Parshat Tetzaveh: Redirecting the Spotlight

 What do the following have in common?

·        The first seven James Bond movies (from 'Dr No' until 'Diamonds are Forever').

·        The pentalogy of Jason Bourne thrillers.

(and incidentally, did you notice how both fictional characters have the same initials – not forgetting Jack Bauer from ’24’ fame?!)

In both the early Bond and Bourne films, you associate one specific actor with each of the respective series.

In the 1960s and once more in 1983 for “Never Say Never Again’, The billboards promoted 007 by informing us that: 'Sean Connery IS James Bond'.  Poor George Lazenby probably knew that he didn't stand a chance.  He even acknowledged this with first line in 'Her Majesty's Secret Service', when he looked at the camera wistfully and said, "This never happened to the other fella!"

Did Jeremy Renner in 'The Bourne Legacy' remind us that we would rather be watching Matt Damon?  I mean no offence to Mr Renner who is a fine actor in his own right.  In his case, he was playing a fellow agent and not Bourne but, throughout the film, I wished I would have been watching Matt Damon as the titular character instead.

Looking closer to home, one would automatically assume that Moshe Rabbeinu has a constant presence in every Parsha of the Torah from Shemot onwards.  The Torah is even colloquially referred to as being 'The Five Books of Moses', presumably because, according to our Tradition, he was Gd's scribe.  Tetzave however, is the exception to the rule.

 

 

The very first verse states:

Exodus 27:20 (and you) Command the Israelites to bring you pure oil from crushed olives for light, to kindle the lamp, every night.

שמות כ״ז:כ׳ וְאַתָּ֞ה תְּצַוֶּ֣ה ׀ אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל וְיִקְח֨וּ אֵלֶ֜יךָ שֶׁ֣מֶן זַ֥יִת זָ֛ךְ כָּתִ֖ית לַמָּא֑וֹר לְהַעֲלֹ֥ת נֵ֖ר תָּמִֽיד׃

This stands out immediately because we are used to the form where we read: "Vayedaber Hashem el Moshe Laymor…” – “And Gd spoke to Moshe saying..."

Yet surprisingly, Moshe's name is not mentioned.  In fact, his name is absent from the entire Parsha.  I joked with a fellow congregant this week that I would pay him a million pounds if he could spot it!

The Tur, Rabbeinu Yaakov ben Asher (1270 – c.1340) tells us that the reason for this stems from Moshe's statement to Gd which we will read in next week's Parsha (PG):

Exodus 32:32  But now, only if you would forgive their sin - but if not, blot me out of the book you have written.

שמות ל״ב:ל״ב (לב) וְעַתָּ֖ה אִם־תִּשָּׂ֣א חַטָּאתָ֑ם וְאִם־אַ֕יִן מְחֵ֣נִי נָ֔א מִֽסִּפְרְךָ֖ אֲשֶׁ֥ר כָּתָֽבְתָּ׃

How did we arrive at this dire situation?

Let's examine the chain of events that led us here.

Moshe has ascended Mount Sinai and is being taught the Torah by Gd both orally and through being dictated its words, letter by letter.  After forty days, the people who think that he's not returning initiate the catastrophic events which lead to the episode of the Egel Hazahav, the Golden Calf.

Gd tells Moshe that his people have created a 'molten calf' and are worshipping it.  He wants to destroy the nation but Moshe pleads and prays for their survival which results in Gd 'relenting from the evil He had spoken of doing to His people.'

Moshe descends from the mountain with Joshua who has been waiting patiently for him.  He sees the ignominious spectacle and smashes the tablets.  There ensues a violent punishment for all concerned when the Levites carry out the sentence which leaves about 'three thousand men dead'.  The following morning, Moshe returns up the mountain to ask Gd to forgive the people.  He even offers himself up as a sacrifice in their stead, hence the aforementioned verse about his being 'blotted out' from the narrative.  It is the ultimate sacrifice, on his part on behalf, of the nation he has recently led out from the bondage of Egypt.

Gd's response is to tell him that he will smite the people who had been involved in the tragedy (Rashi tells us that was referring to heavenly as opposed to earthly retribution).  Hashem tells Moshe that He will not be ‘amongst the people’ when Moshe leads them on their journey to Canaan and that effectively, they are 'on their own'.  They are a 'stiff-necked' people who, in their behaviour, could lead Gd to 'consume them' if He returns to be amongst them.

We know that the next stage was Moshe's plea on the part of the Nation (once he had descended and ascended the mountain a third time) and finally we saw Gd's eventual decision to forgive the people when Moshe came down for the last time with the second set of tablets on the 10th of Tishri – the day we now call ‘Yom Kippur’.

Almost lost in these troubling events is Moshe's suggestion that his name be permanently deleted from the Torah's hard drive.  He's not even asking to be restored from the 'recycle bin'!

Moshe's standing in Gd's eyes meant that He answered him by deleting his name from just one part of 'The Book' which happens to be this week's Parsha.  It is also a case of 'you get what you ask for' from Gd.

There is a deeper meaning to Moshe's absence from this week's Parsha.  After all, the events surrounding firstly the episode of the golden calf and then the process of building the Mishkan, took place within the first year of the Exodus.  Had things gone as planned, the people would have reached the Land of Israel only a few weeks later which would have left a shorter Torah but still the opportunity to remove Moshe's name at a later date.

Why is this week's Parsha the one that was chosen to appear to be ‘Moshe’ free?

I heard a beautiful idea which is one of the many suggestions for why Tetzaveh was chosen.  Looking at its content, one sees that the common denominator for all of its constituent parts concerns Moshe's brother Aharon, the very first Cohen.  We read about the specific garments and Holy ornaments that he, as High Priest, and his descendants, as regular priests, are commanded to don.  This is then followed by a detailed description of how they will be consecrated to the service of Gd.  In fact, the entire Parsha is dedicated to the Kehuna - the priesthood, of which Aaron is the central focus.

Sometimes, a leader needs to redirect the spotlight and shine it onto someone else.  Andy Warhol famously said, “In the future, everybody will be famous for 15 minutes.”  Parshsat Tetzaveh is Aharon’s 15 minutes (or so) of fame (from the past to the present to the future).

Moshe's greatness as man lay in his extraordinary leadership skills navigating the Israelites through the moral minefield that lay ahead of them as they journeyed out of Egypt.  He could have been jealous that Aharon had been gifted the Kehuna, the Priesthood but that wasn't a trait of his personality.  Moshe, the humblest of all men, stepped aside and allowed his older brother to shine and this week’s reading is the evidence.

James Bond and Jason Bourne are fictional characters who have entranced the entertainment world with their antics.  The characters could be bigger than the actors who have played them but, as I stated originally, this doesn't seem to be the case.  The actors and all those involved in the productions realised that sometimes, only one person can play that character in a way the public responds to.  This doesn't demeanour the acting skills of the person who provides a different interpretation.  Which is perhaps why (and for a host of reasons on behalf of the respective actors) Sean Connery came back to play the hero in 'Diamonds are Forever' and Matt Damon chose to return for a final time as Bourne.  The spotlight that shone upon them was too bright to share with someone else.

Moshe could have easily taken the same point of view and no-one would have begrudged him the privilege.  When it mattered, whether it was to fight for the survival of the Israelites and/or to share the limelight with his brother, he didn't hesitate to ask of Gd what seems to us as being the ultimate request.

That is true leadership.  

Shavuah Tov.