TETZAVEH
Yechezkel 43:10–27

The Jewish nation has undergone much change and spiritual degeneration during its nearly two thousand years of exile. We often wonder how Hashem views His precious children after so much spiritual decline. We imagine that He probably compares us to the illustrious earlier generations and is far from impressed by our present behavior. This week’s Haftarah shares with us a startling perspective about Hashem’s view of His people throughout their dark years of exile. It leaves much room for hope and gives us a glimpse of Hashem’s incredible compassionate ways.

Glimpse of the Future Bais Hamikdash

The Haftarah opens in the middle of an elaborate vision that Hashem shared with Yechezkel Hanavi. In the preceding chapters, Hashem revealed to Yechezkel detailed blueprints of the magnificent structure of the final Bais Hamikdash. In this chapter, Hashem instructed Yechezkel to share his vision with the Jewish people accompanied by a powerful message. Hashem said, “Convey your vision of the Bais Hamikdash to the Jewish people and they should be ashamed of their sins.” (43:10) It seems that the vision of the final Bais Hamikdash was meant to remind the Jewish people of their sinful ways that had ultimately led to the destruction of the first Mikdash. Apparently, because
the Jewish people were in the early years of their Babylonian exile a mere glimpse of the future Bais Hamikdash could evoke strong feelings of regret over their lost, priceless jewel.
Hashem continued, “And if they are indeed embarrassed by their actions, then show them the entire plan of the [future] Bais Hamikdash, its detailed rooms, entrances and exits… Record this in their presence so that they retain its total form and plan, and they will construct things accordingly.” (43:11) Radak notes here that Yechezkel received specific instructions not to reveal those detailed plans until the Jewish people felt embarrassed. Once they regretted their sinful ways, they would be privileged to behold a vision of their future Bais Hamikdash. He explains that the detailed plans were not those of the second Bais Hamikdash, but were reserved for the final one. It seems that Hashem required that the Jewish people regret their sinful ways as a prerequisite to even viewing the future Bais Hamikdash. Conceivably, since that Bais Hamikdash will be built in a world that is free from sin, even a glimpse of its magnificent edifice required special merit, and only those who truly regretted their previous ways could be privileged to envision it. (Radak ad loc)

Projecting Far in the Future

It is important to realize the time frame of this vision. Yechezkel said that he saw his prophecy fourteen years into the seventy year Babylonian exile, long before any Jewish person even entertained the thought of the second Bais Hamikdash, let alone the final one. It seems peculiar that Hashem showed the Jewish people a vision of the third Bais Hamikdash long before the second one was even in its planning stages. The wounds from the destruction of the first Bais Hamikdash had not yet healed, and yet Hashem was already revealing the building plans of the final Bais Hamikdash?! Wouldn’t it have been more timely and appropriate to share a vision of the second Bais Hamikdash before one of the third?! The answer to this, teaches us a startling perspective about Hashem’s kindness and concern for His people. Radak shares with us the following insight. Yechezkel’s vision presented the Jewish people a challenge, and, at the same time, an incredible opportunity. Hashem informed them that they could actually merit the esteemed privilege of participating in the erection of the final Bais Hamikdash. If they repented and sincerely yearned to merit to be present during the glorious era of Mashiach, they would. Although
Hashem recently exiled them from their precious homeland because of their abhorrent behavior, His love for them did not diminish. At that very moment, He was focusing on His people and their glorious future. He, therefore, informed His precious children that although He exiled them for their extremely sinful ways, He viewed them through the perspective of their potential greatness. Accordingly, if they sincerely repented for their sinfulness, He would afford them opportunity to return to life during the era of Mashiach and be personally involved in the construction of the final Bais Hamikdash. (Radak ad loc)
Yechezkel therefore challenged the Jewish nation to take note of every detail of the future Bais Hamikdash and to commit it to memory. He encouraged them to concentrate on all its details so that they would merit constructing it. Radak, basing his words on Chazal’s statement, “Whoever mourns over the loss of the Mikdash, will merit viewing its comforting return,” explains that Hashem was motivating the Jewish people to commit to memory the detailed plans of redemption. If they took to heart their breathtaking vision and sincerely yearned to participate in constructing the final Bais Hamikdash, they would merit to do so. (Radak ad loc)

