Reflections from Rabbi Ellis

Tzav is the second Parsha in the third book of the Torah, Vayikra. Last week we started Vayikra by detailing how to perform a number of the various sacrifices offered in the Mishkan. This week’s Parsha has two parts. The first half continues the directions that we started last week with the beginning of the book of Vayikra. The text starts by telling us about additional aspects of the daily sacrifices that took place in the Mishkan, it adds details to some of the sacrifices that we learned about last week and it delineates the order that the offerings were placed upon the altar. At the beginning of the fourth Aliyah the text switches. It goes from a description for a sacrifice offered in an abstract future, to specific instructions to Moshe how to dedicate his brother and nephews as the Kohanim, priests, of Israel. While the style of the text is similar to what we have read so far, the content is radically different. The tense changes from future to past as the text shifts from the description of theoretical possibility to historical documentation.

The name of the Parsha, Tzav, translates to command. It is the same root as the word for commandment, Mitzvah. Tzav is a unique word that we see rarely in the whole bible. The word is used in the context of Moshe instructing the Kohanim, priests, regarding the sacrifices. Thus far everything that G!d has told Moshe to teach the Kohanim has been a commandment, but this is the first and only time that the language of command is engaged, why?

This week’s Parsha is about leadership and its transmission. At the beginning of our Parsha Moshe is the king and priest of Israel. After instructing Aharon and his sons about their responsibilities in the Mishkan he then dedicates them as the Kohanim. In doing so he loses his position and the possibility of passing it on to his sons. To be clear Moshe is still the de facto king of Israel, but after the dedication of Aharon and his sons Moshe never offers another sacrifice. Moshe not only surrenders his position and trains his replacement he even has to dedicate and sanctify them. Where does Moshe find the strength to not only lower himself, but to raise others to the position that he is losing?

The greatest qualification that Moshe had to be the leader of Israel is the fact that he didn’t want the position. It took G!d more than a week of pleading before Moshe finally agreed to lead the Children of Israel. Moshe’s motivation was first and foremost from the fact that he was commanded. Our Parsha, the one in which Moshe prepares the next generation of leadership, thus needs to start with the concept of being commanded. The path to positions of power is so fraught that those who eventually make it are guaranteed to be the least fitting for the job. One who desires power is inherently disqualified to wield it. The greatest leaders of Israel are those who are compelled to the position for their love of Israel and their fear of G!d.

Shabbat Shalom!