AND HE CALLED: VAYKIRA
Torah Portion: Leviticus 1:1 to 5:26
Haftarah: Isaiah 43:21 to 41:23 Psalm 126
Apostolic Writings / Newer Testament / B’rit HaChadashah: Philippians 3:8 to 14
This week we (re)start reading the book which has more direct words from The Almighty than any other book in the Bible. The Hebrew name for the book is Vayikra; this is after the first prominent word in the book, which means, “and He called”. The Greek name for the book, Leviticus, means “relating to the Levites”.
So we begin our reading with the phrase “And He called to him and spoke to him out of the Tent of Meeting”. There is an interesting anomaly in how the word Vayikra is written in the Torah scroll. The last letter of the word, the letter aleph, is written in a small, undersized script. In contrast, the first letter of opening word in the Book of Chronicles, "Adam"--also an aleph --is written with a large, oversized script. What is the message of the small and large alephs? And do they perhaps hold a lesson for us as parents in how to help our children gain a positive and productive self-image? The Sages explain that Adam was formed by G‑d Himself and fashioned in the "divine image". Aware of his superior qualities as the very handiwork of the Creator and the crowning glory of creation, he became somewhat proud. The large aleph in Adam's name indicates his self-importance, which led to his downfall by the sin of the Tree of Knowledge. In contrast, Moses was also aware of his superior qualities as the greatest prophet to ever live (until Yeshua, of course). Rather than cause him conceit, this awareness brought him humility. Moses recognized that his impressive capabilities were granted to him as a gift from G‑d. Accordingly, he felt no conceit, but a pressing sense of responsibility. Thus when Moses recorded in the Torah that G‑d called to him, he wrote the word Vayikra with a small aleph. Adam and Moses were both great men, aware of their greatness. But in Adam this sense of self-worth caused his disgrace, whereas in Moses it evoked humility and further greatness.
In chapter 2 we are given instructions regarding the grain offering to be made in the Mishkan (Dwelling Place, from where we get the term “shekinah”, to dwell. This was the “Tabernacle”) and the Beit HaMikdash (House (where there is) Holiness - the Temple in Jerusalem.); it is called the minchah. This is why the modern-day afternoon prayer in Synagogue is still called minchah. The Morning Prayer is called shacharit / shacharis from the term for dawn; and the evening prayer is called ma’ariv, which simply means evening.
The Psalm is one of my favourites, and was beautifully put to music by Andy Piercy a few years ago. One of the “great things” The Almighty has done for the Jewish people is, of course, giving them the Torah, as we read in Romans chapter 9. One of the main signs that The Almighty has chosen the Jewish people, is the very fact that He entrusted the Jewish nation with His Torah. In Rabbinic tradition 7 things existed before Genesis chapter 1 verse 1. They are:
“Seven things were created before the world, viz., The Torah, repentance, the Garden of Eden, Gehenna, the Throne of Glory, the Temple, and the name of the Messiah. The Torah, for it is written, The Lord possessed me [sc. the Torah] in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. Repentance, for it is written, Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world . . . Thou turnest man to destruction, and sayest, Repent, ye sons of men. The Garden of Eden, as it is written, And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden from aforetime. Gehenna, as it is written, For Tophet (another name for Gehenna) is ordained of old. The Throne of Glory, as it is written, Thy Throne is established from of old. The Temple, as it is written, A glorious high throne from the beginning is the place of our sanctuary. The name of the Messiah, as it is written, His name shall endure for ever, and [has existed] before the sun!” Talmud Nedarim 39b.
Yet the Torah on its own is no good at all. The Apostle Saul / Paul says in our passage from his letter to Believers in Philippi that all of his Torah learning was of no value when compared to his knowledge of the righteousness he has now attained to in Yeshua. Not that he (Saul / Paul) claims to be without sin, but that the righteousness is only in Yeshua. Everything else is, by comparison, on the negative side of the scale.
It has been noted that the phrase “if a person shall sin unintentionally” appears throughout this Parsha. If a person sins unintentionally, then there is restoration. If a person sins intentionally, there is no restoration in the Torah. This is one of the things the Apostle Saul / Paul was getting at when he asks, Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? Romans chapter 6 verses 1 and 2, New Living Translation.
The Torah is not a burden, but a massive blessing. It shows not just the Jewish people, but the whole world, that The Almighty loves the Jewish people. He has such deep and intimate concern that He wants them to live in His way, so as to stay alive.
This is why Yeshua says, “If you love Me, you will keep My commands”.
Let’s at least try to live according to His commands.
Shabbat Shalom