Tetzaveh: The Week Without Moses
Who is you? Pardon my grammar, but it was the snazziest opener I could come up with. Who is “you”? Beyond your name, your job, your achievements and your failings, stripped down to nothing but a pronoun, what is left of you?
This week’s Torah portion sparks that question with its very first sentence: “And you shall command the children of Israel . . .” In this instance, “you” refers to Moses, who—for the first and only time in the Torah since the story of his birth—is omitted from an entire Torah portion (here’s some more info on that), appearing only as the nameless recipient of G‑d’s instructions for the children of Israel.
And so, for a whole week we live with a different kind of Moses than we’ve seen before. A Moses who is just a “you.” And what are we left with? “. . . Command the children of Israel”—his relationship with his fellow Jews.
Which got me wondering: how many layers down does my commitment to my people go? Who is me? Is it you?
Dovid Taub,
on behalf of the Chabad.org Editorial Team
Two brothers, four sons, eight priestly garments, twelve gems, one golden altar.
Sometimes, "giving in" can actually help you achieve what you essentially want. Learn when.
Why do we gravitate to the charismatic and charming when choosing our leaders?
Why is the menorah, a metaphor for the Torah, also the symbol of Jewish unity?
The two great Torah commentaries of Rashi and Nachmanides debate the arrangement of the bells and pomegranates on the edge of the high priest’s robe.
Velvel’s father-in-law was less than enthusiastic about his newfound mentor. “What is going on with you? Why are you becoming so involved with Rabbi Nachum?”
The Torah scholars of ancient Babylonia would dress impressively, so as to encourage people to honor the Torah that they represented.
As a Jewish man who is learning about observance, and slowly incorporating observance into his life, I still have a very long way to go. I was wondering: when is the “appropriate” time to begin wearing a kippah at all times?
Is the kippah a symbolic reminder intended to prevent assimilation, or is the kippah a biblical obligation, like the tzitzit?
The street corner was busy. Too busy. There was certainly no place for G‑d in this scene.
From a very young age, Rima noticed that her mother treated her differently than the rest of her siblings, giving her less attention and care.
Israeli artist Yaron Bob, who knows firsthand how it feels to live in the shadow of terror, has found a means of transforming weapons of war into expressions of peace.
Recovery in a nutshell: addict gets tired of trying to make everything work; addict gives up and lets Higher Power take over; addict experiences unusual freedom, happiness and usefulness, as long as addict does not renege on previous decision.
There is a danger that our children may grow up knowing more about the Holocaust than about Judaism.
Purim celebrates the deliverance of the Jewish people from the wicked Haman in the days of Queen Esther of Persia.
Mitzvah (mits-va): An instruction in life from the Giver of Life.
A stroke of brilliance arising from the innermost will of the Creator of all things, left for you to perform on the stage of His world.
A connection point in time, at which Heaven meets Earth, Earth meets Heaven, and the two embrace.
An instance, left in...
