Maghen Abraham - Thoughts From Mayer Sasson

"…if You wouldst, forgive their sin, but if not, blot me out, I pray, from Your book which You have written." (32,32)

His words did not go unanswered

We know that in the Parsha of Titzaveh the name of Moshe Rabeinu, the loyal Shepherd, does not appear at all. If we investigate, we find that when the Children of Israel sinned in the Sin of the Golden Calf the Creator wanted, G-d fobid, to anhilate the Children of Israel, as it says, "And G-d said… I have seen this people… it is a stiffnecked people …leave it to Me that My wrath may … annihilate them and you I will make into a great nation."

However. Moshe Rabeinu the loyal shepherd stood strong and prayed and asked for mercy for Israel and in the end of his prayer he said to G-d "…You wouldst forgive their sin but if not, blot me out, I pray, from Your book which You have written" (32,32). His words were fulfilled and the Creator erasedMoshe's name from the Parsha of Titzaveh. But why exactly from this Parsha?

With the words of Moshe Rabeinu " blot me out, I pray, from Your book which You have written the word from Your book "מספרך" is made up of two words "מספר כ' (=20)". In other words, from Parsha number 20. Indeed if we count 20 Parshot from the beginning of Breishit we reach Titzaveh where the name of Moshe has been "blotted out" (=does not appear), as he had requested.

The Chidushei Hari'm asks: Because Moshe Rabeinu sacrificed himself for the sake of Isarel, does he deserve to be punished and not have his name mentioned in the entire Parsha of Titzaveh?

The holy Zohar actually praises Moshe Rabeinu as compared to Naoch – for because Noach did not pray for the people of his generation, the Deluge is called after him, as it says, "For these are the waters of Noach (מֵי נח) for me." On the other hand, Moshe did not act as Noach and he did pray for the people of his generation and he sacrificed himself for them.

If so, why was Moshe Rabeinu punished that his name was not mentioned in the Parsha of Titzaveh?

It is simple and obvious that there is no punishment here; it is just a sign to show the Nation of Israel that the prayers of Moshe Rabeinu are not in vain and G-d (as if) upheld his request and did not mention him in Titzaveh. This is not a punishment, on the contrary, in this Parsha G-d shows the great holiness of Moshe Rabeinu, the loyal shepherd, who sacrificed himself for the benefit of the Nation of Israel and prayed for them "but if not, blot me out, I pray, from Your book which You hast written."

And so as not to nullify his words totally, G-d did not mention the name of Moshe Rabeinu in this Parsha.

SHABBAT SHALOM!!!