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This week’s Parsha is unique.
You read through the Psukim, and notice that a crucial figure is missing from the text. Moshe Rabbenu is not mentioned once in this entire Parsha. This is the only Parsha, from the time that he is born, that Moshe Rabbenu is absent.
Why isn’t he mentioned? The Torah is called Torat Moshe, yet in this parsha, yet he’s not even here! It looks as though the main character of the Torah is absent from an entire Parsha in his own book.
The Gr’a explains that it is no coincidence that Tetzaveh always falls within 7 days of Zayin Adar, the day of Moshe’s Yahrtzeit. It is no coincidence that in the week of his Yahrtziet, Moshe Rabbenu’s name is not going to be mentioned.
However, the very first Pasuk of the Parsha begins with “V‘ata Tetzaveh Et Bnei Yisrael.” V'ata- and “you.” V'ata Tetzaveh means “ and you command.” We are emphasizing “you.”
Rav Yaakov Kaminetzkey explains that no, Moshe’s not mentioned. You don’t see his name, yet, he still plays a huge role. In fact, this role is even greater, by HaShem saying “and you.” Moshe is not only here, he is being emphasized! He is being emphasized because his role and his essence is needed.
That’s because in last week’s Parsha, we read about how the physical structure of the Mishkan was built. However, it has not yet been enriched with the holiness yet. That’s what is needed in this weeks Parsha, the inner workings of the Mishkan, the spirituality, nothing physical. The holiness, and that’s exactly what Moshe provides because that was his essence, even if he’s not mentioned… Our Parsha is not about the physical structure of the Mishkan. Rather, it’s about the spiritual inner workings of the mishkan, and that’s provided by Moshe, even if he’s “absent.”
Moshe Rabbenu’s name isn’t actually there and his name represents what you see. You don’t see his name, but his essence is there, even if he is hidden from view, and his essence permeates throughout the whole Parsha and enables the Mishkan to be endowed with holiness. The Parsha emphasizes his essence, not his physicality, and by emphasizing his essence, his Neshama, you leave out his name, his body. His Neshama is emphasized everywhere in the Parsha. He still is the main character, even if he’s not physically there.
Every single day, I wake up thinking about what I can do to today to keep my oldest, closest, and dearest friend and the face of my childhood with me by my side.
I think about how I can upkeep the legacy of the boy who’s bris milla I attended while I was in a stroller, the boy who was so close to me, that teachers and our friends parents often confused the two of us. My parents could tell you, that after my second week in YU ended last year, I came home upset. “Mom, Dad, it’s been a really hard adjustment not being in school with Asher for the first time of my life.” When I think about trying to deal with this life sentence of no Asher, I focus on how his essence is still here, and the onus is on me to keep it here through doing his actions.
I will try to care about the well being of everyone I come into contact with like Asher did. I will always remember the way in which he treated waiters at the restaurants we went out to, he always made them feel important. I’ll always think about how when my grandparents came to visit me in Israel, they had insisted on taking Asher out to dinner because they considered him their friend. Asher endeared himself to everyone he met, befriending everyone, never letting age get in the way or any kind of culture barrier. I won’t forget how he made himself part of my family. How he surprised everyone on Sukkot by coming over and chatting with my uncles aunts and cousins. I will try to be more thoughtful and caring, like my best friend and my role model and that is one way in which I will bring him to life.
I was so fortunate to have seen Asher develop into the outstanding son, brother, and grandson that he was. Seeing the special way in which Asher treated his little brother Joey, I have no doubt that Asher would have been an excellent father. By incorporating Asher into our parenthoods, it is just like we are with him.
I will not focus on his death. I will focus on his life. I won’t think about that horrific night, I won’t think about the funeral. I’ll think about how those previous 21 years was the best gift I’ve ever had. I’ll think about the way in which he was the one who organized our weekly trips in Israel to the Shalva home in Har Nof.
When I get depressed, I’ll have flashbacks of Asher- who always wanted everyone around to enjoy themselves. I’ll think about how he was always the first person who I called when I felt stressed, and how he wanted people to laugh, even at his own expense, because he wanted people to be as happy as he was. I’ll think about how I really don’t care about what any doctor says, because every one knew how he had an incredible heart. I will do what I can, to make sure that his Lev Tov is still with us.
The thought that depressed me the most and gave me the sharpest pain was the thought of moving on. Thinking about G‑d willing, getting older while the guy who I had grown with is forever frozen in time in this world as our young, goofy, fun-loving, warm, good-natured friend who never failed to put us in a good mood and make us laugh. It’s not how we thought things would end. Asher and I always thought that we would grow up together and develop into the rare type of friends who would remain close for a lifetime.
But I take comfort in knowing that he’s absolutely still here with me, because his legacy lives on through us and the actions that we do. As we see, it’s the spiritual that counts. The spiritual fills in the physical… and the essence NEVER dies. He will still be with me throughout every milestone that I pray to G‑d I am fortunate enough to see if I make the spiritual Asher part of my every day life.
All of the sleepovers throughout the years, the yankee games, all of the good times and great stories, the laughs and our heart to heart talks will always be with me, but Asher’s essence will be with me too.
Like Moshe Rabbenu carrying Atzmei Yosef in Parshat Beshalach, we will all carry Asher’s etzem. His wonderful traits of love, care, being a devoted and Emestic Jew, being a loyal friend, and always being in a state of Simcha, and everything else that comprised our gift. Our Asher Strobel.
However, we will all carry his essence with us only in the short run. His legacy is only here with us temporarily. Because we WILL see him again, and I firmly believe that the day is coming soon.
-Isaac Strulowitz
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