Rabbi's Message

This week, we begin reading the book of Vayikra, Leviticus. The very first words of Vayikra are “The Lord called to Moses and spoke to him from the Tent of Meeting.” There is a scribal tradition that the final letter (an alef) in the first word of the Torah reading (Vayikra, which means “And God called”) is written in smaller letters in the Torah scroll than the rest of the word. Why is this?

One explanation from the Ba’al HaTurim (14th-century Spain), is that the alef is written smaller than the rest of the letters because when Moses was taking God’s dictation and writing the Torah, he was upset at the idea that someone might think that he thought he was important enough that God actually planned a conversation with him. Instead, Moses wanted to leave off the alef, and thereby change the word from “Vayikra” to “Vayikar,” altering the meaning from “The Lord called to Moses” to “The Lord had a chance encounter with Moses.” God insisted on the alef, but the compromise was to write it smaller than the other letters, to demonstrate Moses’ discomfort. This explanation highlights Moses’ humility.

While we admire Moses’ humility, I think God’s insistence on the alef is important and offers an important lesson for today. There are times in our lives when we are called to step up.  Perhaps we are called by God, perhaps by others, and perhaps by the longings and morals found in the depths of our hearts.  The question is, can we quiet ourselves to hear the call and then summon the strength to act upon it?

Vayikra.  This week, in Washington, DC, a call was made to all of us in a record 25-hour-long speech by Senator Cory Booker, who implored us to open our eyes, ears, and hearts to this moment. It was a call to soften hearts.  It was a call to summon fortitude, break through inertia, and hold onto hope. It was a call to look to the left and to the right and to see humanity on both sides.  It was a call to stand up for our values, for our beliefs, and for human decency and morality.  It was a call to take a stand for our democracy and for our shared future.  Vayikra.  Will we, like Moses, find it within ourselves to answer the call?  I certainly hope so.  I believe we must.  And I believe we will.

Shabbat Shalom.