Shalom everyone,

This week’s Torah portion, Tetzaveh, focuses heavily on leadership, on the Kohanim, their responsibilities, and the detailed garments they wear while serving in the Mishkan. We read about everything from the lighting of the menorah to the daily offerings, and even the small details like the incense brought each day. Everything is intentional, structured, and centered around what it means to represent something greater than yourself.

But what stands out most is not what is included.
It is what is missing.

For the first time since his story begins, Moses’ name does not appear in the parsha at all. Not once. Which feels almost impossible, considering how central he is to everything happening.

And yet, even without his name, his presence is everywhere.

He is still leading. Still teaching. Still shaping everything behind the scenes.

And that idea, being essential without being recognized, carries a message that feels incredibly relevant.

There is a line I came across while preparing this that really stuck with me:

Legacy has nothing to do with your name and everything to do with your impact.

And I did not fully understand that until I thought back to a moment this past summer at camp.

There was one day where everything felt off. Kids were arguing, activities were not going to plan, and no matter how much energy I tried to bring, nothing was really turning things around. It was one of those days where you feel like you are failing at something you actually care a lot about.

At some point, I stopped trying to control everything and just started paying attention.

I noticed another counselor sitting with a kid who had been struggling all day. Nothing big. There was no speech or dramatic moment. He was simply talking, listening, and being there.

No one else really noticed it.

But after a while, that kid came back different. Calmer. Happier. Back with everyone else.

Slowly, the entire energy of the group started to shift.

What stuck with me was not just that the moment helped. It is that the counselor probably does not even remember doing it. There was no recognition, no credit, nothing that made it feel important at the time.

But that kid does.

That one small moment changed his entire day. And that is the thing about impact. The person who creates it might forget, but the person who experiences it never does.

That is what Tetzaveh is teaching us.

Throughout the parsha, we see leadership not just in big moments, but in consistency. The menorah is lit every single day. Offerings are brought every morning and every night. Incense is burned daily. Leadership here is not about one powerful moment. It is about showing up again and again with purpose.

Moses’ name might be missing, but his impact is not. The values he taught, the leadership he modeled, the structure he built, they are all still there, shaping everything.

And that is what real legacy looks like.

Not being remembered for your name or your title or the recognition you get, but being remembered for what you did for others. For how you showed up. For the difference you made, even in the moments no one else saw.

In a world where it is easy to chase recognition, to want to be seen, to be known, Tetzaveh challenges us to think differently.

What if the goal is not to be remembered?

What if the goal is to matter?

Because at the end of the day, people might forget what you said or even who you were.

But they will not forget how you made them feel.

And maybe that is the kind of legacy we should all be trying to build.

Shabbat Shalom,
‍
Gavin Meyers
Great Midwest Region
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Simchat Torah Challenge Podcast Series

Interested in listening to this week's parsha? Check out BBYO Ireland's take on Parshat Tetzaveh as a part of the Simchat Torah Challenge Podcast Series. The Simchat Torah Challenge is a yearlong journey where teens from around the Order are exploring the Torah, one parsha at a time. Teens are connecting with the text, sharing their thoughts, and exploring how it relates to their own lives.