A Word From The Rabbi
Dear Friend,
During most years, the seventh of Adar - the day of Moshe Rabbeinu's demise - occurs in close proximity to the reading of Tetzaveh. Our Sages note that there is an allusion to Moshe's demise in Tetzaveh, in that this is the only Torah portion (from the time of Moshe's birth until the Book of Devarim), in which he is not mentioned by name.
This must be understood. Only Moshe's name is not mentioned in this portion; there are, however, a multitude of passages that relate to him, beginning with the first verse of the portion: "And you [i.e., Moshe] shall command...."
How, then, can we say that Moshe's demise is alluded to in a portion that does not mention his name?
A person's name has little to do with his essence - a name is needed only so that other people can call on him; a person as he exists for himself needs no name.
The pronoun "you," however, relates to the essence of a person - when one turns to another and says "you," one is referring to the entire individual.
So, too, with regard to Moshe. The name "Moshe" was given to him quite some time after his birth; until then he had gotten by quite well without that name. Moreover, the name Moshe was not even given to him by his parents, but by Pharaoh's daughter - "For I drew him - mashe - from the water."
Herein lies the allusion to Moshe's demise. At the time of his passing, Moshe ascended to a level far loftier than that which is capable of being encompassed by a mere name. Thus, at the time of his demise, Moshe is not referred to by name.
Nevertheless, Moshe continued to lead with his entire essence, even up to the moment of passing, and ever more so after his demise.
Moshe is therefore indeed to be found in the portion Tetzaveh, and moreover, he is addressed there in a manner that relates to his essence - "you," for his demise caused his essence to permeate all worlds to an even greater degree than when he was alive.
Wishing you a successful week,
Rabbi Yudy Shemtov
Senior Rabbi/Executive Director