Shalom Friends;
This year’s Parshiyot Vayikra vort is being sponsored by Moshe and Lauren Pitzele and family of Ramat Beit Shemesh dedicated in honor of their son Yisrael Noach’s birthday and dedicated for the safety of the Chayalim and for the good health and security of kol Am Yisrael. To the Pitzele family, many thanks for your sponsorship and for your continued kindnesses.
You can celebrate a Simcha — a birth, a Bar/Bat Mitzvah, a Chassuna or other Simcha event in your life, or commemorate a Yahrtzeit of a loved one, or for whatever other reason by sponsoring a Parshat HaShavua.
Please forward to your relatives and friends and encourage them to sponsor a Parshat HaShavua. And please be in contact with me with any questions, or for further details.
Best Regards,
Moshe Burt
olehchadash@yahoo.com
Subscribe to the Israel and the Sin of Expulsion blog, to ask questions or to sponsor a Parsha Vort at: olehchadash@yahoo.com
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Our Sefer Vayikra and it’s namesake Parsha opens with Hashem calling to Moshe:
“Hashem called to Moshe, speaking to him from the Ohel Mo’ed [Communion Tent]. He said: ‘Speak to the B’nei Yisrael and tell them the following: When one of you brings a mammal as an offering to Hashem, the korbon [sacrifice] must be taken from cattle, sheep or goats.'” [Sefer Vayikra, Perek 1, posukim 1 -2 rendered to English in “The Living Torah,” by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan]
Rabbi Kaplan provides a note on Perek 1, posuk 1 (page 499) :
“Hashem called to Moshe…” Because Moshe had been unable to enter the Sanctuary [Kadosh Kedoshim].
Rabbi Herschel Reichman provides commentary on our opening posuk in his Sefer, “Living the Chassidic Legacy — Lessons Based on Shem Mishmuel” (page 339) :
The Midrash comments on the double expression in this posuk, “called” and “spoke.” Specifically, it contrasts the way different prophets were summoned to receive their prophecies. Hashem himself called Moshe, “Vayikra el Moshe.” This stands in contrast to Avraham, who at the Akeidah, was addressed by an angel.
On many occasions in Tanach, there is a reference to an angel at the beginning of a communication from Hashem. In this respect, Moshe was different from all other prophets. “I Myself have called to him and spoken to him; I brought him close and made him successful.” [Rabbi Reichman citing Yeshaya 48:15]
There is another Midrash that depicts how Hashem would call, “Moshe, Moshe,” endearingly repeating his name.
Rabbi Dovid Feinstein, in his Sefer, “Kol Dodi,” (page 161), provides additional commentary to Rabbi Reichman’s:
Ba’al HaTurim says that Moshe would have wanted the word [the name of the Sefer, and the Parsha] written without an “aleph” at all, “Vayikar,” and He happened upon. In his great humility, Moshe did not want the Torah to suggest that Hashem considered him more worthy…
Hashem, however, wanted the Torah to publicize His great regard for Moshe and therefore said “Vayikra [with a small “aleph” as final letter of the word] — And He called, showing that Moshe was so important that Hashem made a point of calling to him. The miniature “aleph” was a “compromise” between these two preferences.
And so opens Sefer Vayikra and our namesake Parsha Vayikra as Torah relates the many Halachot regarding the various Korbonot of the Mishkan, and later, the Beit HaMikdash.
Rabbi Zev Leff provides commentary and understanding regarding the Korbonot in his Sefer, “Outlooks and Insights on the Weekly Torah Portion” (pages 128 – 130) :
With the destruction of the Beit HaMikdash, prayer — “avodah” [service] of the heart replaced the “avodah” of the Korbonot. Yet, in the Gemara [Rabbi Leff citing Berachot 32b] we are informed that from the time the Beit HaMikdash was destroyed, the gates of tefillah were also locked. But the gates of tears were not locked. Rashi explains that the gates of tears refers to another type of tefillah — tefillah with tears.
Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin in Nefesh HaChaim describes how Hashem created the world with an intricate system of spiritual powers through which Hashem’s bounty and influence is brought to the physical world…. Hashem put us into this physical world so that we could earn the ultimate spiritual reward which He desires to bestow upon us — an intimate relationship with Him. We do not simply earn this reward. Rather we create that relationship through our actions in this world. Through learning Torah, doing Mitzvot and davening, we furnish the energy to activate the framework through which Hashem relates to the world.
