Parshat Vayikra 5759

“VAYIKRa”
Rabbi Ari Kahn

V
ayikra is a new Book, ostensibly marking a clear new
beginning. However, none of the books of the Torah can be
seen in a vacuum. Therefore we must discern the connection
of Vayikra with the other books. A glance at Vayikra reveals a Book
quite different from the other Books of the Torah. Most notable is the
dearth of narrative: This book is far more technically minded than
interested in telling stories. Furthermore, the chronological thread,
which had been a constant from Bereishit, seems lost. In a sense,
had the Book of Bamidbar preceded Vayikra, we may not have
noticed anything amiss. While Sh’mot was occupied with the
Exodus, in Vayikra the Jews are clearly out of Egypt. The march
toward the Land of Israel is taken up in the following books,
Bamidbar and D’varim. While Bamidbar is the chronological
continuation of Shmot, Vayikra may be seen as the thematic
continuation. An analysis of the very beginning of Vayikra will
strengthen this understanding.

The book begins with a difficult verse:

And [He] called to Moses, and G-d spoke to him from the Tent of
Meeting, saying… (1,1)

The verse is uneven. Though contextually clear, linguistically the

text is obscure. Moshe is called, though we are not told by whom. Of
course, we believe that the caller is G-d. The text adds that G-d
spoke to Moshe from the Tent. One editing the text would have
produced a simpler verse; “G-d spoke to Moshe in the Tent of
Meeting”. Yet this is not what the text says. Additionally, the text
has another oddity: The first verse is written with a letter of
abnormal size: the Aleph in Vayikra is written in tiny script: VAYIKRa.

These idiosyncrasies combine to make a difficult verse, and

therefore a difficult introduction to the Book.

Rashi addresses the first question, yet seems to exacerbate the

second, explaining that the “calling” is a sign of love and
endearment: The angels, who are not victims of human
temperament and jealousy, call to one another with love.

…I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train
filled the Temple. Above it stood the seraphim; each one had six wings; with
two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he did
fly. And one called to another, and said, ‘Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of Hosts;
the whole earth is full of His glory.’ (Isaiah 6:1-3)

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And even though we are not accustomed to the form that introduces
the Book of Vayikra, this verse should serve as an archetype for all
communication with Moshe. Rashi notes that when G-d addresses
the evil Bil’am, the Torah writes “Vayikar” a term of enmity which
implies terseness of speech and, therefore, disdain (see Rashi’s
comments Vayikra 1:1, and Bamidbar 23:4). The Torah thus
describes how G-d calls out to Moshe with love, in contradistinction
to the way that G-d communicated with Bil’am. Our second question
is exacerbated by Rashi’s comments, for if the entire purpose of this
phrase was to illustrate G-d’s love for Moshe and the extraordinary
distinction between this communication and the communication
with Bil’am, why is the Aleph written small, in effect causing that
word to read “Vayikar”, just as in the case of Bil’am?

The Ba’al Haturim explains that this was Moshe’s choice: Out of
modesty, he thought that the introduction should be no different
from G-d’s speech to Bil’am. Therefore, in a compromise position, G-
d had Moshe write the Aleph small. Why, here and now, would
Moshe suddenly be overwhelmed by this sense of humility? We
know that Moshe was the most modest of men, yet this does not
explain Moshe’s insistence at this particular juncture.

A teaching of the Ariz”al may explain the timing. The reason that
the Aleph was written small at this juncture is that the “calling”
itself was somewhat defective. G-d called Moshe from a perspective
of limitation. The Ariz”al explains that this calling follows the sin of
the Golden Calf, after man had lost some of his stature. This idea is
based on a teaching in the Zohar, which notes that while Vayikra
begins with a small Aleph, Divrei HaYamim begins with a larger-than-
normal Aleph:

A dam, Seth, Enosh. (Divrei Haymim I, 1:1)

At the dawn of creation, man enjoyed an unparalleled stature. The

world was brand new, and Man was created in the image of G-d. Sin
changed man’s stature, and subsequent generations suffered lost
their luster. The best opportunity for man to regain that which was
lost was at Sinai. According to the Sages, that is exactly what
transpired, only for man to “fall” again as a result of the Golden Calf.
The Aleph is small once again.

The Sfat Emet explains that Moshe, who was incredibly modest, had
always seen his own leadership through jaundiced eyes. From the
outset, he felt unworthy, but he became convinced that the people
needed him, and for that reason alone he took up his role. Yet Moshe
saw himself as merely an extension of his People. If the people had
failed with the Golden Calf, then Moshe, as an individual, saw

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himself as no better than Bil’am, and therefore “deserving” of the
same type of speech.

Let us return to the first textual peculiarity: The text does not
indicate who calls Moshe, and the phrasing of this verse is very
uneven. The Sforno sees a direct parallel to this verse at the end of
Parshat Mishpatim when Moshe is called up the Mountain in order to
receive the Torah. Moshe was to be on high for forty days and
nights. When Moshe ascends the Mountain, he remains for six days
on the summit before proceeding.

