B"H
Wednesday, Adar1 8, 5782 / February 9, 2022
Most of this week’s Parsha Tetzaveh, is about the special garments which the High Priest (Kohen Gadol) and the regular priest (Kohen) were required to wear for their services in the Holy Temple.
Q. What is unique about this week’s Parsha, Tetzaveh?
A. Moshe’s name doesn’t appear in this week’s Parsha. In the first book of the Torah, Breishis (Genesis) he wasn’t born yet, so his name doesn’t appear yet. But in the beginning of the book of Exodus (Shmot), we learn about his birth, and his name appears in every Parsha of the books of Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers, except for this week’s Parsha, Tetzaveh.
Q. Why doesn’t Moshe’s name appear in Parshat Tetzaveh?
A. After the Giving of the Torah, when the Jewish people sinned worshipping the Golden Calf, G-d wanted to destroy them. Moshe pleaded for his nation. He told G-d, “If you do not forgive Your people then erase mefrom the Book which You have written(Torah).”
Although G-d accepted Moshe’s request and forgave the people for their sin, however, because Moshe said, “Erase me from the Torah,” his name was “erased” from this week’s Parsha, Tetzaveh.
Q. Why, of all the Torah portions, was this Parsha chosen to have Moshe’s name removed?
A. Parshat Tetzaveh, each year, falls very close to the seventh day in the month of Adar, the day of Moshe’s passing. Thus, this Parsha was chosen also as a hint to the day of Moshe’s passing.
Another reason why Parshat Tetzaveh was chosen to have Moshe’s name omitted: Originally, G-d intended that Moshe and his children will be the Kohanim (priests) to perform the service in The Temple. But, as we read in Parshat Shmot, Moshe, for an entire week, refused G-d’s request to go speak to Pharaoh to let the Jewish people out of Egypt. He was too humble to accept the role of leadership. G-d was not happy and sent Aaron to help Moshe with the mission.
As a result, G-d took away the priesthood from Moshe and gave it to his brother, Aaron, and his children. It would have been very painful for Moshe, who wrote the Torah, to have his name mentioned in this Parsha which deals with the priestly garments and sacrifices, which have been taken away from him. Thus, G-d omitted Moshe’s name in this Parsha.
Lesson: The fact that Moshe’s name was omitted in this Parsha, out of sensitivity to Moshe, teaches us how sensitive one must be to another person’s feelings.
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY