Tetzaveh: The Absence of Moses

Tetzaveh starts with the word “v’atah,” spoken directly to Moses, the entire parshah is about Moses’ role in appointing the cohanim, and yet Moses is never named. Why is he simply called “you”? Is there something unique about Moses this points to, potentially which we can emulate?
Taanit 9a
R. Johanan further said: Rain may fall even for the sake of an individual but sustenance [is granted] only for the sake of the many….
An objection was raised: R. Jose the son of R. Judah says: Three good leaders had arisen for Israel, namely. Moses, Aaron and Miriam, and for their sake three good things were conferred [upon Israel], namely, the Well, the Pillar of Cloud and the Manna…the Manna for the merit of Moses…Thus we find that sustenance may be granted for the sake of one individual! — The case of Moses is exceptional; as he prayed on behalf of the many, he himself is regarded as a multitude.

In other words, Moses developed his sense of self to empathize not only with his narrow personal needs, or his family, but of the entire world. He felt the pain of the world, he davenned on behalf of the world. His sense of self transcended “Moses,” and became a broader consciousness, a shechina consciousness. The Talmud says that when a criminal is executed the Schechinah says “my head hurts”—the divine heart feels, draws together all human pain. Moses identified with this divine heart.
In fact, this is something we are all called to do. The Baal Shem Tov taught that when we davven and say adonai sefatai tiftach, “God, open my lips,” that we allow the shechinah to speak through us. We become a clear vessel for this divine perspective, our concern broadens to encompass all humanity, all the world.
You can compare this to the Buddhist notion of anatman, ‘no-self.’ The idea in buddhism is that since we are always evolving, and we are interdependent, there is no fixed, separate self. I wake up each morning and decide what kind of person to become—mechadesh bechol yom tamid—like God renews each day, I renew myself. And interdependence is the idea that my soul isn’t fully separate from yours—we impact each other, we are shaped by each other.
In Hassidic thought, our souls are like different branches on the same tree—they are intermingled. Kol Yisrael arevim zeh bazeh. There never was really a Moses.
The priestly clothing, too, points to a similar removal of the self. A few interesting facts about the priestly garments:
The cohen without them was considered a “zar” (stranger—non-priest) and could not offer a sacrifice. (Sanh 83a-b) The clothing made the man.
The cohen could not wear his own clothes, only the priestly garments
The high priest did not dress himself (there’s a debate about the pants)
In other words, in his official role, the cohen’s individual self is absent—they are a vessel, helping Jews reach the divine, so they cannot bring their baggage into that function. The clothes also atoned for their sins (Zev 88b):
The Breeches atoned for lewdness, as it is said, "And you shall make them linen breeches to cover the flesh of their nakedness" (Exodus 28:42). The Turban made atonement for arrogance---let an article placed high up come and atone for an offence of hauteur. The Sash atoned for [impure] meditations of the heart, beneath which it was placed. The Breastplate atoned for neglect of civil laws, as it is said, "And you shall make a breastplate of judgment" (Exodus 28:15). The Efod atoned for idolatry, as it is said, "Without efod or teraphim" (Hoseah 3:4). The Cloak atoned for slander---let an article of sound (i.e., the bells on the Cloak's hem) atone for an offence of sound. The Crown, worn on the forehead, atoned for brazenness... as it is written, "Yet you have a harlot's forehead" (Jeremiah 3:3).
We acknowledge these are human beings, serving as leaders, they are imperfect, so we find a way to put their issues to the side, to function selflessly.
The truth is, our sense of who we are is far less important than how we operate in the world—can I put my self aside, and be a vessel for the divine? Like the turkey prince, who is cured by functioning as a prince despite knowing he’s still a turkey (http://breslov.org/rebbe-nachmans-story-the-turkey-prince/), we serve God by putting aside our individual neuroses, our individual desires, and becoming vessels for divine love and divine healing, and in that process finding our truest and deepest Self.

Acting on Impluse

In the beginning of the Parsha, Pinhas is rewarded with “briti shalom”, the covenant of peace.

It is his reward for actions in previous parsha
Israelites were seduced by idolatrous women at Bal peor
Zimri and Cosbi had intercourse in public
People were stunned, couldn’t think straight
Pinhas ran his spear through both of them in the act

Term for Pinhas in Hebrew: kenai—zealot
Someone who throws themselves in, mindlessly
Jumping in feet first, acting on blind impulse
Not thinking about the risk—
Zimri could have legitimately killed him in self defense

Most of us here aren’t zealots in that sense
But there is the temptation to be impulsive in our speech
To say exactly what I think, the moment I think it
I let you know exactly what kind of a person you are.
How horrible a thing you just did

Problem with Zealotry:
Too often bad motives
immaturity, impulsivity,
the thrill of controversy, self-promotion,
or advancing some sort of personal agenda.
Also: not very effective to improve people around you
If you jump on people who are wrong
Even if you’re right, they don’t want to listen

Pinhas’ reward is the covenant of peace—briti shalom
It’s an odd reward: he was hardly peaceful!

The Ntziv, Rav Naftali Tzvi Berlin, says it was a protection from recrimination
So people should know his motives were pure
Because all too often, when people are zealous,
Their motives are not pure

The truth is, we never fully admit our own motives, even to ourselves
And all too often when we act impulsively,
Or when we speak impulsively,
It’s really out of selfishness, vindictiveness,
The thrill of attack
Or other less than stellar motive

So in general we need to be more like aaron, a little more peaceful
When aaron would hear someone sinned
He wouldn’t attack them
He would befriend them
And the person would be so embarrassed to sin, because what would aaron think of that

When we see something we don’t like, and we are tempted to attack,
To jump in and criticize,
We need to act in a way that embodies brit, sacred relationship,
We need to approach all of our fellow humans
Even in the moments where they are doing something we can’t stand
with patience, love and peace