Miller's Musings Parshas Tetzaveh: You Become One

בס''ד

                            

The diabolical sin of the Golden Calf was one that almost brought about the Jewish people’s total annihilation.  Were it not for Moshe’s pleading and insistence upon Hashem relenting in His plan to eradicate them, the nation would have begun anew with Moshe as the sole progenitor of this surrogate people.  And what reward would Moshe receive for such a virtuous act?  Well, Chazal tell us that as a consequence of Moshe’s appeal that if the Jewish people are obliterated, he too would want his name to be eliminated from the Torah, Hashem did indeed take out his name from one part of the Torah, our Parsha, in which his name does not appear.  This penalty surely seems an unfair response to something that brought about the salvation of the Jewish people!  

It is often the case, that what we view as a punishment may in truth be a reward, and what is perceived as a gift may in fact be quite the opposite.   Our Parsha presents us with an example of this, for Moshe’s name being excluded was not a form of retribution against him at all, but rather contained an honour of extraordinary depth.  The Ohr Gedalyohu explains that the omission of Moshe’s name, a facet that represents a person’s individuality, was recognition of the fact that Moshe had foregone all personal desires and individualism in the pursuit of fulfilling G-d’s purpose.  By being willing to totally sacrifice himself, he became someone who was totally at one with Hashem, therefore imperceptible as a being by himself.  His name does not appear in the Parsha, but he is there, entirely connected with Hashem in every command given, as one entity, with no ego to form a barrier between them.

To forego one’s rights to our own individuality and choice is seen in today’s day and age to represent a limitation of who we are and an act of shameful submission.  The Torah recognises and gives great import to each person’s unique qualities, but the highest level we can attain, is when we submit all of these to the will of Hashem.  This is a choice, we as autonomous beings make, to utilise all that we have with the aim of furthering G-d’s presence in this world, in deference to whatever He decrees as best for us.  By doing so we are step by step creating that oneness with Hashem that grants us eternal reward and infinite bliss, ever connected to the Source of all good.

*May the radiance of Shabbos bring greater unity with Hashem*

לעילוי נשמת לאה בת אברהם

לרפואה שלימה:  שרה יעל בת ברכה אסתר