This being the Shabbat before Purim, on which we celebrate the foiling of Haman the Amalekite's plot to destroy the Jewish people, the weekly Parshah is supplemented with the Zachor reading (Deuteronomy 25:17-19) in which we are commanded to remember the evil of Amalek and to eradicate it from the face of the earth.
"Parshat Zachor" is the second of four special readings added during or immediately before the month of Adar (the other three being "Shekalim", "Parah" and "Hachodesh")
And you shall command . . . (27:20)
Tetzaveh is the only Parshah in the Torah since Moses' birth in which Moses' name does not appear (with the exception of the book of Deuteronomy, which consists mostly of a first-person narrative spoken by Moses). The reason for this is that [when the people of Israel sinned with the golden calf,] Moses said to G‑d: "If You do not [forgive them], erase me from the book that You have written" (Exodus 32:31). This was realized in the Parshah of Tetzaveh, since the censure of a righteous person, even if made conditional on an unfulfilled stipulation, always has some effect.
(Baal HaTurim)
While Moses' name does not appear in the Parshah of Tetzaveh, Moses himself is very much present: the entire Parshah consists of G‑d's words to Moses! Indeed, the Parshah's first word is ve'atah, "and you"—the "you" being the person of Moses.
Indeed, the word "you" connotes its subject's very self, while a person's name is a more superficial "handle" on his personality. This means that Moses is more present in our Parshah—that is, present in a deeper, more essential way—than any mention of his name could possibly express.
This is fully in keeping with the Baal HaTurim's explanation (cited above). Because Moses was prepared to forgo mention of his name in the Torah for the sake of his people, he merited that his quintessential self—the level of self that cannot be captured by any name or designation—be eternalized by the Torah. It is this level of Moses' self that is expressed by his "nameless" presence in the Parshah of Tetzaveh.
(The Lubavitcher Rebbe)
And you shall command the children of Israel (27:20)
The word tetzaveh, "you shall command," also means "you shall connect" and "you shall bond." Thus the verse can also be read as G‑d saying to Moses: "And you shall bond with the children of Israel." For every Jewish soul has at its core a spark of the soul of Moses.
(Ohr HaChaim)
That they bring to you pure olive oil . . . to raise an everlasting lamp . . . from evening to morning (27:20–21)
These verses contain a paradox: "everlasting flame" implies a state of perptuality and changelessness; "from evening to morning" implies fluctuating conditions of lesser and greater luminance.
For such is our mission in life: to impart the eternity and perfection of the Divine to a temporal world, and to do so not by annihilating or overwhelming the world's temporality and diversity, but by illuminating its every state and condition—from "evening" to "morning"—with the divine light.
(The Lubavitcher Rebbe)
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We are grateful to Rabbi Shmuel Lesches of Young Yeshivah for sharing this with us.
Please join us for a lively Afternoon Tea filled with warmth, laughter, and community spirit — plus a special bonus: YBR High School students joining in the activities and dancing! We're delighted to welcome our guest speaker Ilana Epstein — hamantaschen baker, historian, and Mizrachi's new Rebbetzin — who will add her unique flavour (pun intended!) to the afternoon.
Expect music, movement, connection across generations, and plenty of Purim energy in the air.
*Shmoozing, delicious afternoon tea & Purim-themed music!*
RSVP: www.smileonseniors.org.au/hub
Enquiries: adina@smileonseniors.org.au
Come for the tea, stay for the dancing, and leave with a smile.
For all your handyman jobs I am your man. No job too small or too big. Leaking taps, blocked gutters, joinery, kitchen doors and units, broken fences, Brocken locks? I can fix it.
No call out fees. Over 40 years experience in property repairs and building trade (ex UK).
Moshe Sadia 0451930432, 0406698353 jackiesadia@yahoo.co.uk
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Thank you to our sponsors: see emmanuelsemail.com.au/p/publicityextras.html
When the Holy Temple stood in Jerusalem, each Jew contributed an annual half-shekel to the Temple. The 1st of Adar marked the beginning of the collection of the shekalim. In commemoration, the Torah reading of the Shabbat that falls on or before Adar 1 is supplemented with the verses (Exodus 30:11-16) that relate G-d's commandment to Moses regarding the first giving of the half-shekel.
"Parshat Shekalim" is the first of four special readings added during or immediately before the month of Adar (the other three being "Zachor", "Parah" and "Hachodesh")
Links: The Shekalim Reading with commentary; Partner; Tzedakah: Charity
This Shabbat is Shabbat Mevarchim ("the Shabbat that blesses" the new month): a special prayer is recited blessing the Rosh Chodesh ("Head of the Month") of the upcoming month of Adar, which falls on Tuesday and Wednesday of the following week.
Prior to the blessing, we announce the precise time of the molad, the "birth" of the new moon. See molad times.
If you purchase a Hebrew slave . . . (21:2)
There is nothing more difficult for a person than to be subjugated to another person. This is why the Parshah begins with the laws of how the Hebrew slave is to be treated.
(Ibn Ezra)
