686:Beis Moshiach 02/03/2009 8:41 AM Page 3 contents NAMELESS 4 D’var Malchus THE REBBE’S PURIM: PERSONAL 6 NOTES Stories for Purim BIG BRACHOS FOR A GRATEFUL GERER 10 Feature | Nosson Avrohom PURIM 1953: THE RISE AND FALL OF A 14 MODERN DAY HAMAN [CONT.] Memoirs | Avrohom Reinitz USA BRILLIANT SOLUTIONS FROM BUBBE 744 Eastern Parkway 20 Brooklyn, NY 11213-3409 COHEN Tel: (718) 778-8000 Moshiach Light Fax: (718) 778-0800 [email protected] www.beismoshiach.org LUBAVITCH LIFE IN CHEVRON 24 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Feature | Shneur Zalman Berger M.M. 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Indeed, our Sages go to great length to compare Moshe to Moshiach, the first redeemer with NAMELESS the last. The ‘spark of Moshiach’ within every Jew echoes and reflects the ‘spark of Moshe’ within every Translated and adapted by Dovid Yisroel Ber Kaufmann Jew. The leader of a generation is called both the Moshe of the generation and the Moshiach of the The absence of Moshe’s name from the generation. With this background, we can Torah portion indicates his essential now look at the unique features of this week’s Torah reading. First, its nature. The essence of Moshe is Torah. name, “V’Ata Tetzaveh” means But so united is Moshe with the Jewish “You shall command.” G-d tells Moshe to command the Jewish people that he is willing to sacrifice his people concerning several activities in the Tabernacle which relate to very essence and being to save a single Aaron and the priestly service: first, G-d instructs Moshe in the soul, even one involved in building the procedure for lighting the menorah, then tells him about the priestly Golden Calf. This level of mesirus garments. The Torah reading also nefesh, of self-sacrifice, is includes the dedication of Aaron and his sons and construction of characteristic of Moshiach, as well. the incense altar. However, the most unusual Each individual must strive to reveal feature of this week’s Torah reading is that it is the only one from the this ‘spark of Moshiach’ within himself. birth of Moshe until his ‘farewell speech’ that does not mention Torah is the “blueprint of creation,” teaching not Moshe by name. Of course Moshe only general principles, but also illuminating the details is not mentioned in Genesis, since he wasn’t born yet; and “hidden corners” of existence. If this is true of the Deuteronomy is essentially a first-person address from commonplace and everyday, how much more so does it Moshe to the Jewish people, so there’s no need for him clarify the attitudes that define us and illustrate the to name himself. But every Torah reading in Exodus, moments that transform us. Leviticus and Numbers explicitly mentions Moshe by The most transformative event in history will be the name – except this one, Tetzaveh, “You shall coming of Moshiach. The era of Redemption is the command.” goal and purpose of creation. This period of universal So there are three questions: why is there a Torah prosperity and spiritual awareness will be initiated by reading without the name of Moshe? Why in this Torah the achievements of Moshiach. reading specifically is it not mentioned? That is, what This being the case, Torah outlines not only what is the connection between the absence of Moshe’s Moshiach will do, but the kind of person he must be. name and the contents of the portion? And finally, Torah provides a specific ‘personality profile’ of what does this teach us about the nature of Moshiach, Moshiach. And this week’s Torah portion gives us a in general, and the ‘spark of Moshiach’ within each of picture of the most critical attribute of Moshiach. In us, in particular? analyzing the Torah reading, we must remember that To answer the first question: When Moshe pleads there’s a ‘spark of Moshiach’ within every Jew. The with G-d to spare the Jewish people after the sin of the Divine soul which every Jew possesses links him or her Golden Calf, he declares that if G-d will not forgive the to every other Jew, including Moshiach. The actions of people, then “erase me from Your book that You have Moshiach we must duplicate within ourselves. written.” If G-d will not pardon the children of Israel, 4 10 Adar 5769 BEIS MOSHIACH 686:Beis Moshiach 02/03/2009 7:30 AM Page 5 Moshe demands to be removed from the Torah. still “the leader of the generation is like the whole Although this ultimatum was conditional, since it was generation.” The leader is one entity with the people. A made by a tzaddik and sage – by Moshe – it must be true leader, the true Moshe, the true Moshiach of the fulfilled in some form. Hence, Moshe’s name was generation, will not and cannot abandon any Jew. His ‘blotted out’ from a Torah reading. But why this very essence and being are totally united and bound portion? with even the greatest sinner, the Jew who builds a To answer that question, we have to look more Golden Calf and, G-d forbid, becomes an idolater. closely at the Torah reading itself. Although Moshe is The critical attribute of Moshe is self-sacrifice, not mentioned by name, his presence is felt mesirus nefesh. This is the critical attribute of a true throughout. Many verses speak about Moshe, leader of the generation, of Moshiach himself. beginning with the first: “You shall command.” Although Moshe is willing to give up everything for Actually, the word “tetzaveh” means both “command” Torah, he is willing to give up even Torah itself for any and “attach.” So here G-d is telling Moshe to not only Jew, even and especially the worst transgressor. For, command the Jewish people, but by so doing, attach although a Jew may sin, he remains a Jew. The true, them to G-d. inner essence of Moshe – and of Moshiach – is G-d doesn’t use Moshe’s name, because a name is revealed by an uncompromising self-sacrifice for a external, used as a reference for someone else. But we single Jewish soul, even the most distant one. don’t need a name when addressing Further, because the essence ourselves. When the essence is and being of Moshe – and revealed, a name is irrelevant. So How can Moshe be Moshiach – is one with the essence G-d instructs Moshe: with your willing to sacrifice and being of every Jewish soul, the essence, the very nature of who you self-sacrifice of Moshe – and are, command the Jewish people his very essence therefore Moshiach – reveals the and attach them to Me. quintessential unity and oneness of What is the essence and nature and being, to the Jewish people with G-d. That of Moshe? Torah. His very being oneness transcends even the sin of was bound up with Torah. Still, forego Torah the Golden Calf, evoking Moshe was willing to risk his very forgiveness and atonement. essence and being to save those which defines who This mesirus nefesh is the first whose act – building the Golden he is, for the sake stage, the beginning of Calf – was the ultimate denial and Redemption. rejection of Torah. The Torah says, of Jews who deny This Torah reading concerns the “Thou shalt have no other gods” – activities of Aaron and his sons. All and they built a god! and willfully of these activities – the lighting of How can Moshe be willing to the menorah, the design and sacrifice his very essence and being, violate Torah? manufacture of the priestly to forego Torah which defines who garments, the dedication of Aaron he is, for the sake of Jews who deny and willfully violate and his sons, the construction of the incense altar – all Torah? The answer is that “Moshe is Israel and Israel of them occur through the agency and direction of is Moshe.” The unity of Moshe with the Jewish people Moshe. Since Aaron and his sons are sanctified, is deeper and more fundamental than his unity with without Moshe their service in the Tabernacle applies Torah. So quintessential is the union of Moshe and the only to those Jews who observe the Torah’s Jewish people that their descent becomes his descent. commandments. But because the dedication of Aaron Although Moshe had absolutely no involvement in the came through Moshe, Aaron’s offerings bring Golden Calf, when it was built, G-d told him, “go atonement to all the Jewish people. down.” His greatness was one and the same thing as And since every Jew possesses a ‘spark of Moshe,’ a theirs. Moshe could not remain on the mountain with ‘spark of Moshiach,’ we must also proceed with self- Torah when the Jewish people sinned.