Shalom Friends;
This week, our Parshat HaShevua — Parshat Vayikra is being sponsored by Benyamin and Tracy Skriloff of Ramat Beit Shemesh dedicated Lilui Nishmas for the recent passing of Benyamin’s Mother Chana bat Benyamin. To Mishpochat Skriloff, many thanks for your sponsorship, and your continued kindnesses.
You can celebrate a Simcha — a birth, a Bar/Bat Mitzvah, a Chassuna or other Simcha event in your life, or comemmorate a Yahrtzeit of a loved one, or for whatever other reason by sponsoring a Parshat HaShevua.
Please forward to your relatives and friends and encourage them to sponsor a Parshat HaShevua. And please be in contact with me with any questions, or for further details.
Best Regards,
Moshe Burt
olehchadash@yahoo.com
skype: mark.burt3
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R’ Shimshon Rafael Hirsch, z’l in the new Hirsch Chumash (published by Feldheim in 2005 and translated to English by Rabbi Daniel Haberman) renders translation of our Parsha’s opening posuk:
“And He called to Moshe, and Hashem spoke to him from the Tent of Appointed Meeting [Mei-Ohel Mo’ed], saying:” (Hirsch Chumash renders to English, Sefer Vayikra, page 1, Perek 1, posuk 1)
Rashi, as noted in The Sapirstein Edition, The Torah with Rashi’s Commentary (Sefer Vayikra, page 2, Perek 1, posuk 1 including notes 2 and 6) states:
“He called to Moshe.” “Calling” preceded every statement, and every saying, and every command. It is language of affection, i.e. language that indicates affection; language which the ministering angels [melachim] use, as it says, “One called to the other and said, ‘Holy…'” (Rashi citing Yishaya 6:3) A note citing Toras Kohanim, Parshasa 1:6-7 “He called… and Hashem spoke” appears redundant, Rashi explains that “He called” indicates that the “speaking” which follows was made endearingly; the call consisted of a loving pronouncement of Moshe’s name. Although the Torah does not say so explicitly, whenever it says that Hashem addressed Moshe using a form of the verb “to speak” (dabeir) or “to say” (amar), or “to command” (tzavar) to introduce what is stated, i.e. “And Hashem spoke to Moshe,” Hashem first “called,” that is He first addressed Moshe by calling his name twice. The word “V’yidabeir” of our verse indicates that calling preceded “speaking”; the word “lei’mor” at the end of the verse indicates that it preceded “saying”; and the word “dabeir” of verse 2… indicates that it preceded “commanding” (Rashi citing Gur Aryeh)
“He called to Moshe.” The voice of Hashem would go, and reach [Moshe’s] ears, and all of Israel would not hear it. (Toras Kohanim, Perek 2:7-9, Tanchuma 1) Since Hashem called Moshe by name, the verse could have said “And He called, ‘Moshe.'” The phrase “And He called to Moshe,” indicates that only Moshe heard his name called. (Rashi citing Gur Aryeh)
Rebbetzin Shira Smiles, [a resident of Ramat Beit Shemesh, Israel] cites in her sefer “Torah Tapestries,” (Sefer Vayikra page 5) both Rashi and Rabbi Shimshon Dovid Pincus regarding calling one’s name as background for Hashem’s expression of “Vayikra” — Hashem’s gentle, loving calls to Moshe for private meetings:
The opening phrase “vayikra el Moshe” teaches us that Hashem called to Moshe by his name. Rashi explains that the alef at the end of the word “vayikra” comes to emphasize how Hashem spoke lovingly to Moshe….
Rabbi Shimshon Dovid Pincus elaborates on the idea that calling someone by name is an expression of love…
The giving of a name does not stem from a general parental love. Rather, it is an expression of personal, individual love. Each child in a family is unique and is granted a specific name, exclusive to him. Every son or daughter is individually loved for the distinctive qualities he or she embodies.
