Dvar Torah Parashat Vayikra

Dedicated Anonymously in Loving Memory of These Three Holy Neshamot, Sarah bat Devorah Shahin, Dina Beracha bat Sarah,

and Deborah Mazal bat Sarah A'h

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Parashat Vayikra

The Small Alef

This week’s parasha is Vayikra, the first parasha in the third book of the Chumash. It begins with the passuk, “Vayikra—He called to Moshe, and G-d spoke to him.” The word “vayikra” is written in the Torah with a small alef. The Baal Haturim explained that because of his profound humility, Moshe would have instead left out the alef so that the Torah would say vayikar, which means “He [Hashem] happened upon him.” This is a more deprecating term. The commentaries note that at Har Sinai, Hashem called Moshe several times. There, the word Vayikra appears without the small alef. Why are they different?

Rabbi Twerski quoted Rav Yitzchak of Vorki, who said that sometimes a person might belittle himself and act humbly in public. This is actually vanity, not humility because he is trying to give others the impression that he’s humble. When Hashem called out to Moshe at Sinai, it was in the presence of all Klal Yisrael. If Moshe had shown off his humility in front of everyone, he’d have been flaunting his humility, which is an act of vanity. However, in this week’s parasha, when Moshe was called to the ohel mo’ed, only Moshe heard the call from Hashem. Here, the small alef shows that Moshe’s expression of humility was genuine and sincere.

Another reason for the small alef is that the word alef means “learning.” The message of the small alef is that we can only learn when we are humble, for vanity is the opposite of learning. Some very bright people don’t learn much because they think that they already know everything. We must understand that the Torah was given on the lowest mountain to the humblest of all men, Moshe Rabbenu. This was to teach us that to learn Torah, we must be truly humble in the eyes of Hashem, and only then will we gain the knowledge of Hashem’s holy Torah.

The Essence of Vayikra

Rabbi Mansour explains how the small alef is the essence of the entire Parashat Vayikra. Whenever a Jew sins, he drives the Divine Presence from his soul. Teshuvah—repentance means making oneself worthy of being a repository for the Shechina once again. After the sin of the golden calf, G-d’s presence left Bnei Yisrael, and they needed to build the Mishkan to bring Him back. But much like a person leaving a dark room needs time to adjust to the light, Bnei Yisrael could not receive the Divine Presence all at once. After falling so low from the sin of the golden calf, the Shechina’s return had to proceed slowly for Bnei Yisrael to withstand the drastic transition.

The Tasher Rebbe of Montreal explained that this is the symbolism underlying the small alef at the beginning of Sefer Vayikra. Moshe Rabbenu was at the highest level of kedusha attainable by a human being. G-d instructed Moshe that to bring Bnei Yisrael back where they needed to be, he would have to lower himself, so the spiritual light he radiated would be smaller after the darkness of the golden calf. G-d then appeared to Moshe on a lower level of prophecy, symbolized by the small alef.

Rashi writes that the word vayikra is a lashon hiba – a term that implies affection. The entire concept of Parashat Vayikra, G-d’s willingness to restore His Shechina among Bnei Yisrael in the Mishkan, is a great act of love. The Jewish Nation betrayed Hashem in the worst way, worshipping a foreign deity just weeks after receiving the Torah, and yet He was still prepared to return to them. He always allows us to return and repair our relationship with Him. He even ensures that the process will unfold at the right pace, step-by-step, so it will be effective.

Our Sacrifices

Vayikra begins the third book of the Chumash, the five books of Moshe Rabbenu. The first two books concern the beginning of the world and the building of the Jewish Nation. The book of Vayikra now turns to the sacrifices Hashem instructed the Israelites to bring to the Bet Hamikdash. We don’t have a Bet Hamikdash today, and until Mashiach rebuilds it, we must remain without one. Therefore, we won’t be able to bring sacrifices until that time.

However, since losing our Holy Temple, the Jewish people have been making sacrifices for centuries. They’ve sacrificed their homes, their livelihoods, and even their lives, for the sake of Hashem and the Torah.

In Midrash Rabba, our sages tell us that Hashem says, “Listen to Me because nobody ever loses by doing so.” A person is constantly faced with decisions. He can either choose to do what Hashem wants or disobey Hashem and choose what appears to provide a more significant, short-term gain. However, following Hashem is always a win-win. It may not always seem that way, but at some point later, the gain will become not only apparent but extremely obvious.

Today we don't have korbanot—burnt offerings to give on an altar as we did in the days of the kohen gadol and the Bet Hamikdash, but we do have other kinds of sacrifices. We all make sacrifices today for our families and friends. We work and sacrifice to give our children good educations and healthy upbringings. For our elderly parents, we offer our time when they need us to help care for them. We sacrifice many ways to build a peaceful home together for our spouses.

