The internet erupted yesterday with a huge debate about a little dress. If you haven’t heard about it yet, here’s what happened. Someone posted a photo of a dress asking what color it was. Interestingly, many people saw it as blue and black while others saw it as white and gold. The dress, in fact, is blue and black. Yet – according to polls – a majority of people saw it as gold and white. And a lot of people saw it both ways at different times.
So, what happened?
In short, it’s an optical illusion. Many have weighed in on exactly what compels some people to see it one way versus another. The bottom line, however, is that sometimes our brain tells us to view something differently than what we see with our own eyes.
The Baal Shem Tov taught that everything we witness or experience is a lesson in life. What lesson can we learn from this?
***
In the entire Torah, once we are introduced to Moshe (Moses) his name is always present in each parsha. Except for one. In this week’s parsha of Tetzaveh, Moshe’s name is not mentioned, not even once.
Why is that?
***
Perhaps a similar peculiarity can shed some light.
Of all the books of Tanach (the 24 books of the Bible), G-d’s name is omitted in only one: the Book of Esther. As we read the megillah next week on Purim, we might wonder, ‘Why is G-d not mentioned at all in the entire book?!’
***
Both these questions have what I may refer to as ‘body’ answers and ‘soul’ answers. From a body/exoteric perspective, there is a justification in each case:
Since Moshe argued that if G-d does not forgive the Jews (after the sin of the Golden Calf) then He must ‘Erase me from Your book,” and since a tzaddik’s words are always fulfilled – therefore in this parsha Moshe’s name is missing (even though the condition was not fulfilled).
And since the Book of Esther was written at a time when the Jews were subject to Persian authorities, G-d’s name was left out.
But, while true, these justifications are just that – justifications.
Probing deeper into the soul of the matter we can view a deeper perspective:
In the Purim story, taken as a whole, we see how intimately involved G-d was with every detail. It is the perfect example of Divine Providence. Yet, in practice, there were no supernatural miracles. The miracles of Purim were hidden, encoded within nature itself.
Chassidic thought teaches that the degree of Divine energy in such miracles is far loftier than revealed miracles. When a miracle shatters nature, that means the miracle and nature cannot coexist. But when a miracle occurs within nature, it is a level of G-dliness that is so deep it can – simultaneously – be both supernatural and natural.
While Moshe’s name is erased, his presence certainly isn’t. We can argue that he is more present in this week’s parsha than any other. Here, G-d refers to him as “You.” The name Moshe does not exist, but the essence of Moshe emerges as even more present, shedding itself of any limitation that a name may represent.
***
We may see the dress one way or another, but it still just a dress.
Hopefully, the lesson we take is to be more sensitive to the fact that there lies a much more profound reality lurking beneath the surface. If we are in tune with that reality, it just may inspire us to do yet one more mitzvah.