Participating in the Third Bais Hamikdash

We can now appreciate Hashem’s timely message to them about redemption. In essence, they were shown their breathtaking vision to console them. During their dark years of exile, they began sensing rejection and could not believe that any glorious future awaited them. They started feeling so hopeless that they began entertaining the idea that they lost their cherished relationship with Hashem. Suddenly, during their deep moments of despair, Hashem revealed His boundless love to them. He showed them that during those very moments, He was focused on their glorious future. He taught them through this never to despair, because their trying predicament was but a fleeting moment on the face of their eternity. Hashem reassured them of this by showing them a glimpse of the perfect future world coupled with their personal involvement in its development. He implored them to rise above their present disposition and to set their sights on greater times. He informed them that if they truly desired, they could actually merit living in the era of the final Bais Hamikdash. This displays Hashem’s boundless love for His people. Even after He removed His Divine Presence from them, he remained focused on their eternity and gave them full
opportunity to regain their lofty status. Although they brought about their own exile, if they sincerely regretted their previous ways, and dedicated themselves to maintaining their sacred heritage they could be part of the Jewish people’s breathtaking future. Hashem’s love for His people transcends all boundaries, including time, and expresses itself through His constant focus on their eternal redemption. Although we tend to view ourselves according to our present degenerated status, Hashem sees us through the perspective of past, present and future. He focuses on our glorious past and sets His sight on our glorious future. In His eyes, the Jewish people’s present situation is one small part of His all-encompassing master plan and does not define, in any way, their eternal, elevated, spiritual status.

The Lesson of the Onyx Stones

We read this message in conjunction with Parshas T’zaveh that is devoted to the inauguration of priesthood and the priestly garments of service. One of the High Priest’s garments was studded with two onyx stones that displayed the names of the twelve tribes carved on the stones. The Torah states regarding these stones, “Aharon shall carry their names on his shoulders in Hashem’s presence as a constant reminder.” (Shemos 28:12) Rashi explains that Hashem said that He would focus on our patriarch Yaakov’s twelve sons and their individual qualities and view their descendants in that light. The perpetual message of the stones is that Hashem always seeks His children’s wellbeing and to act favorably towards them even if they stray from His path. Since every Jewish soul remains a descendent of one of the illustrious twelve sons of Yaakov, irrespective of one’s personal conduct, Hashem views each of His children as a member of His precious people and focuses on one’s potential goodness, thereby eliciting Hashem’s compassion for him. One could explain that the High Priest wore the stones with the tribes’ names to remind the Jewish people of this lesson. His wearing of those stones during his sacrificial service reflected Hashem’s perpetual interest in seeing the good in His people and His anticipation of their return to the perfect path of their ancestors. Those thoughts were meant to inspire the collective Jewish nation to carefully follow their respective tribe’s pious path. If they viewed themselves as extensions of their pious ancestors, Hashem would view them in that light. If they dedicated themselves to maintaining their sacred heritage, Hashem would bestow upon them all the kindness and compassion that offspring of His devout tribes deserve.

The Jewish People’s Rebirth

It is well known that Moshe Rabbeinu’s name does not appear in our Parsha (unlike every Parsha in the Torah since his birth). Vilna Gaon explains one reason for this is because Parshas Tetzaveh is generally read during the week of the seventh of Adar, the day of Moshe’s departure. (Koheles Yitzchok) We could explain that Hashem omitted Moshe’s name from Parshas Tetzaveh to apply the lesson of the onyx stones described therein to Moshe’s departure. To appreciate this, we refer to Chazal’s insight into Purim (lit. the festival of the lots).
Chazal explain that the wicked Haman was excited when his lot-drawing process to determine the best time to enact his wicked decree providentially fell on Adar, the month that Moshe departed from this world. Haman interpreted his omen as a reflection of his
potential to likewise remove the Jewish people from this world. Chazal conclude that he was unaware that Moshe was also born in that month (Megillah 13b) and that the lot reflected Hashem’s upcoming Purim miracle that prepared the Jewish people for its
rebirth before they began the era of the second Bais Hamikdash. Chazal teach us that during the Babylonian exile, the effect of the Jewish people’s commitment at Sinai was rapidly wearing off. Hashem therefore orchestrated a chain of events that overtly reflected His total disinterest in the Jewish people. Yet, in truth Hashem was sending them His strongest wake-up call that would eventually bring them
to rejuvenate their commitment to following the Torah’s path out of love, in place of their original commitment at Sinai out of reverence and fear. Therefore, in the month of Adar in which the Jewish people’s greatest leader, Moshe was born, they revived and even
increased their commitment to the Torah that he taught them, thus thoroughly preparing themselves for their return to Hashem in their homeland. (Shabbos 88a, Megila 12a)

One Long Continuum

With this thought in mind, we can explain the Torah’s omission of Moshe’s name from our Parsha. By reading the entire Parsha without one mention of Moshe, we blatantly notice his absence from our people. Yet, through the lesson of the onyx stones stated therein and through the Purim experience that we are generally preparing to commemorate during that upcoming week, we recognize the continuity of Moshe’s
lessons and the everlasting merit of his birthday long after he physically parted from this world. In that spirit we reflect on the onyx stones and remember that Hashem never removes His loving focus from His people. He views His precious children in one long continuum stemming from the patriarchs and the twelve tribes, continuing with His overt bridal relationship with them at Sinai and His Divine Presence residing with them in Eretz Yisrael, extending to His protective cover throughout the years of the Diaspora, and ultimately reaching their glorious future when they will attain heights akin to those of their ancestors.
May we merit to experience these days in our nearest future.