To add to the question, let’s raise a commonly discussed point: HaKadosh Baruch Hu is not mentioned in Megilas Esther. What is the significance of this? And being that this year, as is often the case, the Megilah and Parshas Tetzaveh coincide with one another, we need to see if there is a connection between this dual absence of Moshe in Tetzaveh and Hashem in the Megilah.
To explore this we will first need to see if there is a deeper connection between Tetzaveh and the Megilah. Only with such a background can we analyze the anomaly of the seeming absence of Moshe and Hashem. The topics that we will discuss are all very esoteric, but hopefully we will bring it down to a practical level.
The main focus of Tetzaveh is on the Bigdei Kehunah, the Priestly Garments; specifically those of the Kohen Gadol, the High Priest, Aharon HaKohen. The garments that the High Priest wore consisted of two levels: simple white undergarments worn beneath a second layer of colorful fabrics and intricate pieces of craftsmanship that ‘accessorized’ the simple, white base-layer. There was an apron of sorts (the Eiphod), a gem-studded chest-plate (the Choshen), and a golden headpiece (the Tzitz), among others, all of which were situated on top the plane series of white garments.
The Megaleh Amukos explains these two levels of Begadim, garments, in correspondence to the way that we relate to God. We know that when we see Yud-Kay-Vav-Kay (Shem Havaya) on a page, we don’t pronounce it as is, rather we relate to it with Alef-Daled-Nun-Yud, known as Shem Adnus (Baruch Atah
This parallels the two levels of the Bigdei Kehunah. The Megaleh Amukos explains that we don’t relate to the Lavnunis, the pure simplicity of the Kohen Gadol’s white undergarments because it is a reflection of Hashem in Shem Havaya. We use the accessories on top to get through, meaning that these colorful outer pieces reflect Shem Adnus, the covering through which we relate to the divine simplicity of the white undergarments (the reflection of Shem Havaya.)
The Ramchal explains that there are two ways in which HaKadosh Baruch Hu relates to us, two types of ‘behaviors.’ These are called Hanhagas HaYichud and Hanhagas HaMishpat. Hanhagas HaMishpat is the way we perceive this world, Hanhagas HaMishpat is the system of us seeing cause and effect. Hanhagas HaYichud, on the other hand, is the ghost behind the system. It takes this-worldly causality and navigates it to the ultimate purpose of revealing Hashem's total unity. Hanhagas HaMishpat is what you see in personal cases of reward-and-punishment - disconnected events, Hanhagas HaYichud is how it's a complex, interconnected system that is really bringing Moshiach.
To begin to tie the concepts together let’s try to label the ‘behaviors.’ According to what we are saying, Hanhagas HaYichud is rooted in Yud-Kay-Vav-Kay, in Shem Havaya. It is the layer of Hashem’s way of dealing with us that we don’t directly relate to. Hanhagas HaYichud is the hand beneath the glove, the part we don’t see. On the other side, Hanhagas HaMishpat is the glove on top of the hand, related to Shem Adnus, the exterior layer through which we connect to the Hanhagas HaYichud.
These two levels are present in the Megilah. When we read the story we see only natural events. We see political waves and ripples and very obvious cause and effect. The party causes Vashti’s death, and this, over time brings in Esther HaMalka and so on. On the surface we only perceive the Hanhagas HaMishpat, we see the headlines and political cause and effect. But a perceptive eye penetrates through this exterior, through this mask and senses the Hanhagas HaYichud penetrating through to the essence, the hand beneath the glove.
Perhaps with all of this in mind we can suggest the following connection. The outer accessories of the Kohen Gadol, the layer of his dress that corresponds to Adoshem, is the Hanhagas HaMishpat to the internal undergarments, the pure white layer of the Kohen Gadol that corresponds to Yud-Kay-Vav-Kay and Hanhagas HaYichud. These two layers play out in Parshas Tetzaveh in regards to the Kohen Gadol and is the same system around which Megilas Esther is constructed.
Now that we have established the Tetzaveh/Purim connection, we need to return to our original issue of why both Moshe and HaKadosh Baruch Hu are not mentioned in Tetzaveh or Megilas Esther.
We see Moshe Rabbeinu in later Parshios listing a public tally of the exact destination of every donation he received for the construction of the Mishkan and the assembly of the Bigdei Kehunah. So we know that he is not absent from Tetzaveh, quite the opposite actually. Perhaps we can re-frame our perspective on the Parsha. The first Passuk begins with Hashem saying directly to Moshe, “V’Atah Tetzaveh” And YOU, with Hashem speaking directly to Moshe, shall command. The Lubavitcher Rebbe explains that calling a person by their name is referring to an exterior level of the person. I call a person by name because he is far away or facing away from me. I refer to a person as ‘you’ when we are closest; when we are in face-to-face conversation. Using ‘you’ means that I am speaking to your essence.
It’s not that Moshe is not in our Parsha - V’Nahafoch Hu! - The Parsha is written from his perspective, and he is the directing the whole thing! The whole Parsha is dealing with this issue; what is the outside (Adnus, the accessories) and what is inside (Havaya, the essential undergarments)
We can say the same thing for the Megilah as well. When approaching the Megilah at a surface level all I see is the Hanhagas HaMishpat lying on top. But with a penetrating eye, and a shift in perspective I begin to realize that HaKadosh Baruch Hu is not written in because He is so obviously the puppet-master working behind the scenes!
To add another dimension: we know that Purim and Yom Kipur (Yom HaKipurim) are deeply linked, and that there are many powerful connections between them. In the climax of Yom HsKipurim, during the extensive service of the Kohen Gadol, he enters into the Kodesh HaKodashim, the Holy of Holies, the most sanctified quarters, the absolute apex of spirituality. When he does this, what happens? He removes the colorful accessories and enters in the pure white. He leaves behind the exteriors. He enters the moment of the most intense spirituality with just the essence.
The same applies for me! When I enter a day like Purim, or any moment of intense spiritual potential, I need to focus on my essence. What is my essence? Pure. White. Clean. Unfortunately it is so easy to focus on my exterior. I focus on my negative actions, what I do wrong; and I miss what I am in reality – the white garments underneath, I miss the essence. Purim and the Bigdei Kehunah are about directing me towards essence. I dress up in ridiculous costumes so that I can barely recognize my exteriors. On Purim the exteriors do not matter, it's my essence that does. My essence is a Neshomah. When I focus on the unbelievable purity of the Jewish soul, I begin to enter into what essence is really all about, I begin taking steps into Kodesh HaKodashim, and this is how we grow.
B’Ezras Hashem we should all be Zoche to learn to see who we really are. When we look past all the blinding exteriors, there is purity waiting to be uncovered. Now is the time that I can do it. Purim is about eternity, meaning that the parts of me that I uncover now, I can make a part of me forever. If we can do this there is no doubt that we will live lives of meaning, moving closer to the Creator and thereby, closer to the redemption!
