Vayikra Small Aleph

(1) God called to Moses and spoke to him from the Tent of Meeting, saying :

VaYikra: why is the Aleph written small? Because of Moshe's humility he minimized his self. He said: Ribono Shel Olam why do you have you written me (Viyikra = You called to me, as the subject of your directive) at the beginning of Torah Kohanim (Sefer Vayikra)? God responded, what should I have written V'yikar = and God encountered Moshe? It is a derogatory language, for that is what I wrote regarding (my encounter with) Bilam; And God encountered Bilam, which is a language of chance. (Moshe replied) Please make it evident that that the generations will know that this designated calling is uncomfortable (embarrassing) to me.

God responded: I will make the Aleph small, for you have made yourself small.

1.Traditionally Sefer Vayikra is the first book of Torah to be taught to students initiating their life of Torah study (documented in Avos D’Rebbi Nasan 6:2 regarding Rabbi Akiva’s beginning in learning (ולמדה אלף בית, אלף תיו ולמדה תורת כהנים) (Torah's Kohanim being Sefer Vayikra) .

As such, we have in the very first word that every student will learn, be they a dabbler or future Rabbinic leader, the lesson of being humble. It is here (“in the beginning”), because it is the mindset that needs to undergird all forthcoming Torah learning. One cannot enter the threshold of Torah without understanding and possessing the requirement for humility (“Mi’midbar matanah” - Nedarim 55A, Eruvin 54A).

2.That HKB’H seeks out Moshe, itself is a powerful message about the core and foundation of human motivation and its flow. Abraham Joshua Heschel marginalized “I think therefore I am” in favor of something like – God calls upon me, therefore I am. Heschel focuses meaning not on human self-centeredness (AKA “I”) , but on human “indebtedness” and human “requiredness” relative to one’s being called upon (“VaYikra”) by HKB’H (AKA one's "calling"). This too is a critical perspective for the human to internalize. In Torah, VaYikra – being called upon, IS the first word we learn. It teaches that God calls to us. The Gemara askes: “Moshe min haTorah minayin?” (Chulin 139B), and brings a Pasuk, I believe that we each have our own Pasuk (or P'sukim) (Jo-Jo min haTorah minayin?) in Torah that helps answer the personal and unique question of what God asks of us.

VaYikra: why is the Aleph written small? Because of Moshe's humility he minimized his self. He said: Ribono Shel Olam why do you have you written me (Viyikra = You called to me, as the subject of your directive) at the beginning of Torah Kohanim (Sefer Vayikra)? God responded, what should I have written V'yikar = and God encountered Moshe? It is a derogatory language, for that is what I wrote regarding (my encounter with) Bilam; And God encountered Bilam, which is a language of chance. (Moshe replied) Please make it evident that that the generations will know that this designated calling is uncomfortable (embarrassing) to me.

God responded: I will make the Aleph small, for you have made yourself small.

1.Traditionally Sefer Vayikra is the first to be learned by students initiating their life of Torah study (documented in Avos D’Rebbi Nasan 6:2 regarding Rabbi Akiva’s beginning in learning ולמדה אלף בית, אלף תיו ולמדה תורת כהנים).

As such, we have in the very first word that every student will learn, be they a dabbler or future Rabbinic leader, the lesson of being humble. It is here (“In the beginning”), because it is the mindset that needs to undergird all forthcoming Torah learning. One cannot enter the threshold of Torah without understanding and possessing the requirement for humility (“Mi’midbar matanah” - Nedarim 55A, Eruvin 54A).

2.That HKB’H seeks out Moshe, itself is a powerful message about the core and foundation of human motivation and its flow. Abraham Joshua Heschel marginalized “I think therefore I am” in favor of something like – God calls upon me, therefore I am. Heschel focuses meaning not on human self-centeredness (AKA “I”) , but on human “indebtedness” and human “requiredness” relative to one’s being called upon (“VaYikra”) by HKB’H. This too is a critical perspective for the human to internalize. In Torah, VaYikra – being called upon, IS the first word we learn. It teaches that God calls to us. Whereas the Gemara askes: “Moshe min haTorah minayin?” (Chulin 139B), and brings a Pasuk, I believe that we each have our own Pasuk (or P'sukim) (Jo-Jo min haTorah minayin?) in Torah that helps answer the question of what God asks of us.