20 Feb PARSHAS TETZAVEH: TRIBUTE OF ANONYMITY

Moshe Not
Mentioned In
Tezaveh: The
Tribute of
Anonymity
There is a very
famous statement of the Baal HaTurim
in this week’s parsha. The Baal
HaTurim notes that this is the only
Parsha in the Torah after the birth of
Moshe that does not mention his name.
He attributes this to Moshe’s offer
“Erase me from your book that you
have written” when he was pleading
on behalf of the Jewish people after
the sin of the Golden Calf.
When a wise man utters a curse —
even a conditional curse — the curse is
destined to be fulfilled. This is the
fulfillment of Moshe’s self-curse.
Ironically, every year the reading of
this parsha falls out during the week of
the Yahrtzeit [anniversary of the death]

of Moshe Rabbeinu.
This is a strange Baal HaTurim.
Moshe’s pleading on behalf of the
Jewish people was a very noble deed.
As a result of his efforts, the Jewish
people were saved. The Succas Dovid
cites a Zohar that if Noach would have
waged such a forceful argument to G-d
on behalf of his generation, the Flood
would have never occurred. It doesn’t
seem fair that Moshe should be
punished for such heroic efforts.
The Succas Dovid consequently
explains that the omission of Moshe’s
name in Parshas Tezaveh is not a
punishment. It is the price, however,
that he was willing to pay. He knew
that offering “erase me from the Book
You have written” was going to cost
him. But he said, “I do not care. I am
more worried about the Jewish people
than about my honor.”
Parshas Tezaveh is not a punishment.

It is the tribute to the
self-sacrifice of Moshe
Rabbeinu, who was
willing to have his name
erased from the Torah,
in order to save the
Jewish people.
There are two places
where the Torah
mentions accolades
about Moshe. One place
is in Parshas BeHaaloscha after
Miriam and Aaron apparently spoke
against Moshe and G-d chastised
them. The other place is in Parshas Zos
HaBracha where the Torah relates his
final obituary. Seemingly, these are the
only two places where the Torah
provides testimony to Moshe’s
greatness.
The Baal HaTurim is telling us that
there is a third parsha that speaks
volumes about the character and

qualities of Moshe Rabbeinu. Parshas
Tezaveh shows us how much Moshe
Rabbeinu loved the Jewish people. He
loved them so much that he was willing
to forgo having his name in the Torah
in order to save them. Parshas Tezaveh
provides ‘silent testimony’ to the
greatness of Moshe. It illustrates the
ultimate self-sacrifice that the leader
had for his people. That is why it is not
ironic, but most appropriate that this
tribute should be paid to Moshe,
specifically on the week of his
Yahrtzeit.