The Anonymous Moses

This week’s Torah reading of Tezaveh is the only weekly section since the birth of Moses not to mention his name. An entire portion of Torah, describing the building of the Tabernacle, and the name of Moses does not appear! One explanation is that this weekly portion always coincides with the date of Moses’ death. (This date in the Hebrew calendar is the 7th day of Adar.) I would like to suggest another explanation.

The Tabernacle was the forerunner of the Temple in Jerusalem. It was a sign of the closeness between G-d and His people. The spokesperson for the Tabernacle was clearly Moses. He had to give its accounting, make its appeal, charge its supervisors, etc. When something is so bound up with the personality of one person, a fear becomes prevalent. What will happen to the Tabernacle after Moses dies? Can the Tabernacle retain its sacred quality after Moses departs the scene? In order to re-assure the Jewish people, the Torah omits the name of Moses during this week’s reading. The message seems to be that no one is indispensible. The Jewish people, and its institutions, are greater than any one person.

Parents are essential in the growth of children. However, at some point, the wise parent knows it is time to let go. A child needs to be prepared to think for themselves, act on their own, etc. The effective parent knows when to step aside and when to allow the child to become independent and self-assured. Moses knew that the sacred quality of the Tabernacle would continue after he was gone. So too with parents and children.

As parents we need to teach our children the ethics and morality of Judaism. We take our precious legacy, pass it on to our children and then we “let go”. This is how Jewish existence will be guaranteed and kept ever vibrant. We are all links in the chain that is Judaism; no more and no less.