Beaten But Unbowed (1957)

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Special Assignments (1967)

Our Sidra of this morning manifests certain stylistic peculiarities which are deserving of our attention. Surprisingly, the name of Moses is not once mentioned in this Sidra. Instead, three times in succession God addresses Moses using the pronoun v’attah, “and thou,” as if to emphasize some special assignment given to Moses by God. Thus we read, v’attah tetzaveh, “and thou shalt command” the Children of Israel to bring olive oil for the Menorah; v’attah hakrev, “and thou shalt draw near” Aaron and his children to dedicate them to the priesthood; and v’attah tedaber, “and thou shalt speak” to all skilled artisans to prepare the vestments of priests and the furnishings of the Temple. The Zohar too recognized the unusual construction of this passage, and attributed to the repetition of the pronoun v’attah great mystical significance, a raza ilaah, a supernal mystery whereby Moses was able to commune more directly with the Shechinah. In other words, the Zohar acknowledges, in mystical idiom, that we are here confronted by a special assignment given to Moses.What Divine secrets is the Torah trying to reveal to us? Let us analyze each of these cases briefly and see what the Torah says to us today – openly, not esoterically.Let us begin with the last case: v’attah tedaber el kol hakhmei lev, “and thou shalt speak to all the wise-hearted” to use their skills in the prescribed manner in order to prepare the vestments and the Temple furnishings. Actually, a modern reader encountering this passage for the first time might well be astounded. For our Sidra, to be truthful, probably appears to the eyes of the unacquainted with Judaism as little more than a manual for carpenters, weavers, and tailors. Such a person might justifiably ask: What business is it of Moses to instruct the artisans and artists in their work? What business, indeed, is it of religion to deal at all with art and crafts? Let Moses commission the artists, sublet the contract, and not interfere in the creativ…

Tetzaveh

The Education of a Leader (1976)

It is well known that the Sidra of Tetzaveh is unusual in that it is the only one in the whole Book of Exodus in which the name of Moses is not mentioned. What is less well known, but equally intriguing, is the succession of the second person singular pronoun, אתה (“you”), which occurs at the beginning of the reading this morning. Three times within the first five verses, God addresses Moses with the word אתה, “and you.” Thus, ואתה תצוה, and you shall command the Children of Israel that they bring you olive oil; ואתה הקרב, and you shall bring Aaron and his children the priests close to the service of the Lord; ואתה תדבר, and you shall speak to all the wise-hearted that they make the vestments of the priests. The problem was already raised by some of the early commentators, such as Ramban and Seforno. The Zohar too was aware of the strange repetition of this word, and it maintained that the word represents רזא עלאה, a supernal mystery.How can we understand it, even without plumbing its mythic depths?My suggestion is that all three come to teach Moses, in one way or another, the lesson of patience, tolerance, and forbearance.I begin with what I consider a startling hypothesis – at least when I discovered it, it startled and amazed me: Moses did not like the Jews!I do not mean that he was lacking in אהבת ישראל, the love of Israel, although he most certainly must have been accused of this by his enemies, critics, and detractors. Of course he loved Israel – more so than anyone who ever lived. Remember that Moses was the only human being in history to whom God made the offer that on his behalf He would abandon the Children of Israel, and raise up a new people from his, Moses’ loins, and that this people would be the Chosen People, descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob – and Moses. But Moses refused. He gave up this stunning opportunity. Not only that, but his refusal bespoke his feeling of injury of his people, when he turned to God and said: Forgive this people, ואם …

Tetzaveh