(א) וַיְהִי֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁמִינִ֔י קָרָ֣א מֹשֶׁ֔ה לְאַהֲרֹ֖ן וּלְבָנָ֑יו וּלְזִקְנֵ֖י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ (ב) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֶֽל־אַהֲרֹ֗ן קַח־לְ֠ךָ עֵ֣גֶל בֶּן־בָּקָ֧ר לְחַטָּ֛את וְאַ֥יִל לְעֹלָ֖ה תְּמִימִ֑ם וְהַקְרֵ֖ב לִפְנֵ֥י ה'׃ (ג) וְאֶל־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל תְּדַבֵּ֣ר לֵאמֹ֑ר קְח֤וּ שְׂעִיר־עִזִּים֙ לְחַטָּ֔את וְעֵ֨גֶל וָכֶ֧בֶשׂ בְּנֵי־שָׁנָ֛ה תְּמִימִ֖ם לְעֹלָֽה׃ (ד) וְשׁ֨וֹר וָאַ֜יִל לִשְׁלָמִ֗ים לִזְבֹּ֙חַ֙ לִפְנֵ֣י ה' וּמִנְחָ֖ה בְּלוּלָ֣ה בַשָּׁ֑מֶן כִּ֣י הַיּ֔וֹם ה' נִרְאָ֥ה אֲלֵיכֶֽם׃
(1) On the eighth day Moses called Aaron and his sons, and the elders of Israel. (2) He said to Aaron: “Take a calf of the herd for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering, without blemish, and bring them before the LORD. (3) And speak to the Israelites, saying: Take a he-goat for a sin offering; a calf and a lamb, yearlings without blemish, for a burnt offering; (4) and an ox and a ram for an offering of well-being to sacrifice before the LORD; and a meal offering with oil mixed in. For today the LORD will appear to you.”
On the final day of the Mishkan's inauguration, Moshe summons Aharon, his sons and the elders and announces the culminating mission. Aharon must bring a קרבן חטאת and an עולה and the nation must do the same, because the climax of all the Mishkan preparations: כי היום ה' נראה אליכם, is about to occur.
And yet, Moshe seems less certain about this fact when he repeats it to the entire community:
(ה) וַיִּקְח֗וּ אֵ֚ת אֲשֶׁ֣ר צִוָּ֣ה מֹשֶׁ֔ה אֶל־פְּנֵ֖י אֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֑ד וַֽיִּקְרְבוּ֙ כָּל־הָ֣עֵדָ֔ה וַיַּֽעַמְד֖וּ לִפְנֵ֥י ה'׃ (ו) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֔ה זֶ֧ה הַדָּבָ֛ר אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּ֥ה ה' תַּעֲשׂ֑וּ וְיֵרָ֥א אֲלֵיכֶ֖ם כְּב֥וֹד ה'׃
Notice that the letter ה is missing from the word וְיֵרָא. If Moshe had wanted to tell the people, "Hashem's Glory will [unquestionably] appear to you today," the proper verb form would be וְיֵרָאֶה. In the Torah, when the final syllable is dropped from a third-person future tense verb, it is using the verb's "jussive" form, signaling that the word is being expressed as a wish or a prayer, rather than a certain prediction. Sefaria's English translation above is sensitive to this change, rendering Moshe's words, "that the Presence of the LORD may appear to you."
Moshe had been more matter-of-fact when he told Aharon and the elders that Hashem's Glory would appear. There was no tone of prayer in his words. But when he repeats the message to the community, a shadow of doubt creeps in. Why?
Aharon and B'nei Yisrael had been instructed to bring special קרבנות חטאת on the 8th day. Chazal explain their significance:
(1) . ויאמר אל אהרן: קח לך עגל בן בקר לחטאת, “He said to Aaron: “take yourself a young bull for a sin-offering, etc.” This was intended to atone for the affair of the golden calf, of which the Torah had written that Aaron had made it (Exodus 32,35). (2) A Midrashic approach to these words (Tanchuma Shemini 4): “the reason Moses did not simply say: “take a bull,” but “take yourself a calf, etc,.” is to remind him that whereas on account of the golden calf he had almost lost his claim to the position of the High Priesthood, he now would re-establish his claim to it by offering a calf as sin-offering.
When Aharon and בני ישראל present calves before Hashem, there is no hiding- their past misdeed with the עגל is on full display. But this openness and willingness to admit to the past is what gives Aharon "street cred." Yes, he fell down, yes he had needed to repent. But this repentance earned him forgiveness and legitimacy as Israel's representative. He knew what it meant to appeal for forgiveness, and now he would be truly prepared to lead his brethren, day after day, along similar personal journeys.
But what about B'nei Yisrael? Would they properly rise to the occasion?
Past being prologue, it was fair for Moshe to be concerned. What's interesting is that he helped the community build on its past mistakes, using one of its failings as a vaccine against future illness. When B'nei Yisrael had chosen to construct the golden calf and worship it, one of the most surprising features of their sin had been their unity. Yes, they had followed their wanton instincts away from their Creator, but they had done so as one nation. Now Moshe urges them to harness this instinct for unity and use it to move forward:
(ד) שוב באה לידי מדרש אחר (כן הוא בתו''כ הכא) בילקוט וזה לשונם זה הדבר אמר להם משה לישראל אותו יצר הרע תעבידו מלבבכם ותהיו כלכם ביראה אחת ובעצה אחת לשרת לפני המקום וכו' ותהיה עבודתכם מיוחדת לפניו דכתיב ומלתם את ערלת לבבכם וגו' ואם עשיתם זה וירא אליכם כבוד ה' עד כאן, והם דברינו עצמם:
The words זה הדבר refer to Moses urging the Jewish people to remove the evil urge from their hearts so that all of them would be of a single purpose and share the same sense of reverence for G'd as a result of which they would merit to serve in the presence of the Lord. Moses promised the people that their service of the Lord would be something unique as it is written "and you shall circumcise the foreskin of your hearts (Deut. 10,16), etc." Moses added: "when you do this, the verse 'the glory of G'd will appear to you' will be fulfilled."
Moshe has given B'nei Yisrael a mission that will help them achieve Hashem's acceptance, and he's pretty certain that they have what it takes to get there. We can almost hear him telling them, "you've got this, you know how to do this." When Moshe concludes his statement in pasuk 6 with a prayerful, וְיֵרָא, he just hopes his instincts are correct and that they will follow his advice.
As teachers, as parents, Moshe's words offer a reminder. We can set guidelines, we can create structures and scaffolding, and we can share our wisest counsel. But after that, all we can do is send our children off, and pray.