Then there are personal sacrifices. For instance, a vast personal sacrifice could be when someone stops eating out in unkosher restaurants. It may be a sacrifice of his social life with friends of many years. Or another big sacrifice could be a woman who starts to wear skirts or cover her hair. Making any of these sacrifices comes with a lot of hesitation and fear. It’s crucial that when we make a sacrifice, personal or otherwise, we commit and stick to it to continue to grow. We should never be afraid of growing because although it may seem like a sacrifice, in hindsight, we will see how much better we become, and we may be responsible for literally changing the course of history.

Change is Possible

Hashem gives every one of us opportunities to grow. We must first recognize an opportunity when we encounter it and then have the courage to take advantage and embrace it. Making these changes is probably one of the hardest things we can do because we may risk leaving behind lifelong friends who are not following on the same path as we are. However, suppose the changes occur at an unhurried pace and with long-term growth in mind. In that case, those changes will elevate life to one filled with Torah values that will bring much beracha and a valuable legacy for many generations to come!

As I experienced my own growth over my lifetime, I witnessed many mainstream families decide to become baalei teshuvah. This transformation meant leaving several of our old ways behind us and adopting new habits like learning Torah, which led us to tremendous personal development in mitzvot and maasim tovim.

There is a story about a group of young boys who lived in our community about fifty years ago. These boys, all in their late teens, were passionate about basketball, playing in the park a few times a week.

One day after a game, a boy asked his friend to help raise money for a new yeshivah that his rabbi had opened. The friend agreed, and over the next few weeks, the two teenagers raised hundreds of dollars for the rabbi’s yeshivah. The rabbi was so impressed that he asked to meet the second boy who aided his fundraising. At first, the boy was reluctant and shy, but then he agreed to meet with him.

When they met, the teen was very inspired by the rabbi and decided to try to learn with his friend at the rabbi’s new yeshivah. The other boys in their group didn’t follow them, but as time passed, these two boys continued to learn and grow in Torah. These two boys grew to be leading Rabbis in our community. Hashem gave them an opportunity to grow, and they seized it. For the past forty-plus years, they have been spreading Torah throughout our community through their yeshivot and kollelim.

If you haven’t guessed by now, the boys who raised the money are none other than Rabbi Shlomo Diamond, Rabbi of the Sephardic Torah Center Kollel in Long Branch and Ilan High School, and Rabbi Hillel Haber, Rosh Yeshivah of Shaare Torah. Because they were willing to grow without worrying about sacrificing their social lives, they helped countless families grow to great spiritual heights and completely changed our community, baruch Hashem!

Secret to our Survival

Rabbi Eliezer Ginsburg points out that the paragraph of “V’hi She’amdah” has 22 letters. This corresponds to the 22 aleph-bet in which the Torah is written. This teaches us that it is the all-encompassing Torah which has been the key to our survival throughout centuries of persecution and oppression.

The Shaare Rahamim Haggadah elaborates by saying that the people who think we will be protected by the gentiles are wrong! We have to stop trying to get the nations of the world to like us, because that never lasts. Only if we live according to the Torah will we survive amongst the gentiles. History has proved this time and time again.

The Haggadah supports this by bringing up Lavan’s efforts to destroy our forefather, Yaakov Avinu. When Yaakov entered Lavan’s life, Lavan was blessed tremendously. Lavan was blessed with sons, great wealth and twenty-three grandchildren. Despite all this, Lavan still sought to kill Yaakov, his wives and his children – Lavan’s own daughters and grandchildren!

This harrowing phenomenon illustrates that no matter how much we attempt to assimilate to or help out the non-Jews, they will ultimately seek our destruction. Only our Torah observance can protect us and help us through exile.

Dayenu

Dayenu recalls all the trials and tribulations that our ancestors went through when they left Egypt. Singing this, we realize how much we must appreciate and praise Hashem for everything He did for us every step of the way. The middle of the song focuses on the miracle of Bnei Yisrael’s Exodus from Egypt and the crossing of the Red Sea.

“If He had split the sea for us but had not led us through it on dry land, Dayenu—it would have been sufficient for us! If He had led us through the sea on dry land, but not submerged our enemies in it, Dayenu—it would have been sufficient for us! If He had submerged our enemies in it, but not supplied our needs in the desert for forty years, Dayenu—it would have been sufficient for us!” And so on, up until the arrival at the Land of Israel and the building of the Bet Hamikdash.

What is the significance of this part of Dayenu? Would it actually have been sufficient if the Egyptians weren’t submerged? Tosafot explains this concept in Masechet Erchin 15a. He says Bnei Yisrael were not convinced at first that they were saved by this miracle. They were worried that just as they emerged on the other side of the sea safely, the Egyptians could have also emerged safely on the opposite side.

