The Hidden Moshe

וְאַתָּ֞ה תְּצַוֶּ֣ה׀ אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל וְיִקְח֨וּ אֵלֶ֜יךָ שֶׁ֣מֶן זַ֥יִת זָ֛ךְ כָּתִ֖ית לַמָּא֑וֹר לְהַעֲלֹ֥ת נֵ֖ר תָּמִֽיד׃.  Why does Moshe need to take the oil, he isn't lighting the menorah, Aharon is? Why does the Torah use this strange terminology of וְאַתָּ֞ה תְּצַוֶּ֣ה here and not צו את בני ישראל or דבר etc?  The Gemorah in Megillah (13b) says about Haman, תנא כיון שנפל פור בחודש אדר שמח שמחה גדולה אמר נפל לי פור בירח שמת בו משה ולא היה יודע שבשבעה באדר מת ובשבעה באדר נולד.  Why does the saying conclude with Moshe's death before his birth, it should have said שבשבעה באדר נולד ובשבעה באדר מת?  And how does the fact that Moshe was also born on 7 Adar counteract the fact that he died then?   The Rishonim bring from Chazal that this is the only parsha that Moshe's name isn't mentioned.  The Meor Einayim points out that this week's parsha often corresponds with Moshe's yom hilulah so it hints to his removal from the world.  However, Moshe is "hidden" in the parsha a few times, wouldn't it make more sense to omit him entirely?

What Chazal mean is that the death of Moshe wasn't a removal of his effect from the world, it was a metamorphosis.  בשבעה באדר מת ובשבעה באדר נולד is דוקא.  Moshe was reborn on 7 Adar.  He is reborn into the Torah that is נתחדש in every generation.  Yes there was a כפה עליהן הר כגיגית but then there was a קיימו וקיבלו היהודים.  The constant learning of the Torah ensures that Moshe Rabbenu never left us.  As the holy books point out that sometimes the Gemorah has an expression משה שפיר קאמרת because every Talmud Chachan has a ניצוץ of Moshe.

The name of a person is merely the representation of the individual, its a symbolic link referring to the person's body and deeds.  The essence of an individual however, goes above his/her name.  In our parsha the name of Moshe, the physical body of Moshe Rabbenu passes from our vision, however his essence remains with us.  The Migalleh Amukot (57) (cited in Yalkut Reuvani) says the העלם, מילוי of משה is מ, ין, א which is 101, the number of pessukim in the parsha.  This means that the external figure and presence of Moshe isn't there but his פנימיות is in the parsha.  The menorah represents the Torah and oil represents חכמה; ergo Moshe Rabbenu was responsible for collecting the oil for he is the transmitter of the chachmas haTorah to Klal Yisroel.  It isn't merely a body named Moshe that transmits the Torah but Moshe Rabbenu's essence can be found in the Torah itself.  That is why the Torah uses the strange terminology of וְאַתָּ֞ה תְּצַוֶּ֣ה.  It is וְאַתָּ֞ה תְּצַוֶּ֣ה for it the part of Moshe Rabbenu that can't be referenced by name that is present in the Torah.  It is the Moshe that can't be accessed through the name that is infused into the Torah.  [וְאַתָּ֞ה is א through ת and the ה מוצאות הפה used to pronounce the Torah.]  [See Torah Menachem 5751, Likutay Sichos volume 26.]