MHA-FYOS Dean's Blog

Perashat Tetzaveh presents the design of the bigde kehuna – the Priestly Garments. Tetzaveh is the only parasha of Moshe’s lifetime – four of five books of the Torah – that does not mention Moshe’s name. Clearly the focus of the Perasha is all on Moshe’s brother Aharon and his descendants. Moshe Rabbenu’s role in the nation is clear. Hashem chose Moshe as His representative to the nation to bring them the Torah and to convey Hashem’s prophetic message. He announced the plagues to Pharoh in Egypt. Moshe Rabbenu was G-d’s messenger to the Jewish people. What was Aharon’s role in the nation? Aharon taught Torah to the people. He offered the nation’s sacrifices in the mishkan . Malbim explains that Hashem chose Aharon to be the nation’s messenger in serving Hashem and in teaching Torah. Thus Moshe and Aharon stood shoulder-to-shoulder. Moshe was Hashem’s representative to the people and Aharon was the people’s representative to Hashem. What qualified Aharon to be the appropriate...

On Thursday night, the Memphis Jewish community gathered at the JCC to memorialize Ezra Schwartz, z”l, and the many other recent victims of terror. The “Torah Trumps Terror” program was the culmination of the community’s project to learn all of Tanach and featured words of Torah and inspiration from community rabbis and leaders and the lighting of candles in memory of these victims. Thank you to Bluma Zuckerbrot-Finkelstein and the Jewish Community Partners for organizing this event. Below are the thoughts that I shared. Peace is one of the greatest values for the Jew. Daily we say, oseh shalom bimromav hu ya’ase shalom alenu – The One Who makes peace in the heavens may He make peace on us. In Pirke Avot , Ethics of the Fathers, Hillel teaches that one of our greatest leaders and role models, Aaron the High Priest, brother of Moshe, was ohev shalom ve’rodef shalom – he loved peace and he chased after peace. We are taught that in certain cases one can even tell a lie to foster shelom ...