Parshas Tetzaveh 5782
Mahatma Gandhi, flanked by 78 of his closest followers, set out from home on March 12, 1930. They would continue walking for the next twenty four days, until finally traversing nearly 250 miles and arriving at the Arabian Sea. At its shores, Gandhi produced salt by evaporating sea water, an act of defiance against the British salt monopoly that had been imposed upon the people of India.
Gandhi’s march was heroic. The march not only galvanized tens of thousands of Indians to show their support as it crossed through towns and cities in which they lived, but also marshaled a huge amount of public and political support from across the international community in favor of Indian independence. Picking up a clump of salty sand from the seashore, Gandhi famously remarked, “With this, I am shaking the foundations of the British Empire.”
As Parshas Tetzaveh opens, Moshe Rabbeinu is continuing to direct the massive undertaking that is the construction of the Mishkan. Hashem directs Moshe to convey three sets of instructions: to have the people bring olive oil that will be used for the lighting of the menorah, to gather Aharon and his sons to serve as Kohanim, and for the craftsmen to manufacture the special bigdei kehunah that the Kohanim will wear. Oddly, each set of instructions is preceded by the word “ואתה,” “and you”:
וְאַתָּה תְּצַוֶּה אֶת־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, וכו׳
וְאַתָּה הַקְרֵב אֵלֶיךָ אֶת־אַהֲרֹן אָחִיךָ וְאֶת־בָּנָיו אִתּוֹ, וכו׳
וְאַתָּה תְּדַבֵּר אֶל־כָּל־חַכְמֵי־לֵב, וכו׳
(שמות כז:כ, כח:א,ג)
And you shall command the Children of Israel…
And you shall gather Aharon and his sons with him close to you…
And shall speak to anyone wise of heart…
(Shemos 27:20, 28:1,3)
Insofar as Hashem is clearly speaking with Moshe, the use of the term “and you” is redundant. Why, then, is it used? Rav Shabse Yudelevitch, the great Maggid of Yerushalayim, explained the term by relating a story.
A student once declared to Rav Yisrael Salanter that he was going to change the world. He’d go on a crusade, he claimed, inspiring all of European Jewry to teshuva. “Why leave home?” asked Rav Yisrael, “Have you already inspired all the inhabitants of Radin, right where you live?” “The Rav is right,” replied the student, “I’ll focus my efforts on Radin first.” “Before you do,” continued Rav Yisrael, “is there really a need to leave your own home? Perhaps you should first inspire your own family.” “That’s true!” replied the student, “I’ll start with my own wife and children.” “Perhaps,” suggested Rav Yisrael, “before you do, you should look within yourself. First and foremost, the teshuva should start right there.”
With a series of instructions to go instruct the masses, one can become so focused on what lies beyond, he can forget about the importance of first looking within. It’s not only others who must be guided, one must first guide oneself. Rav Yudelevitch explained that this is the reason for the emphasis of the word “ואתה—and you.” Moshe Rabbeinu is reminded of the need to consider the אתה—the standing of messenger—before proceeding with the message. There must be alignment between message and messenger. Without it, the message is lost in a haze of hypocrisy.
At no point in his march to the sea did Gandhi whip the throngs of followers into a violent frenzy, setting them loose upon their British overlords. And for good reason. Gandhi was protesting against unfair use of power and control, which is not a lesson that can be taught by exerting power and control. Gandhi was remarkably self-controlled, but more than anything, he was smart. He knew he could never achieve the longterm liberation he sought for his people by allowing himself or his followers to be beset by all the problems that plagued the British. It would be a pinch of illegally-made salt that would shake the foundation of the British Empire, and that alone. Nothing else would work.
We all want to see change in some arena of life or another. We may want to change something about our family culture, our workplace environment, or online discourse. In doing so, we must be mindful that אתה must come before תצוה. The “you” must precede the instruction given to others. If we seek more peaceful and appropriate dialogue, we must become paragons of that behavior. If we’re disturbed by snide remarks or by screaming and shouting in order to get one’s point across, we must be mindful of not stooping to that level ourselves. If you want those around you to develop a better work ethic, you need to improve your own first. Passionate pleas ring hollow if they motivate towards a cause that the spokesperson undermines with his own behavior.
Though he may never actually have uttered the words, one of my favorite quotes is one often attributed to Gandhi: “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” It’s our actions more than our words that dictate if we’re part of the problem or part of the solution.
Like all true words of wisdom, a similar quote emerged from the words of Chazal long before Gandhi ever marched to the sea or even walked the earth. In discussing the importance of acting before preaching, the Gemara (Bava Metzia 107b) quotes Reish Lakish: “קשוט עצמך ואחר כך קשוט אחרים—First adorn yourself, and then adorn others.” When we’re left underwhelmed or frustrated by the actions or inactions of others, it’s a good time to look inward. We wish others would be adorned with better behavior. Have we adequately adorned ourselves with the same?