Moshe died on the seventh day of Adar, which usually occurs during the week when Tetzaveh is read in Shul. Since his death took place during this week, his name is not mentioned once in the entire Parsha. The Magen Avraham says that even when its a leap year, the people who fast on the seventh of Adar (the day Moshe died) should fast in the first Adar because there are opinions that the year Moshe died was a leap year and that he died in the first Adar.
What are other reasons Moshe's name is not written in this weeks Parsha?
Parshas Tetzaveh is the only sedra from Moshe's birth until his death without Moshe's name in it [apart from chumash devarim, of course, when Moshe is talking.] The Ba'al HaTurim says it is because Moshe asked to be erased from the sefer Torah ('mecheini na misifrecha'), and HaShem granted his request for parshas tetzaveh. But why parshas tetzaveh especially?
ReplyDeleteR' Ovadia Yosef says that Moshe hinted 'Misefrecha' (=from sefer 20) and the 20th sedra is tetzaveh. But still, why did Moshe select tetzaveh for his name not to feature? Because Moshe was offered to be the kohen gadol, but he turned it down so that his brother Aharan would be the kohen gadol. And since the sedra is about the kohen gadol and his clothes, Moshe wanted his name not to be mentioned so that he would 'not steal the limelight from his brother Aharon' whatsoever. When we see others succeeding we have a tendency to say 'i could have been there' or 'he only did it because of me.' Let's learn from Moshe and be happy for others to have the glory and keep quiet.
Moshes name is missing from this weeks parsha because it is a fulfillment of his words in a later parsha. "This people has sinned greatly, and have made gods of gold. However, please tolerate their error, and if not, remove me from Your book which You have written." (shemot) Hashem listened to moshe and removed his name because he was meeting moshes demands and forgiving the nation.
ReplyDeleteAccording to Rabbi Sacks, the lack of mention of Moshe's name in this week's Parsha indicates Moshe's humility. He states that Moshe took a step back in order to let his older brother, Aharon, share the spotlight by being fully recognized as the Kohen Gadol. He adds that Moshe and Aharon were checks and balances on each other and their separation of power allowed them to accomplish this. Through Moshe's request to step back and let Aharon have the spotlight, he showed Bnei Yisroel his humility.
ReplyDeleteAccording to the Pri Tzaddik. lies in the theme of the parsha. The parsha starts off with the mitzvah of lighting the menorah. The lighting of the menorah in the Temple alluded to the special light that is part of the Jewish soul that is given from Above, and which is revealed through the Oral Law. The ability to instill this in the hearts of the Jewish people was given over to Aharon and his fellow kohanim, by way of the lighting of the menorah.
ReplyDeleteThis is why the Incense-Offering is also found in this week's parsha as well. After all, does it not better fit into last week's parsha, which included the commandment to construct the mishkan for this offering? However, according to the Pri Tzaddik, since the Incense-Offering included one spice that was fowl spelling (from which we learn that a fast day must also include the sinners of Israel), it also alludes to Aharon's ability to turn "evil" into good.
Hence, Parashas Tetzaveh is really about the kohanims' ability to draw the people in the direction of holiness, which is really a function of their own holiness. This is also why Aharon HaKohen had the ability to resolve arguments on all levels, and make peace among the Jews no matter what.
On the other hand, we learn from Parashas V'Eschanan that Moshe did not have the same influence on the nation. They fought around him and with him, and helped to keep him out of Eretz Canaan when they angered him to the point that he hit the rock instead of speaking to it to bring water. We tend to argue with wise men, but not so often with holy men.
This is why Moshe's name is not mentioned in this week's parsha. The name of a person comes from his soul; a Hebrew name is more than a word, more than mere convention to locate a person in time and space. It's an expression of the person's inner self (even when the person doing the naming isn't aware of this, since Hashem is). A Hebrew name is meant to reflect back to the spiritual "root" of a person, which is why it can often reflect his character traits.
Me'or Einayim points out that Tetzaveh is (nearly) always read immediately before or after the seventh of Adar, which is Moshe's (birthday and) yahrtzeit. So his name is missing from this parshah specifically, in mourning for our loss.
ReplyDeleteA midrash says that when Moshe was praying for Hashem to forgive Bnei Yisrael for Cheit haAgel, he promised that he will be erased from this parsha if Hashem did not forgive them. A tzadik's words must always happen (even if the condition was not fulfilled), and his name was erased.
ReplyDeleteChazal say that this was a fullfilment of Moshe's request to be "wiped out from the book that you wrote," which he said when he was begging for forgiveness for the Chet Haegel. Rav Ovadia Yosef asks, why specifically was Moshe's request fulfilled in this parsha? He answers that Moshe says erase me from "sifrecha" which could be translated as "book 20," and parshat tetzaveh is the 20th book.
ReplyDeleteAriella Rand
ReplyDeleteOn Chabbad.org it says that some say it is because of what Moshe said during חטא העגל. Moshe said Hashem should forgive bnei Israel or he should erase him from the Torah. And even though Hashem did forgive bnei Israel, he still erased Moshe's name to show that the words of a tzadik such as Moshe are powerful and eternal.
In the Sefer Panayach Raza it is mentioned that Moshe was originally supposed to be the Kohain Gadol. He lost his privilege of having this position because of what he said to Hashem at the burning bush. He spoke saying: שְׁלַח-נָא בְּיַד-תִּשְׁלָח (send, I pray You, by the hand of him whom You will send) parshat Tetzaveh discusses the priestly garments and such so therefore, Moshes name is not mentioned in this weeks parsha.
ReplyDeleteHarav zev laufer-
ReplyDeleteNow, if you would, please forgive their sin. If not, You can blot me out from the book that you have written. (Shemos 32:32)
Moshe's name is never mentioned explicitily in Tetzaveh rather, he is simply referred to only As "you". After חטא העגל, Hashem was furious and wanted to annihilate בני ישראל. Yet, Moshe begged Hashem to forgive בני ישראל's sins and if not, to blot his name out of the Torah. Hashem forgave בני ישראל; however, still Moshe's words were fulfilled and his name was erased from one sedrah in the Torah, paehat tetzaveh
R' Ovadia Yosef says that Moshe hinted 'Misefrecha' (= from sefer 20) and the 20th sedra is tetzaveh. But still, why did Moshe select tetzaveh for his name not to feature? Because Moshe was offered to be the kohen gadol, but he turned it down so that his brother Aharan would be the kohen gadol. And since the sedra is about the kohen gadol and his clothes, Moshe wanted his name not to be mentioned so that he would 'not steal the limelight from his brother Aharon' whatsoever. When we see others succeeding we have a tendency to say 'i could have been there' or 'he only did it because of me.' Let's learn from Moshe and be happy for others to have the glory and keep quiet
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ReplyDeleteThere is a very famous statement of the Baal HaTurim in this week's parsha. The Baal HaTurim notes that this is the only Parsha in the Torah after the birth of Moshe that does not mention his name. He attributes this to Moshe's offer "Erase me from your book that you have written" when he was pleading on behalf of the Jewish people after the chaitah eigel.
ReplyDeleteWhen a wise man proclaims a curse -- even a conditional curse -- the curse is destined to be fulfilled. This is the fulfillment of Moshe's self-curse. Ironically, every year the reading of this parsha falls out during the week of the Yahrtzeit [anniversary of the birth/death] of Moshe.
R' Ovadia Yosef said that since Aharon was the Kohen Gadol and this is the parsha which discusses his clothing, Moshe requested not to be written in so as not to steal the spotlight from Aharon. We learn from here and from Moshe that we should be happy with what other people are given.
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