(From Yerushalayim Ir Ha Kodesh)

The Sedra possesses a remarkable feature. Moses name does not appear. The reason is that at the Golden Calf, Moses petitioned G-d not to destroy the Jewish People. Here he uttered the phrase

"And if not, erase me from the book which you have written."

If A Tzaddik (Saint) says something it must happen. Here Moses was "erased" from the Book.

There is another reason for Moses omission from this Sedra. This Sedra also occurs at the time of Moses' birthday. This would tend to suggest that Moses should be mentioned in this Sedra it spans the date of his birth which was also 120 years later the date of his death. The actual date of Moses birthday is not stated in the Torah. The date has to be deduced. The Torah seems remarkably reluctant to recognise Moshe's life. REB ZALMAN SEROTSKIN, points out that the world’s religion's usually make the founder, the central feature of the theology and the structure of the belief. The twenty fifth of December and Easter celebrate the birth and death of a certain figure and are the defining moments of that religion. The Torah is making an essential point about Judaism. Moses is NOT the most important feature in Judaism......G-D is the most important feature in Judaism. The omission of the details of Moses life are quite intentional.

The RAN quotes the RAMBAM who points out that one of the essential conditions for being a Prophet is that a person suffers from no physical defect.

Imagine the scene as the Queen of England rides in her Golden carriage to the State opening of Parliament. Two "Footmen" stand on the outside in extravagant costume with Wig, Knickerbockers and white socks. Now imagine that one of the footman is an Amputee (he really is a footman!) Now of course the Queen had subjects who are Amputees but to have them displayed at a time when the Queen is trying to show her best would detract a little from the proceedings.

Yet Moshe had a defect; he could not speak properly. Of all the infirmities, this is the most disastrous for a prophet. His whole raison D’être is to communicate G-ds words to the world. How then is Moses a Prophet? Surely it would have been easy enough for G-d to cure him at their first meeting at the burning bush. The RAN's point is a crucial one. It must not be said that the reason that the Jews followed Moshe out from Egypt is because he was one of history's brilliant orators he held the masses "spell bound". History is full of them Alexander the Great, Napoleon and even Hitler y’m.

Jews are obliged to ignore such people! It's the message that must be true and therefore adhered to, the product not the salesman.