Ziv: Parashat Tetsaveh

And I will also take some of them as priests

After the story of the sin of the golden calf, which we will study next week, Moses asks the Lord: “if you will only forgive their sin—but if not, blot me out of the book that you have written” (Exodus 32:32). According to tradition, this request was fulfilled in our parasha since it is indeed the only one since the birth of Moses to the end of the Pentateuch in which the name of Moses does not appear (there are other parashas in Deuteronomy where Moses’ name does not appear, but only since it is he who is speaking). This request is granted precisely in our parasha because it is here that the consecration to priesthood is commanded, and it is mostly that Moses plays here the role of “God” to Aaron, as the Lord told him in the burning bush: “you shall serve as God for him” (Exodus 4:16). In the previous parasha, Moses received the commandment to participate, together with all the people through its contribution, in the creation of the world by the construction of the tabernacle - which contains all the elements of creation - a work which will terminate at the end of the book of Exodus with the words “So Moses finished the work” (Exodus 40:33) which correspond to the end of creation: “And on the seventh day God finished the work that he had done” (Genesis 2:2). As Rabbi Yaacov, speaking in the name of Rabbi Assi explains in Midrash Tanchumah: the curtains of the tabernacle correspond to the heavens, (Exodus 26:4-13); the veil of the tent which “shall separate” (Exodus 26:33) correspond to the firmament and the separation of the heavens; the waters of the third day are represented by “a bronze basin with a bronze stand for washing. You shall put it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and you shall put water in it” (Exodus 30:18) the lights by “a lampstand of pure gold” (Exodus 25:31) and the sacrifices of the tabernacle represent the beasts and the birds that man should rule over.

Now, Moses shall participate in the most important creation, that of a new man: his brother Aaron. The story begins again with light and with a call for all the people to contribute. Moses receives a commandment: “command the Israelites to bring you pure oil of beaten olives for the light, so that a lamp may be set up to burn regularly” (Exodus 27:20) and he is further commanded to make “sacred vestments” (Exodus 28:2): “a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a checkered tunic, a turban, and a sash” (Exodus 28:4). The ephod is the first piece made. Its name, by its root, indicates “envelope”. Aaron shall carry on his person and on the ephod, forever, the name of the children of Israel, just like Adam carries in himself the whole of humanity. This ephod is place on a robe with “on its lower hem you shall make pomegranates of blue, purple, and crimson yarns, all around the lower hem, with bells of gold between them all around— a golden bell and a pomegranate alternating all around the lower hem of the robe” (Exodus 28:33-34). These pomegranates and golden bells symbolise the force of life - the brilliant noise of life and the seed of nature - the force of the perpetuation of life. Being thus clothed, Aaron, and all the high-priests to come, by offering their service to God, shall play, for all eternity, the role of the creation of man, of Israel and of life itself. Shabbat shalom.