And Moshe went up into the Mount, and a cloud covered the Mount. And the
Glory of the Lord abode upon Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days;
and [He] called to Moshe on the seventh day from the midst of the cloud.
(Shmot 24:15,16)

It seems as if Moshe was unable to penetrate the cloud – or glory of

G-d, for the holiness was too extreme. A similar description is used
when the Mishkan is built:

Then a cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the
Tabernacle. And Moshe was not able to enter into the Tent of Meeting,
because the cloud abode on it, and the Glory of the Lord filled the
Tabernacle.(Shmot 40, 34-36)

As Moshe was unable to enter the Glory on Mount Sinai until he was
called, so, too, at the dedication of the Mishkan, Moshe was unable
to enter until he was called. In the case of Mount Sinai, Moshe is
called in the very same verse, while in the case of the Mishkan,
Moshe is called in the next paragraph, which happens be the first
paragraph of a new Book. This being the case, we clearly see how
the first phrase in Vayikra continues, almost mid-sentence, the last
verses of the Book of Shmot.

This also provides insight as to “what” called Moshe, and the nature
of this calling. The verse reads:

And [He] called to Moses, and G-d spoke to him from the Tent of
Meeting, saying…(Vayikra 1,1)

The calling has no content, unlike the speech which immediately

follows. This was the reason that Rashi declared that there most be
a different reason for the use of this anomalous form- namely G-d’s
love for Moshe. However, we must recall how Shmot ends, with the
Mishkan fully constructed and the Glory of G-d descended, with
Moshe and the People of Israel anxiously awaiting some sign that
entry into the Mishkan is possible. The Zohar describes the scene as
wedding day:

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 “And Moshe was not able to enter into the Tent of Meeting, because
the cloud abode thereon.” For the reason that She was then arraying
herself in Her finery as a woman prepares and bedecks herself to
receive her husband; and at such a moment it is unseemly for the
husband to enter unto her. Thus “Moshe was not able to enter into the
Tent of Meeting...” (Zohar, Shmot 235b)

The Mishkan was built, but it was not yet the time for intimacy.
Vayikra begins with the intimacy, with the call of G-d, or the
Shechina, the Glory of G-d, to Moshe. Now Moshe may enter the
Mishkan. Just as receiving the Torah required a preparation of 6 days
before Moshe could enter, the dedication of the Mishkan required
similar preparation. The book of Vayikra is primarily concerned with
this newfound intimacy; the basic principle of the korban, Vayikra’s
main subject, is rooted in the word karov – to come close, to be
intimate. The korban represents the possibility for man to heal his
damaged relationship with G-d, to come close, to rekindle what has
been dimmed by sin.

True intimacy with G-d is difficult; after all, G-d who is infinite,
unknowable, ineffable, is not exactly accessible. The verse which
Rashi cited describing the angels deals with this problem:

I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and His
train filled the Temple. Above it stood the seraphim; each one had six
wings; with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet,
and with two he did fly. And one called to another, and said, “Holy,
holy, holy, is the Lord of Hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory.”
And the posts of the door moved at the voice of he who cried, and the
house was filled with smoke (Isaiah (6:1-4)

The term “holy” means separate: The angels call to one another and
declare that G-d is completely separate-- “separate separate
separate”-- completely transcendent, yet G-d’s glory fills this earth.
The Angels know that G-d is both completely transcendent, yet
imminent. This profound paradox is the heart of the Jewish
experience. G-d is unknowable – yet available; beyond imagination –
yet at my side. “High and lifted up”, yet “His train filled the Temple.”
The result of accepting this mystery is that the “House filled with
smoke”. The Shechina comes down and envelops the Temple.

This is the starting point of Vayikra. The Glory of G-d filled the
Mishkan. The transcendent G-d has brought His Glory down to earth.
This Glory is so impressive that the Mishkan can not be penetrated.
Now, G-d limits infinity one more step and calls Moshe from the
midst of the Mishkan. Moshe, for his part, underwent a similar
process. He feels that he is unworthy of direct contact with the
Shechina, rather than being carried away with his own impressive
record. After all, Moshe had led the Jews from Egypt, Moshe climbed
the Mountain and brought the Torah to earth, Moshe “wrestled” with

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G-d to save the people at the moment of their infamy. Yet Moshe
feels inadequate in the face of the Glory of G-d. Paradoxically, this
modesty is what makes Moshe a spiritual giant, and all the more
attractive as a leader.

Moshe’s self-limitation mirrored G-d’s self-limitation. For this reason

the small Aleph remained, as a clue, a key which makes G-d
accessible: We must limit our tendency to self-aggrandizement.
When man becomes intoxicated with his own self-worth, he feels
that he is a “self-made man”, and begins to worship his “creator”.
Such a man can not find G-d. Only man who is cognizant that G-d is
transcendent– yet His Glory fills the earth, can approach the infinite.
Moreover, to such a man, the Infinite will call out, inviting him to
intimacy.

G-d lovingly called to Moshe, who deserved this calling because he

thought he did not. The angels lovingly call out to one another, and
we repeat the words of the angels on a daily basis. But for us this
should not be merely a doxology; we must listen to the calling, for
the result is the Glory of G-d filling the earth and intimacy with
Divine.

© 1999 Rabbi Ari Kahn, All Rights Reserved