The commentary says it would have been sufficient “if the Egyptians had come out on the other side. Bnei Yisrael would still have been safe because they would have been separated from the Egyptians by the entire breadth of the sea.” Tosafot concludes that the Israelites did not walk across the dry seabed of the Red Sea, rather, they entered on one side, traveled in a semi-circle, and emerged safely further down the coast on the same side they entered. So, the whole purpose of entering the sea was to lure the Egyptian army into the sea so they could drown there. Hashem, in His incredible kindness, punished those who wronged the Jewish Nation, even though it would have been sufficient if Bnei Yisrael had just escaped. Dayenu!

Four Cups

According to the Shaare Rahamim Haggadah, the Egyptians planned to torture Bnei Yisrael in four ways. Of course, we know they physically weakened and injured the Jews by making them do back-breaking work and giving them harsh punishments. The second was to harm them financially by making them work all day for no pay leaving Bnei Yisrael starving and in poverty. They emotionally hurt the Jews by humiliating and shaming them. Lastly, they prevented the Jews from observing the Torah.

From the cruel slavery Hashem redeemed us. When they left Egypt, Bnei Yisrael were blessed with the exact opposite of their bondage. Bnei Yisrael were free, wealthy, glorious, and we were surrounded with Hashem’s shechina—presence.

First and most importantly, the first cup of the seder is kiddush which commemorates our spiritual freedom. In the beracha we bless Hashem for picking us as his Chosen Nation and giving us the Torah. The second cup is a remembrance for our emotional freedom. This cup is drunk by Maggid when we tell the miraculous story of our redemption. The third cup is designated to commemorate our financial freedom, which is befittingly drunk by birkat hamazon, the blessings for food and sustenance. Finally, we drink to our physical freedom by praising Hashem’s almighty power and we ask “Shfoch Hamatecha—pour your anger” on the nations who seek to eradicate us.



We never understood until now what it means to be free from slavery until we heard the stories of the freed hostages. We can now understand what it means to live under brutal oppression, and what it means to emerge free. We must thank Hashem every day that we are free and that we can practice religion. Do not take this for granted!

May we all aspire to be humble like Moshe. May we all realize that while the sacrifices we make for Hashem and Torah can sometimes be very difficult, Hashem hand-picked these tests and challenges for us to triumph over and grow stronger in our devotion to Him.

Shabbat Shalom!

Rabbi Amram Sananes, written by Jack Rahmey

Discussion Points:

What are some sacrifices others have made for us?

What does freedom look like for you? Are we free today?

This book is a compilation of Divre Torah from the weekly parasha classes from Rabbi Sananes’ teachings over the last 10 years along with my own experiences in those classes which has stimulated my Torah growth. I’ve included many pertinent stories and life lessons to grow from at your Shabbat table. There’s also questions and discussion points at the end of each Parasha to stimulate a Torah conversation at your Shabbat table for the whole family to participate in. Also, included is a holidays section at the end of the book to use for all of our special holidays and Yomiim Toviim.



Now available in all Jewish bookstores and Amazon!

I and Rabbi Sananes look forward to hearing your feedback.

Sincerely, Jack E. Rahmey and Rabbi Amram Sananes jrahmey@rahmeyfinancial.com (917-226-6276) and AmramSanases@me.com

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Le’ilui Nishmat…

Eliyahu Ben Rachel

Rabbi Shimon Chay Ben Yaasher

Avraham Ben Garaz

Sarah Bat Chanah

Esther Bat Sarah

Avraham Ben Mazal

Shulamit Bat Helaina

Rabbi Meyer Ben Chana

Rahamim Ben Mazal

Batsheva Bat Sarah Esther

Rafael Ben Miriam

Ovadia Ben Esther

Rav Haim Ben Rivka

Moshe Ben Mazal

Moshe Ben Yael

Yitzchak Ben Adele

Avraham Ben Mazal

Meir Ben Latifa

Chanah Bat Esther

Yaakov Ben Rachel

Malka Bat Garaz

Moshe Ben Garaz

Avraham Ben Kami

Yaakov Ben Leah

Mordechai Ben Rachel

Chacham Shaul Rachamim Ben Mazal

Natan Ben Rachel

Saadia Ben Miriam

Eliyah Ben Latifa Simhon

Margalit Bat Mazal

Ovadia Haim Ben Malaky

Rabbi Aharon Chaim Ben Ruchama

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Esther Bat Menucha

Uri Ben Rahel

Rivka Bat Dona

Shalom Ben Zahra

Rachel Bat Sarah

Shalom Ben Zahra

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Refuah Shelemah…

Rachel Bat Devorah

Anyone interested in dedicating this Divre Torah Le'ilui Nishmat or Refuah Shelemah or In Honor of someone, can email me at jrahmey@rahmeyfinancial.com. Checks can be made out to “A Life of Torah” for $101 and mailed to 2387 Ocean Ave Suite 1G, Brooklyn, NY 11229 (please put in the memo “Divre Torah”). Anyone interested in past parshiot please go to the website ParashaPerspective.org