The 7th of Adar is the anniversary of the passing of
Moses at age 120, in the year 2488 from creation (1273 BCE).
This year, as most, the 7th of Adar, coincides with the reading of the Torah
portion of Tetzaveh (Exodus 27:20-30:10) in the annual Torah reading cycle. The
Commentaries note that the passing of Moses is alluded to in Tetzaveh by the
fact that it is the first reading since the Torah's account of Moses' birth in which
his name is not mentioned outright. Instead, Moses is referenced indirectly, as in the very first verse of
the reading, "And you will command the Children of Israel…"
One of the purported perks of living a
life of righteousness is that your name and deeds live on long after you are
gone. What kind of message is the Torah sending in marking the passing of Moses
by scratching his name from the record?
In Judaism, death is seen as breathing new life into the
tzaddik, or fully righteous individual.
During the lifetime of the tzaddik, only a fraction of
his or her vast spiritual identity may manifest itself in our material world. The
spiritual style of the tzaddik is further cramped in this world by the
confinement of his soul to a physical body. In death, however, the soul of the
tzaddik is stripped of the strictures of physical space. While the tzaddik’s
presence may be less tangible after death, his new spiritual form enables his
essence to shine forth and enlighten our material environs.
In this way we can comprehend why the death of
Moses is hinted at in the portion of Tetzaveh through the omission of his name.
A name does not capture a person's essence. A name
serves as a title by which a person may be called. In most cases, a child lives
a few days before it is given a name. In the case of Moses, the name "Moses"
was not given to him by his parents at birth, but by the daughter of Pharaoh
who rescued him from the Nile more than three months later.
There is another way to call a person. "You,"
we say, when we don’t even know a person’s name. This form of calling
is both direct and correct. When we call a person by "You," we address
their essence and entirety.
By striking the name of Moses from its Tetzaveh text, the
Torah seeks to impress on us how the righteous live on in death. Instead of
mentioning Moses by name, referring to his physical presence, the Torah simply
uses "You," connoting Moses' indomitable essence.
See also The You of Moses
in our Tetzaveh Parshah section
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