Rabbi Yosef Leib Bloch, in Shiurei Da’at on the Korbonot shows how the Korbonot served to unite and elevate all mundane powers towards the service of Hashem and thereby activated the system Hashem created to bring the world to fulfillment of His purpose. Maharal adds that the greatest power to activate the spiritual realms emanated from the Beit HaMikdash and with its destruction those specific gates were locked. [One can still penetrate even locked gates, but only with great effort and difficulty.]
There is, however, another type of tefillah that was not affected by the absence of the Beit HaMikdash, the passive tefillah of tears and submission. The Jew stands before Hashem, bends his knee and says: Baruch — You, Hashem, are the source of all blessing, and without you I don’t even have a leg to stand on. I bend my knees in recognition of this, Atah — It is You, Hashem, and not I, Who can provide for my very existence, and for my most basic needs.
Even when the Korbonot were still brought, and were offered with the intention of affecting celestial realms and opening the conduits [Noun: any means of transmission or conveyance, as of information] of Hashem’s blessings, this attitude of complete submission was still part of the offering.
R’ Simchah Bunim of P’shischa said that even though the gates of tears remain open, nevertheless, gates are necessary to prevent improper tears from entering. The tefillah of tears must be composed of tears of hope, of trust and Emunah that Hashem will help, not tears of depression, dejection or dispair.
Sefer Vayikra, which details the Korbonot of the Beit HaMikdash, begins with the hint to Moshe’s humility because all avodah — whether avodah of the heart or that of the Korbonot — requires self-negation and submission. It requires, even in its active form, a realization that all emanates from Hashem, and all that we do is, in the final analysis only an expression of submission to Hashem’s will. For this, one needs humility. Hence, the small “aleph” — both a sign of humility and the letter which represents Hashem’s oneness and unity. It is with this word “Vayikra,” with its small “aleph,” that Hashem calls to man to serve Him both actively and passively, to bring the world to its completion.
With our continuing Milchemtah Shel Torah, may the individual and collective humility and avodah of kol Klal Yisrael, whether in the forms of heart-felt tefillot, or “to listen, learn, teach, safeguard, perform, and fulfill all the words of Your Torah’s teaching with love” [this author citing from the paragraph preceding Shema of Shacharit], or by way of performing multitudes of Mitzvot, bring about national unity of purpose resulting in complete military victory over all foes B’Yad Hashem.
May our government and military bring about the total and complete, Final and Decisive victory over Hamas, their 7 October so-called “civilians(sic)” collaborators and the entire terror cabal, B’Yad Hashem, and become Totally self-sufficient as to manufacture of military equipment and aircraft, weaponry, munitions — heavy munitions, as well as showing independence of actions responding to any threat, regardless of so-called “super powers.”
May we see, from here on, that border guard personnel at all points of possible danger are listened to and treated with respect and dignity. May we see, with Operation Lion’s Roar — the joint action by our Chayalim and the United States against the Mullahs of what has been the Islamic Caliphate dictatorship controlling Iran, that Islam and its barbarous terrorist tentacles of Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah, as well as Qatar, Turkey and Pakistan and all who seek war against the Jews be totally eradicated, both in Israel’s neighborhood, as well as internationally, B’Ezrat Hashem. May we see a government of Israel secure in it’s foremost service of, and emunah in HaKadosh Borchu, B’Ezrat Hashem! And may we see the restoration of true unity within Am Yisrael. May these words come to fruition B’Ezrat Hashem.
May we, the B’nei Yisrael be zocha that our brethren — the refugee families from Gush Katif be permanently re-settled in Gush Katif, once the IDF, by the Yad Hashem, destructs and eradicates the wild beasts of Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah, all other terror entities, and if necessary Iran, and that our brethren be made totally whole — be totally restituted for all that was stolen from them, that the thrice expelled families of Amona be restored to their rebuilt homes and the oft-destroyed Yeshiva buildings in Homesh be rebuilt, as well as the buildings of Yishuv Elchanan, all at total government expense. May our Chayalim return from battle unharmed — physically, mentally and spiritually and may all of the remaining hostages brutally taken by the wild beasts of Hamas be liberated and brought home to their families. Baruch Hashem that our dear brother Jonathan Pollard is now in his sixth year at home in Eretz Yisrael and continues in a new chapter in his life. May Esther Yocheved bat Yechiel Avraham have an aliyah in Shemayim and may her spirit and 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, the recent recovery of the remains of Tzvi Feldman as well as the recoveries of the remains of Oron Shaul and Hadar Goldin from the Gaza War of ten 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. 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.
Moshe is available for editing of English language documents, articles, manuscripts and more. Please be in contact with him at olehchadash@yahoo.com for your English language needs.
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