Tetzaveh (Exodus 27:20-30:10) The Fight Against Being Invisible
This is a quieter portion. The theme of this week’s portion revolves around detailed instructions for the Temple/Mishkan/Tent of Meeting. We greet the everlasting light, the dress for the high priest and more. We see Aaron and his sons take their entrance. What we do not see, for the only time, is Moses! Moses is not mentioned in this portion. In a comment attributed to the Gaon of Vilna, we read that the reason for this was that “God knew that the day of Moses’s future death would be Adar 7, the time when “Tetzaveh” is usually read at services” (Plaut. p.624)
As I was looking at this I could not help but think of the symbolism for us. What could that be? One of the challenges of our growing older in our society is the reality that for many, we slowly become invisible. The USA, as an ageist country, still put a huge emphasis on the cult of youth.
A question that popped into my mind was how much do we, consciously or subconsciously, buy into this feeling? The more we age, as we have mentioned several times, there is this gnawing fear of being forgotten. That is why the idea of legacy is so important in our prayers and culture.
How can we work against this fear of the inevitability of invisibility? What so many now teach and exhibit is that so much of this begins in our own attitude. We can fight the stereotypes about our aging by how we choose to live. Remember, Judaism teaches us that we never stop growing and have always the possibility or invitation to learn, grow, engage and celebrate. A recent article in the Washington Post by Steven Petrow called this to mind. He quotes Becca Levy of Yale, who wrote that: “The way we think about aging affects how we age”. In other words, we can choose to keep our life and hopes and dreams alive every day. We do not have to accept what others project on us about being an elder. We are the major player in our own daily portion.
Shabbat shalom
Rabbi Richard F. Address
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