Please join us for
two extraordinary
productions from the
Tony Award-winning
The Acting Company.
Julius Caesar
UL US
Making It Real
Parshat Tetzaveh: Exodus 27:20-
30:10; Ezekiel 43:10-43:27.
A
t first glance, we find our-
selves immersed in what
might appear to be not the
most interesting of Torah portions.
All these descriptions about what the
high priests had to wear
and how the sanctuary had
to be built as the Israelites
wandered through the
wilderness. And most of us
read and think, this is not
really too exciting.
Our focus today is far
from worrying about
rebuilding this temporary
tabernacle nor are any of us
religious leaders hoping to,
or planning on dressing like
the priests of old. Purple
and crimson fine linen
tunics are one thing, but adorned
robes with 72 pomegranate-shaped
tassels and 72 golden bells takes this
to a whole new level.
Yet the most fascinating part of
this is actually in what we don't find
here — in other words, what we real-
ize is missing. Because nowhere in
this entire parshah can we find one
word, a word that is present in every
other single portion, from the book of
Exodus all the way through the end of
the Torah in Deuteronomy.
Actually it is one name. Over and
over again, we find Moses mentioned,
or quoted, or speaking. But not here.
Not once.
Of course, the ancients noticed this
as well and then explained it in a very
interesting way. The rabbis taught that
when Moses had gone up Mount Sinai
and received the Ten Commandments,
the Israelites became impatient. They
lost faith.
So they made for themselves a
golden calf. They made an idol and
worshipped it. And when God learned
of what they were doing, God told
Moses, I'm going to wipe this people
out, and I will make you the father of a
new nation.
But Moses said, "No, that's not what
I want. If you wipe them out, then
wipe me out too." So God responded,
"Really? You could stand to
have your name taken out
of this entire book?" And
Moses did not hesitate. "Go
ahead. Take my name out."
In hearing the challenge,
it is just what God did. He
wiped the name of Moses
out of this one portion to
see what he would do. And
Moses went on working just
the same.
Moses continued his
work because he wasn't
doing this for the sake
of fame. He was doing this for the
sake of his people. He was doing
this for others. It wasn't about self-
promotion or publicity, yet he ended
up becoming the most famous of
our teachers.
I wonder if we could do that. Given
the fact that we live in an age of reality
television shows and celebrate those
who can elbow their way up to the
microphone the most often, we see
every day how hard it is to turn such
opportunities down.
But our faith is reminding us that
we don't do things for public relations
coups or to be the one with our name
in lights. Instead, we do to help oth-
ers. We do to better our world. And we
do by genuinely connecting with one
another, like Moses did, face-to-face
and heart-to-heart.
When we live like that, when we
genuinely care about one another and
demonstrate it with our actions, truly
then we know that Moses continues to
be our teacher every day. ❑
Michael Moskowitz is a rabbi at Temple
Shir Shalom in West Bloomfield.
Saturday, March 10 - 8 p.m.
This classic story of pride, envy,
arrogance and honor blends
historic events of the reign of the
iconic Roman emperor with the
tragedy of betrayal.
CA
ti
k
The c omedti
°E- Errors
c
'14"
7
Comedy of Errors
Sunday, March 11 - 3 p.m.
Monday, March 12 - 10 a.m.
This farce, full of slapstick, puns
and wordplay, tells the story of two
sets of identical twins accidentally
separated at birth.
"The Acting Company endures as the major touring classical
theater in the United States." The NewYork Times
Tickets are $45
($35 for JCC members)
For student and group discounts, call
The Berman box office at 248.661.1900
or visit www.theberman.org .
THE CENTER
The Berman Center for the Performing Arts
Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit
D. Dan & Betty Kahn Building
Eugene & Marcia Applebaum Jewish Community Campus
6600 W. Maple Road • West Bloomfield, MI 48322 • www.jccdet.org
March 1 • 2012
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