Divrei Torah Vayikra

Torah Table of Contents       

  Who's Calling?, by the Imrei Shaul
  The Small Aleph in the Word VaYikra, Divrei Yisrael

Who's Calling?

based on a ma'amar in Imrei Shaul, Parshas Vayikra

"Vayikra el Moshe - and He called to Moshe..." [Vayikra, 1:1]

We are not told Who called to Moshe in our verse - which needs to be understood. On the verse [Devarim, 34:10], "There never again arose a Prophet among the Jewish People like Moshe," the Midrash [Bamidbar Rabba, end of Parshas Naso] mentions that there were three middos [traits] that Bilaam [the Midianite prophet in Parshas Balak] had that Moshe Rabbeinu didn't. One of these was that Moshe didn't know Who spoke to him, while Bilaam did, as he describes himself as, "[the one] who hears the words of G-d" [Bamidbar, 24:4].

Rebbe Shaul Yedidya Elazar is puzzled by this Midrash, for immediately upon citing the verse about there being no other prophet like Moshe, it notes the middos that Bilaam had, that Moshe did not. Even though our Sages explain the verse in Devarim that "among the Jewish People" such a prophet did not rise, but "among the other nations, one did rise," still, this does not mean that he was greater!

Indeed, explains Reb Shaul, this Midrash is actually telling us how praiseworthy Moshe was. By telling us that Moshe did not know Who spoke to him, it is informing us that because of his great modesty and humility, it never occurred to Moshe that it was the Holy One, Blessed Be He, Who was calling to him.

This is quite the contrary with Bilaam, as Rashi explains [Bamidbar, 22:13] that he was of a "haughty spirit," which is indeed one of the three characteristics of Bilaam and his disciples, as our Sages teach us in Pirkei Avos [Chapter 5]. Thus Bilaam was quite aware of Who was speaking with him; that is, because of his extreme arrogance, he thought so much of himself that he was "fit" to be called upon by G-d and to speak to Him.

Indeed, the Midrash [Shemos Rabba, 3] teaches us that when Hashem first revealed Himself to Moshe, He used Moshe's father's voice. Moshe then replied, "Here I am, what does Father want?" To which Hashem replied, "I am not your father, but rather the G-d of your father." We see that because of his great humility, Moshe did not think it was Hashem Who was calling him; rather, he thought it was his father.

Similarly, our Sages [Midrash Toras Kohanim] tell us that every time Hashem called him, He said, "Moshe, Moshe." Why was the repetition of his name necessary? Because only when he was called upon several times did Moshe realize that it was a calling from Hashem.

Our Sages tell us that Yaakov Avinu "hid away" for fourteen years, learning in the yeshiva of Shem and Ever, when he left his home in search of a wife. This is not stated explicitly in the Torah, but is learned out by various hints in the verses. Why?

Rebbe Yechezkel of Kuzmir [brought in the Divrei Yisrael, Parshas Toldos] explains, based on the Maharal, that whenever a deed was done in a hidden way, it is also found in the Torah in a hidden way. Since Yaakov "hid away" in the yeshiva of Shem and Ever, so this deed was not stated explicitly, but learned out by a hint.

So it was with Moshe Rabbeinu, says Reb Shaul. After all the preparations in the Mishkan [Tabernacle] his attitude was, "who am I to enter?", so he humbly stood aside. And because of his great humility, it did not enter his mind that Hashem would call him, and he thus didn't know Who was speaking to him. Because of all this, the verse also "hides" the fact that it was Hashem Who was speaking to him, and merely states, "And He called to Moshe," without delineating Who was the speaker.

The Aleph of the word VAYIKRa is written in the Sefer Torah smaller than the other letters - "Aleph Ze'ira." When the world was created, the Aleph "stood aside", as it were, since all the other letters have a numerical value of plurality [more than one], while the Aleph's value is merely one. Similarly, Moshe thought that there were greater ones than he for his "calling." As a reward for its "humility," the Aleph is the first letter of the Aseres HaDibros [Ten Commandments]. Similarly, Moshe was informed here that Hashem desires to call "only to you."

Translated by Reb Yitzchak Dorfman of Yerushalaim, a Modzitzer Chasid


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The Small Aleph in the Word VaYikra

the Key Link Between the end of Sefer Sh'mos to Sefer VaYikra Based on the Divrei Yisrael, Parshas VaYikra

The word VaYikra at the beginning of the Parsha includes a small Aleph by tradition. Chazal point out that letters that are to be written smaller or larger teach their own unique lessons. Often, the small Aleph is a reference to Hashem's hidden Hashgacha in the world. ("alupho" shel olam - the first/prime entity of the world, the teacher of all). A second idea pointed out by Chazal is the idea of "smichus" - that juxtaposed pesukim that seem unrelated actually have a lesson for us as well. The Divrei Yisrael shows us that this particular small Aleph is a key link between the end of Sefer Sh'mos and Sefer VaYikra, teaching a central theme of Torah in the process.

Sefer Sh'mos ends with the phrase "in the eyes of the House of Yisrael, in all of their Journeys.". How does this tie into the small Aleph of VaYikra?

Nothing that happens in this world is by chance; every event, no matter how insignificant it may seem, is carefully orchestrated by Divine Providence. The Divrei Yisrael mentions that even a piece of worthless straw is blown from one place to another by Divine Providence - at first Hashem wanted it here, and later He had reason for it to be there. He quotes the famous reflection of his Grandfather, Reb Yehchezkel of Kuzmir, that Divine Providence determines that even a particular hide of a particular animal will hang on a particular peg on a particular wall at a particular leatherworker's shop. Nothing happens by chance. Every step that a person takes during his lifetime is carefully calculated and considered by Divine Providence. This is in fact the essential kavana (intention) one has for the bracha in the morning "hamachin mitzadei gaver" - Hashem prepares/considers the steps of man.

The Divrei Yisrael adds that this is especially true in these late generations, when people must travel distances from place to place to make a living, without a chance to rest comfortably at home. Their parnassa isn't to be found nearby, they must travel far and wide to "find" it. This too isn't by chance, the simple outcome of uncontrolled events ^*, but also planned by Divine Providence, in order to hasten the coming of Mashiach.

That is why the small Aleph is at the beginning of VaYikra, juxtaposed to the end of Sh'mos. Hashem, "alupho" shel Olam, Who's Divine Providence controls every event small and large, is the real cause behind all of the travels that the House of Israel make. Even what seems to be directionless wandering is carefully considered and planned by Hashem. With this in mind, we can take heart that even if our efforts and very movements seem fruitless, we should keep in mind that Hashem has taken all of this carefully into His Divine Plan. None of it is for nought.

This Peirush was made by the Divrei Yisrael in 5676 (1916), when hundreds of thousands of Jews were displaced and left homeless during WWI.

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