We are told how Hashem, Kav’yochal, would call gently, affectionately “Moshe, Moshe” in a voice for Moshe Rabbeinu’s ears only and Moshe would respond “Here I am.” (Rashi on Sefer Vayikra, Perek 1, posuk 1 — Metsuda Linear Chumash & Rashi with footnotes)
We return to Rashi again on Sefer Vayikra, Perek 1, posuk 1 (Rashi citing Bamidbar, Perek 23. posuk 4, including notes 4 and 5):
But the prophets [nevi’im] of the other nations of the world, He revealed Himself to them in language of transitoriness and impurity, as it says, [“V’yikar…”] “Hashem happened upon Bila’am.” The basic meaning of “V’yikar,” “And He happened,” connotes transitoriness. It also connotes impurity as it is similar to kari — “seminal emission,” which is a cause of impurity. (Rashi also citing Mizrachi, Sifsei Chachamim, Breish’t Rabbah 52:5)
To this author, Vaykra vs Vayikar seems to fit nicely with Chovos Halevovos (Rabbi Bachya ibn Paquda), volume one, Sha’ar Avodah Keilokim, Perek Tess where he writes:
“If you adopt this approach, favoring your intellect and following its advice, the scribe who records your good deeds will include among them all of your permitted acts, and they will be added to them. All of your faculties will help you in My service.
“But if you act contrary to its advice and incline the view of the second advisor, who opposes [the intellect] in all situations, and you use [your faculties] as he advises you, your commendable qualities will become contemptible, just as an incompetent physician will kill [the patient] with therapeutic drugs, because he is ignorant of the ways in which they should be used. The scribe who records your evil deeds will include among them all of your permitted acts, and they will be added to them.”
This author understands that following contrary advice to that of one’s intellect leads to all of one’s permitted acts being rendered as, and counted with, one’s evil deeds.
This discussion of Vayikra vs Vayikar of the very first posuk of Sefer Vayikra indicates that there are lessons to be learned, acquired and applied in our times. If we follow the wise counsel of the intellect, we could understand that we would be equated affectionately by Hashem. Whereas, if we follow the advise of the second advisor, we could be viewed in an unfavorable, transitory light in Shemayim.
May we, the B’nei Yisrael be zocha that our brethren — the refugee families from Gush Katif be permanently settled and be made totally whole — be totally restituted for all that was stolen from them and that the thrice expelled families of Amona be restored to their rebuilt homes and the oft-destroyed Yeshiva buildings in Homesh be rebuilt, all at total government expense; all due to alt-leftist-agendized, supreme court legalized Yassamnik gunpoint. Baruch Hashem that our dear brother Jonathan Pollard is now free of his parole and restrictions and that he is now in his second year at home in Eretz Yisrael. May Esther Yocheved bat Yechiel Avraham have an aliyah in Shemayim and may her memory continue to lift Jonathan to at least 120 years. May the MIAs be liberated alive and returned to us in ways befitting Al Kiddush Hashem — as with the return in April, 2019, via Russia, of the remains of Zachariah Baumel, as should the remains of the two chayalim from the Gaza War of five and a half years ago. May we have the courage and strength to stand up and physically prevent the possibility of Chas V’Challila any future eviction of Jews from their homes and prevent Chas V’Challila the handing of Jewish land over to anyone, let alone to enemies sworn to Israel’s and Judaism’s destruction and eradication. And may we soon and finally see the total end to the Communist Chinese corona virus pandemic and all like viruses. May we fulfill Hashem’s blueprint of B’nei Yisrael as a Unique people — an Am Segula, not to be reckoned with as with “the nations” and may we be zocha to see the Moshiach, the Ge’ula Shlaima, as Dov Shurin sings; “Ki Karov Yom Hashem Al’Kol HaGoyim”, the Ultimate Redemption, bimhayrah b’yamainu — speedily, in our time”, — Achshav, Chik Chuk, Miyad, Etmol!!!
Good Shabbos!
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Moshe Burt, an Oleh, is a commentator on news and events in Israel and Founder and Director of The Sefer Torah Recycling Network. He lives in Ramat Beit Shemesh.
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