The Call of the Deity
We begin a new book of the Torah this Shabbos. Vayikra is called Leviticus, though the Hebrew word itself means "He called." The He identified in the verb refers to G-d.
וַיִּקְרָ֖א אֶל־משֶׁ֑ה וַיְדַבֵּ֤ר ה֙ אֵלָ֔יו מֵאֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵ֖ד לֵאמֹֽר
Rashi explains that though though וַיִּקְרָ֖א is not stated each time the text records what G-d said to Moshe, he was called by name in a show of love. Indeed, if you go back to Shmos 3:4, you see that the first time Moshe hears Hashem speak to him it uses that term 'וַיִּקְרָא֩ אֵלָ֨יו אֱ:
מִתּ֣וֹךְ הַסְּנֶ֗ה וַיֹּ֛אמֶר משֶׁ֥ה משֶׁ֖ה וַיֹּ֥אמֶר הִנֵּֽנִי
This exchange has echoes of the episode where Hashem sends His angel to call to Avraham to prevent him for following through on offering up his son in Bereishis 22:11 "And an angel of G-d called to him from heaven and said, 'Avraham! Avraham!' And he said, 'Here I am.'"
The difference is that in Avraham's case, the call is at a more removed level, for an angel is calling from above, while in Moshe's case, Hashem Himself, so to speak, directs his voice to emanate from within the burning bush the same way He later directs it to emanate from Ohel Moed, as it does in Vayikra.
G-d's communication with Moshe is more direct than it is with any other prophet, which is why his prophecy is unique. Chazal say that Moshe saw with a unique clarity, described as aspaklaria meira. It's like he had a view of his prophecy through a perfectly clear glass window while other prophets were looking through windows with patterns that obscured the view a bit.
G-d Himself attested to that difference when taking Aharon and Miriam to task for assuming their brother's prophetic status was the same as their own. in Bamidbar 12:8 פֶּ֣ה אֶל־פֶּ֞ה אֲדַבֶּר־בּ֗וֹ וּמַרְאֶה֙ וְלֹ֣א בְחִידֹ֔ת וּתְמֻנַ֥ת יְהֹוָ֖ה יַבִּ֑יט וּמַדּ֨וּעַ֙ לֹ֣א יְרֵאתֶ֔ם לְדַבֵּ֖ר בְּעַבְדִּ֥י בְמשֶֽׁה:
By what merit did Moshe achieve such a high level of prophecy? Of course, his destiny was determined in part by the needs of the people at the time. But he also was the one chosen above all others because he had the highest level of anava of anyone, as the text says a few verses earlier
“And the man Moshe was extremely humble, more than any person on the face of the earth.” [Bamidbar 12:3]
That quality of humility is what allows Moshe to remove his ego and subjugate any subjective perspective that emanates from his personality or personal history from interfering in the clarity of his vision. In fact, that's how I would read what is described in the first encounter we see between G-d and Moshe back in Shmos 3:4
וַיַּ֥רְא -' כִּ֣י סָ֣ר לִרְא֑וֹת וַיִּקְרָא֩ אֵלָ֨יו אֱ'ם מִתּ֣וֹךְ הַסְּנֶ֗ה וַיֹּ֛אמֶר משֶׁ֥ה משֶׁ֖ה וַיֹּ֥אמֶר הִנֵּֽנִי
What Hashem saw then was the Moshe turned away aside to see. Why turn away? I'd say that it wasn't about just shifting position. He was able to push aside his ego, his personal biases and anything else that would interfere with taking in the Divine message wholly and clearly because he sought understanding above all. That's a demonstration of anava --not a feeling of personal worthlessness but one of being able to subjugate one's sense of self to a purpose beyond one's self.
In our texts, the aleph in וַיִּקְרָ֖א is written smaller than the other letters, which some commentators point out represents diminishing the self. In Moshe's case, it was a sign of modesty to try to make the word look like it was just וַיִּקָּר, the same term that is used when Hashem speaks to Bilam in Bamidbar 23:4 .
Interestingly, though, Rashi offers no commentary on the size of the letter, though he does point out the difference between the love implied by a call written out with the aleph and the more accidental form of communication inherent in וַיִּקָּר. Even without the shifting of letters, we can derive the lesson of Moshe's humility being the key to his exalted form of prophecy from the first verse of Vayikra.
A call goes out, and is received by Moshe. That is immediately followed by Hashem being identified as speaking to him. Because he is so free of ego, Moshe is able to render himself virtually free if any personal identity. When he receives the call from Hashem, he erases his individuality, so to speak, and receives the words exactly as they are delivered with perfect fidelity.
This is why we say of Moshe what we say of no other: "Moshe emeth veToratho emeth." He is perfectly truthful, and so his Torah is true. He attained the level of conveying the Torah completely and truly because he was had that clarity of vision that was only possible for someone with the highest level of anava.
