#4 Tetzaveh- Moshe missing II

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?

#3 Tetzaveh- Moshe Rabeinu Missing?

In this weeks Parsha, Parsha Tetzaveh, Moshe's name is not mentioned. It says in Perek 27 Pasuk 20 

And you shall command the children of Israel, and they shall take to you pure olive oil, crushed for lighting, to kindle the lamps continually.

כוְאַתָּה תְּצַוֶּה | אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְיִקְחוּ אֵלֶיךָ שֶׁמֶן זַיִת זָךְ כָּתִית לַמָּאוֹר לְהַעֲלֹת נֵר תָּמִיד:

This is the only Parsha since Moshe was born in which him name does not appear (except for one Parsha that is spoken by Moshe). Why is this? The Baal Haturim says that in Chait Hagegal Moshe told Hashem "If You do not [forgive them,] erase me from the book that You have written" (Exodus 32:31). Although Moshe might not have meant what he said, the words do come with consequences and therefore Moshe's name was left out of the Parsha. 

#2 Tetzaveh- Ephod?

In Pasuk Daled it says, אֵלֶּה הַבְּגָדִים אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשׂוּ חשֶׁן וְאֵפוֹד וּמְעִיל וּכְתֹנֶת תַּשְׁבֵּץ מִצְנֶפֶת וְאַבְנֵט וְעָשׂוּ בִגְדֵי קֹדֶשׁ לְאַהֲרֹן אָחִיךָ וּלְבָנָיו לְכַהֲנוֹ לִי:

What is an ephod?

Rashi explains that there is no tradition regarding what the ephod is but suggests that Ephod was something that the Cohen girded on his back and was about the width of a man's back. However, there is no clear, sure answer as to what it looked like. 

What other possibilities are there for the Ephod looked like? What could it symbolize? 

#1 Tetzaveh-Choshen?

In pasuk tet vav it says:

וְעָשִׂיתָ חשֶׁן מִשְׁפָּט מַעֲשֵׂה חשֵׁב כְּמַעֲשֵׂה אֵפֹד תַּעֲשֶׂנּוּ זָהָב תְּכֵלֶת וְאַרְגָּמָן וְתוֹלַעַת שָׁנִי וְשֵׁשׁ מָשְׁזָר תַּעֲשֶׂה אֹתוֹ:

"You shall make a choshen of judgment, the work of a master weaver. You shall make it like the work of the ephod; of gold, blue, purple, and crimson wool, and twisted fine linen shall you make it."

Why is the Choshen called the "Choshen of Judgement"?

Rashi gives two answers:

1) It attoned for mistaken decisions made by the courts of judgement.

2) It itself provided clear rulings for the nation- different stones would light up on the choshen and if they were read in the correct way it would give the Kohen clear answers.

What are other reasons the choshen is called the Choshen of Judgement? Are there any other unique aspects of the choshen?  

Teruma #4- why these donations?

In פרק כח, פסוק ב-ג it says Everyman should take a portion of his gold,silver and copper and turquoise wool and purple wool and scarlet wool and goats hair and other stuff. And to give as much as their hearts motivate  them.
Why are these things needed? These items seem to be random is there anything significant about them?
Rashi says the copper and gold and everything was required for the work of the Mishkan or the outfits for the כהנים

Teruma #3- One Mishkan

In this week’s Parsha Hashem commands Bnei Yisroel to build the Mishkan.

Why does the Torah tell us that the Mishkan is to be “one”?

 The Ibn Ezra states that just as the Shulchan needs every section in order to be complete, so too Hashem’s world needs every component in order to be complete. All of Hashem’s creations that were listed in Breishit contribute to the makeup of the world. Each creation is significant in its own way. Without each creation the world would not be complete.

What are other reasons that the Torah tells us that the mishkan must be “one”?  What are other meanings of this commandment?Why is this significant?

Teruma #2- who should build?

Parshat Terumah goes into extensive detail of the construction of the Mishkan. The parsha covers many components of the parsha, one of which is the Aron Hakodesh, otherwise known as the Holy Ark.

In this Parsha, Hashem's commandment to Moshe to build the Aron differs from his command to design the other components of the Mishkan. For the other parts of the holy Mishkan, Hashem commanded Moshe, "You should build...", which take note, is singular. Then when Hashem commands the Aron to be built, He says, "They should build the Aron", which is plural!

Why did the command change? Why this difference?!   

The Midrash Rabbah on Shemot explains that when Hashem commanded, "They should build the Aron", it was a specific commandment from Hashem that every single Jew had to personally contribute to the building of the Aron( so that they could all merit the Torah), unlike the rest of the components of the Mishkan.