בס"ד

Parashat Tetzaveh – Don’t Loose Enthusiasm

In this week’s Torah reading we learn about the garments of the High Priest. Even from there, we can extract lessons for life. Based on Sefer HaSichot 5748, vol. 1, p. 314.

This week’s third Torah reading is called Tetzaveh, which means “And you shall command.” In this parashah, G-d tells Moshe Rabbeinu to command the Jewish people regarding certain aspects of the building of the Tabernacle, the Mishkan.

In this reading, we learn about the garments of the High Priest and the other priests. I will not go into all the details of these garments—they are quite complicated, and you can easily find drawings and explanations online. Instead, I would like to focus on one particular mitzvah that carries a powerful lesson for our lives.

The Breastplate and the Ephod

Among all the garments of the High Priest were two unique items. One was the breastplate (the Choshen), worn over the chest. The other was the Ephod, which was somewhat like an apron. Interestingly, the main part of the Ephod was positioned at the back and extended downward, almost to the heels.

The Torah gives a specific prohibition regarding these two garments: the breastplate may not be removed from the Ephod. They were connected by special laces, and it is a negative commandment not to separate them.

At first glance, this mitzvah may not seem to have an obvious explanation. But we know that every detail in the Torah carries meaning and contains lessons for us—even those that appear minor or technical.

Inner and Outer: Two Parts of a Person

These two garments represent two dimensions of every human being.

The breastplate, worn on the front, symbolizes the inner dimension of a person—what in Hebrew is called penimiut: the internal, essential self. The Ephod, mainly situated at the back, represents the external aspects of a person—our actions, our outward behavior, the visible parts of our lives.

The Torah commands us not to separate the two. The internal and the external must remain connected.

If a person’s actions are disconnected from his inner purpose, something essential is missing.

Building a Wall Without Purpose

Imagine a man building a wall. He places one brick on top of another, carefully adding cement in between. He works hard and does exactly what he was instructed to do. But he does not know why he is building this wall. He does not know what it will be used for.

All he sees is brick after brick after brick.

At first, he may continue working. But eventually, he might become bored. He may begin to think: What am I doing? This is meaningless. It serves no purpose. Why should I continue?

Now imagine someone tells him: “This wall will be part of a palace. The king himself will live in this room. He will enjoy what you have built.”

Suddenly, the same work becomes meaningful. The action has not changed—he is still placing bricks—but now he understands the purpose behind it. The internal dimension has been added to the external action.

And that changes everything.

Serving G-d in Everyday Actions

The same principle applies to our lives.

Sometimes a person fulfills mitzvot or behaves in a moral and ethical way without fully realizing what he is doing. After all, many people try to be moral. Many people perform acts of kindness. What makes it special?

A person might begin to think: Everyone does this. There is nothing unique here. What is the point?

But when a person understands that every act of kindness, every ethical decision, every moment of integrity is part of a divine mission, everything changes. G-d commanded humanity to build a moral and ethical world. When we act with compassion, give charity, or help others, we are fulfilling His will.

And more than that: the very fact that we exist means that G-d wants us. He constantly creates us. When we do good, we are carrying out the mission He entrusted to us.

Never Separate Purpose from Action

This is the deeper message of the prohibition not to remove the breastplate from the Ephod.

Never separate your inner purpose from your external actions.

When a person disconnects intention from behavior, life can become mechanical, boring, even depressing. “What am I doing? What is the purpose of my life?” These questions arise when the inner dimension has been detached from the outer one.

But when we remember that our actions serve the King of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He, our lives gain meaning. Even the smallest “brick” we place becomes part of something much greater.

G-d has given us the tools to protect ourselves from despair. The key is simple, yet profound: never remove the inner from the outer.

Keep them connected—and life will be filled with purpose and joy.

Spreekbeurt van rabbijn Tuvia Serber


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