Like and follow on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/KallahMagazine/
וַיִּקְרָ֖א אֶל־משֶׁ֑ה וַיְדַבֵּ֤ר ה֙ אֵלָ֔יו מֵאֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵ֖ד לֵאמֹֽר
Rashi explains that though though וַיִּקְרָ֖א is not stated each time the text records what G-d said to Moshe, he was called by name in a show of love. Indeed, if you go back to Shmos 3:4, you see that the first time Moshe hears Hashem speak to him it uses that term 'וַיִּקְרָא֩ אֵלָ֨יו אֱ:
מִתּ֣וֹךְ הַסְּנֶ֗ה וַיֹּ֛אמֶר משֶׁ֥ה משֶׁ֖ה וַיֹּ֥אמֶר הִנֵּֽנִי
This exchange has echoes of the episode where Hashem sends His angel to call to Avraham to prevent him for following through on offering up his son in Bereishis 22:11 "And an angel of G-d called to him from heaven and said, 'Avraham! Avraham!' And he said, 'Here I am.'"
The difference is that in Avraham's case, the call is at a more removed level, for an angel is calling from above, while in Moshe's case, Hashem Himself, so to speak, directs his voice to emanate from within the burning bush the same way He later directs it to emanate from Ohel Moed, as it does in Vayikra.
G-d's communication with Moshe is more direct than it is with any other prophet, which is why his prophecy is unique. Chazal say that Moshe saw with a unique clarity, described as aspaklaria meira. It's like he had a view of his prophecy through a perfectly clear glass window while other prophets were looking through windows with patterns that obscured the view a bit.
G-d Himself attested to that difference when taking Aharon and Miriam to task for assuming their brother's prophetic status was the same as their own. in Bamidbar 12:8 פֶּ֣ה אֶל־פֶּ֞ה אֲדַבֶּר־בּ֗וֹ וּמַרְאֶה֙ וְלֹ֣א בְחִידֹ֔ת וּתְמֻנַ֥ת יְהֹוָ֖ה יַבִּ֑יט וּמַדּ֨וּעַ֙ לֹ֣א יְרֵאתֶ֔ם לְדַבֵּ֖ר בְּעַבְדִּ֥י בְמשֶֽׁה:
By what merit did Moshe achieve such a high level of prophecy? Of course, his destiny was determined in part by the needs of the people at the time. But he also was the one chosen above all others because he had the highest level of anava of anyone, as the text says a few verses earlier
“And the man Moshe was extremely humble, more than any person on the face of the earth.” [Bamidbar 12:3]
That quality of humility is what allows Moshe to remove his ego and subjugate any subjective perspective that emanates from his personality or personal history from interfering in the clarity of his vision. In fact, that's how I would read what is described in the first encounter we see between G-d and Moshe back in Shmos 3:4
וַיַּ֥רְא -' כִּ֣י סָ֣ר לִרְא֑וֹת וַיִּקְרָא֩ אֵלָ֨יו אֱ'ם מִתּ֣וֹךְ הַסְּנֶ֗ה וַיֹּ֛אמֶר משֶׁ֥ה משֶׁ֖ה וַיֹּ֥אמֶר הִנֵּֽנִי
What Hashem saw then was the Moshe turned away aside to see. Why turn away? I'd say that it wasn't about just shifting position. He was able to push aside his ego, his personal biases and anything else that would interfere with taking in the Divine message wholly and clearly because he sought understanding above all. That's a demonstration of anava --not a feeling of personal worthlessness but one of being able to subjugate one's sense of self to a purpose beyond one's self.
In our texts, the aleph in וַיִּקְרָ֖א is written smaller than the other letters, which some commentators point out represents diminishing the self. In Moshe's case, it was a sign of modesty to try to make the word look like it was just וַיִּקָּר, the same term that is used when Hashem speaks to Bilam in Bamidbar 23:4 .
Interestingly, though, Rashi offers no commentary on the size of the letter, though he does point out the difference between the love implied by a call written out with the aleph and the more accidental form of communication inherent in וַיִּקָּר. Even without the shifting of letters, we can derive the lesson of Moshe's humility being the key to his exalted form of prophecy from the first verse of Vayikra.
A call goes out, and is received by Moshe. That is immediately followed by Hashem being identified as speaking to him. Because he is so free of ego, Moshe is able to render himself virtually free if any personal identity. When he receives the call from Hashem, he erases his individuality, so to speak, and receives the words exactly as they are delivered with perfect fidelity.
This is why we say of Moshe what we say of no other: "Moshe emeth veToratho emeth." He is perfectly truthful, and so his Torah is true. He attained the level of conveying the Torah completely and truly because he was had that clarity of vision that was only possible for someone with the highest level of anava.
Like and follow on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/KallahMagazine/
Comments
http://rabbisacks.org/call-vayikra-5778/
Shem m'Shmuel: G-d is inside each of us and inside everything, but most of the time we are outside looking in, i.e. we struggle to dig within ourselves to discover spirituality. How do we get called into the palace?
When you inscribe on everything that it's for the sake of the king it means you surrender your ego -- it's not about you. You are just a shliach of G-d, and shlucho shel adam k'moso.
When you do that, there is no more inside vs outside -- you are one and the same with the king, in the same place, on the same page. You are in the palace.