Hi,

We’re ready to leave the Book of Exodus.

And start Leviticus.  In Hebrew, Vayikra.

It’s called Vayikra because of the first word.

Vayikra.  “And G-d called to Moshe… (Leviticus, 1:1)

… Before we get to the details of the Book?

Here’s something small.  With a huge lesson.

If you would look at a Torah scroll, you would see something strange.

The last letter of the word Vayikra, the Aleph, is written small.

No.  It’s not a typo!

And it’s not because spell check doesn’t pick up letter sizes.

 It’s done on purpose.  In every Torah scroll in the world!

… And there’s a beautiful tradition about it.

Going back to the very first Torah scroll.

When it says that G-d called to Moshe.  And spoke to him?

It tells us about Moshe’s greatness.

How wise.  How spiritual.  And how ethically developed he had to be.

To have a private audience with the Creator of the universe.

And to be chosen by G-d to be the transmitter of the Torah.

… I once heard a speaker respond to the very generous introduction he was given.

“When I receive an introduction like that?

On one hand, I feel a tremendous responsibility to live up to it.

And on the second hand?

I love it”!

… But Moshe was different.

Something made it very hard for Moshe to write the word Vayikra.  G-d called.

His humility!

“Moshe was more humble than any man on the face of the earth”.  (Numbers, 12:3)

He just couldn’t do it.

But he had to.  That’s what G-d wanted it to say.

So Moshe had an idea.

He wrote it small. 

To play it down. 

… It’s something to think about next time we start feeling a bit too proud.

And start reflecting on how much we have contributed to the world.

How unique we are.  Or how insightful we are.

We should think of Moshe.

And his small Aleph.

All the best,