie Beck | School Counselor, Director of Advising
This Week’s D’var Torah as delivered by Ms. Beck at Hakhel on March 3:
This week’s Parsha is Tetzaveh which is a deep dive into the garments worn by the High Priests as they serve in the sanctuary. The Parsha describes the instructions G-d imparted to Moses about the specificities of the 8 garments to be worn- the tunic, breeches, headgear, sash, cloak, apron, breast plate and crown worn by the High Priest in the tabernacle, the holiest sanctuary; it describes in depth exactly what materials, colors and threads are required, how gemstones, bells and beads of pomegranates are to be incorporated and exactly how each garment is worn in relation to the others. This guidance is detailed, intricate, and elaborate, which seems appropriate given that the priests wearing this garb have a profoundly important role. Parsha Tetzaveh offers guidance on how to tend to what is most sacred.
When Rabbi Brick offered me this week’s D’Var Torah, I was thrilled. Not because I wanted to expound to you all the complex instructions of the priestly garments, which have been truly fascinating to learn about and imagine, but because I immediately saw a connection between the imperatives of this week’s Parsha and those of self care that I teach about in Health and Wellness Class and talk to so many students about in my office. The High Priests need to tend to their dress, their outer presentation, in order to fully honor, serve, and maintain the sanctuary. Similarly, we need to tend to ourselves, to take care of ourselves, in order to honor, serve, and maintain our own inner sanctuary, our spirit, our soul, our neshama.
Imagine that you need to protect, preserve and pay respect to the holiness that is inside you, that is you. You are your own high priest caring for your inner tabernacle. How do you do this? How do you honor your personal sanctuary? Aaron and the Kohanim were given 8 specific guidelines of how to adorn themselves to tend to the Mishkan. Similarly, I’d love to offer us all 8 self-care guidelines on how we can honor and value the sanctuary of ourselves.
- Adorn yourself in sleep. Teenagers need about 8.5-9.5 hours of sleep each night to maximize physical and mental wellness. Sleep enhances our learning, our memory, our moods, our immune systems, our creativity, our flexibility, our judgement, our insight and our ability to cope with the challenges and triumphs of life. Sleep is rejuvenating, repairing, restorative, and replenishing. We all need and deserve it and it is essential to make time for it.
- Eat well and stay hydrated. Bring a variety of fresh fruits, vegetables, grains, proteins, and dairy, or nondairy alternatives, into your diet. Fortify yourself with micro and macro nutrients. Carry a water bottle and drink water throughout the day. Staying nourished and hydrated not only strengthens your body but your mind as well.
- Infuse yourself with endorphins. Endorphins are hormones in our bodies that act as natural pain killers and imbue us with a sense of well-being. We can get endorphins from all different forms of exercise, whether playing a team sport, going on a brisk walk, rock climbing, swimming, working out at the gym, or even dancing around your room to your favorite music. We can also get endorphins from creating art of all kinds, meditating, spending time with loved ones, and even laughing.
- Garb yourself in gratitude: Expressing gratitude has scientifically been proven to reduce stress, minimize anxiety and boost happiness. Focusing on gratitude will not take away the hardships we encounter but it can make us stronger to deal with the challenges we face, and sometimes even lessen our pain. I highly recommend exploring a gratitude practice in your life, whether you keep a journal by your bed and list 2 or three things you are grateful for every night before you go to sleep,p or first thing when you wake up or a gratitude list in your notes app that you add to regularly. Even consider expressing gratitude to someone you are thankful for. Whether you are grateful for huge things like the air we breathe or something smaller, like a favorite pillow, I encourage you to cultivate gratitude in your life on a regular basis.
- Awash yourself in awe. Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley defines Awe as “that feeling we get in the presence of something vast that challenges our understanding of the world.” Perhaps you feel awe under a star filled sky at night, in the presence of thousands of years old redwood trees, at live music concerts or in deep prayer- however you find it, awe, like gratitude, is linked to greater physical and mental health, can spark greater curiosity, creativity and critical thought and can reduce feelings of stress, anxiety and depression. I highly encourage you to imagine how you may curate more experiences of awe in your life.
- Be gentle with yourself: Try to remember that no one is perfect, it is normal and ok to struggle and that everyone has insecurities. It can be challenging to be a person, and sometimes we may spend time focusing on what we think is wrong with ourselves, and forget to recognize or acknowledge the many wonderful qualities that each of us absolutely has. You matter. Your thoughts, feelings, ideas, interests, hopes, dreams, questions, concerns and experiences matter. It is ok to love yourself, it is ok to be unsure of yourself, it is ok to be yourself. Try to take a moment now and then, to intentionally cultivate a little extra positive regard, warmth, care, and love for yourself. A little hug for your neshama, if you will. You deserve it. And, in addition to being compassionate to yourself, spreading that care and empathy to others may help you, and those around you, feel an even stronger sense of wellness.
- Ask for help when you need it. Imagine people in your life who make you smile, who you enjoy being with. Spend time with them. Maybe just being with friends and loved ones doing what you enjoy together is just what you need to tend to your wellness. Maybe you need more intentional support from your friends or from adults in your life, whether it is someone out of school or a teacher, an advisor, a coach, a dean, me, the school counselor, here at JCHS. Please know that It is ok to ask for help, at the little times and in the more intense ones; in fact, doing so is itself a sign that you are already in the process of taking care of yourself.
- Remember your breath. Your breath is always here with you, whether you pay attention to it or not. When you do pay attention to your breath, when you notice your inhales and exhales and even intentionally, mindfully practice breathing exercises, you can calm your central nervous system, which can reduce anxiety and stress, and help us feel stronger and more able to take care of ourselves in productive ways.
Parsha Tetzaveh delves deeply into the garb and adornments needed so that the High Priests can care for what is most sacred. Similarly, these self-care practices I’ve shared are ones we can adorn ourselves with so we can care for what is most sacred in ourselves. I wish you all ongoing peace and strength as you tend to your inner sanctuaries. In a moment, we’ll all be dismissed to lunch, I hope this is a nourishing experience for you and perhaps you can even cultivate endorphins, gratitude and awe in your day. Before we all part, let’s take two deep breaths together as a community to calm our nervous systems and help strengthen ourselves for whatever lies ahead.
