When small is big

Rabbi Michael Katz

Chabad of Illovo

It is the book of action; not where we came from, not about the history of the world, but a practical book of instruction. A child needs to know right away what we are meant to do-– the history and the reasons can all come later, but action is the first lesson that he or she needs to have.

But there is a more subtle message in the opening word of the book, the word that gives this book its name – Vayikra – which really means “He called with love”.

G-d is calling his faithful servant Moshe – Moses – and so the Torah expresses the fact that He called to him in an endearing way – not a shout out, but a call of deep affection.

Moshe was uncomfortable writing this term about himself and wished to shorten the word, leaving out the Aleph, the last letter of the word. The word would still connote calling and wouldn’t alter the meaning, except that it would not have the meaning of “calling with love”, but just “And He Called”.

G-d insists that the Aleph appears in the word and so a compromise is struck and the Aleph is written in a small size. It stands as a testimony to the humility and sensitivity of Moshe.

So the first Aleph that a child should see in his or her Torah learning, is an Aleph that represents humility and sensitivity!

What a fine lesson for our children! In a world that seems to be driven by pride, arrogance and ambition, the very first lesson that we have to give our children is that we have to know what our service of G-d must be, we need to put that first, but at all times it must be clothed in humility and at all times it must be sensitive to the needs of those around us.

We read from three Torah scrolls this Shabbat. For not only do we read Vayikra, we also read a portion for Rosh Chodesh as Shabbat marks the first day of the month of Nissan, and we read the special pre-Pesach reading of Hachodesh – the portion instructing the Jewish people to live by our unique and fascinating calendar.

The Torah is telling us with this mitzvah that we need to live our lives as Jews according to a different rhythm, to function according to a different beat. But as we are doing all that, we dare not lose sight of the need for the small Aleph. It is the small Aleph of humility and sensitivity that truly makes us great.

With best wishes for a Shabbat Shalom, a Chodesh Tov and a happy kosher Pesach.