Where is Moshe

Where is Moshe?

"V'ATO tetzaveh" (27,20) - Rather than mentioning Moshe by name, the pronoun YOU is used.
From parshas Shmos, where Moshe was first introduced, until the end of the Torah, Moshe's name is mentioned in every parsha, except Tetzaveh. (Although Moshe's name is not mentioned in Parshas Nitzavim, it is usually joined with Parshas VaYelech, where Moshe's name is mentioned.) Why is Moshe left out?

1. The Tosfos Hasholeim (Rashi and many others) explain that since Moshe said (32,32), "m'cheini noh misif'r'cho asher kosavto," his words had the effect of having his name erased from a parsha in which it would have otherwise appeared. The reason that parshas Tetzaveh was chosen is that Moshe says, "asher kosavto," which You have WRITTEN," so it must be before parshas Ki Sisa. Tetzaveh was chosen so as to delay erasing Moshe's name as long as possible, a full circle around the calendar until our parsha. Ben Ish Chai notes that מספרך also can be read as מספר "ך" the number 20 (Tetzavah is the twentieth Parsha in the Torah).
2. The GR"A says that HaShem foresaw that Moshe would die on the 7th of Adar. This date almost always falls out during the week of Parshas Tetzaveh. Since Moshe left this world during parshas Tetzaveh, his name is left out.
3. Others (the GR"A, Megaleh Amukos) say that although Moshe's name doesn't appear overtly in our parsha, it is present covertly. The total number of verses in our parsha is 101. The hidden portion of the letters of Moshe's name (milluy), indicating his hidden presence, adds up to 101. Mem is spelled Mem-Mem. The hidden letter (second Mem) equals 40. Shin is spelled Shin-Yud-Nun. The hidden letters (Yd-Nun) equal 60. Hei is spelled Hei-Alef. The hidden letter (Alef) equals 1. The hidden part (40+60+1) equals 101.
4. The Rebbe R' Heshel points out that the "mesorres siman" of 101 verses in our parsha is "Michoel." Moshe prayed that HaShem personally should lead the bnei Yisroel (33:15,16). The Medrash on Yehoshua 5:14 says that Moshe's prayer helped to push off HaShem's statement that an angel would lead them (23:20) until the angel Michoel appeared to Yehoshua (5:14) saying, "Now I have come." We see that Moshe kept the angel Michoel from directly guiding the bnei Yisroel. Since Moshe's name is not mentioned in our parsha, Michoel found an opportunity to have his presence in this parsha in a shadow form, by being the "mesorres siman" of the total number of its verses.
5. Rabeinu Efraim says that Moshe was supposed to be the Kohen Gadol but due to his reluctance to accept the mission from HaShem at the burning bush, the “job” was given to Aharon. Thus, it was not appropriate to mention Moshe in the Parsha that discussed the clothes of the Kohen Gadol.
6. The Lubavitcher Rebbe notates that the name of Moshe is not mentioned in the Parsha, but he is referred to in the second person. This indicates the essence of Moshe, which is higher than the level of his name. The Rokeach observes that Aharon is not mentioned in the previous Parsha of Terumah, even though this is the initial parsha of the Mishkan. This might assist in understanding the Medrash on (Shir haShirim 5,1) באתי לגני (come to My garden) the word גן alludes to the 53 Parshios in the Torah, HaShem’s garden.

Interestingly, HaShem’s name does not appear in the Megilah which occurs in the month of Moshe’s death & the Parsha of Tetzaveh.

Four opinions as to the date of the petirah of Moshe:

1. Seventh of Adar in a simple year
2. Seventh of first Adar in a doubled year
3. Seventh of second Adar
4. Seventh of Shvat

At the end of Parsha Ki Sisa, the Torah tells us that the Moshe radiated light. The Medrash states that when Moshe finished the Torah, he applied the leftover ink in the well to himself which resulted in the light. What was the source of this leftover ink? The inkwell originally had the exact amount of ink to write the Torah. The leftover ink resulted from the removal of the name of Moshe from Parsha Tetzaveh.

However, aren’t there really 54 Parshios in the Torah?

1. We do not count Zos haBracha since it is not read on Shabbos but on Simchas Torah;
2. Or that Nitzavim and VaYelech are so small that they are counted as one;
3. The Chida suggests that Terumah and Tetzaveh are counted as one Parsha. Moshe was to be a temporary Kohen Gadol (at the inauguration) and Aharon was to be the permanent Kohen Gadol. Either Moshe was on a high level that he needed to share his status with Aharon; or that Moshe was lacking something and the process that began in the desert by the Burning Bush was now completed (leaving his name out of the Parsha about the clothes of the Cohen Gadol-Paneiach Razo). Or, perhaps Moshe and Aharon were complementary means of service, each missing from one Parsha, but needing each other (like two halves) in order to make a complete Parsha.