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To the untrained eye there appears to be a calligraphy error in this week's Torah portion. In actuality, the "mistake" teaches a profound lesson
The opening word of this week's Torah portion, and of the entire book that we begin to read publicly in synagogues the world over this Sabbath, Vayikra, literally means that G od, so to speak, "called out". The sages discuss in their commentaries how this communication between G od and Moses took place and also as where this "conversation" took place.
The rabbis also took notice that the word vayikra as it is spelled in the Torah ends with a reduced-sized alef. Though this is apparently not connected with the problem of where and how G od spoke to Moses, I feel that there is a definite connection as to the question of why G od spoke to Moses and chose him to be the great lawgiver of civilization.
The sages inform us that the small alef in vayikra is indicative of the great modesty of Moses. Unwilling to overly aggrandize himself by writing in the Torah that G od actually called out particularly to him, and yet he was forced to do so because of G od commanded him how to actually write the Torah, Moses compromised, so to speak, and wrote the word vayikra with a small alef indicating that he was not really worthy of the honor that G od bestowed upon him.
That very modesty and humility, the feeling that one should not overly indulge in self-aggrandizement no matter what position of public importance one fills, is the main reason that G od "speaks" to people and guides them in their leadership roles. The Talmud teaches us that G od abhors arrogance, hubris and unnecessary self-aggrandizement in human beings generally and in public leaders especially.
G od Himself, so to speak, relates to man, as he informed the prophet Elijah, "in a still, small voice." If one can use such a term about the Almighty, G od is modest in His revelation to humans. All of the prophets of Israel from Moses onwards were aware that G od, so to speak, limited his voice to them in terms of volume and space.
Rashi, the foremost biblical commentator, points out in this week's Torah portion that G od's voice did not leave the sanctuary of the mishkan (tabernacle) even though it was of unlimited and infinite volume. This is not merely a description of an event that happened long ago in the desert of Sinai but it is an attribute of the Almighty — the firm representation of the "small, still voice" that characterizes His revelation to humans. The prophet Isaiah has his lips burned by the heavenly coal because he spoke against Israel in heaven, allowing himself to become a judge of others instead of being purely an instrument of G od's will and instructions.
The rule in modesty is not to prejudge others and not to assume that one somehow can be certain of G od's true intentions. Humans are fallible. G od is infallible. This alone should engender a feeling of humility and modesty in humans. The small alef of vayikra should remain a constant reminder to us of our relationship to our Creator and to our fellow human beings as well.
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JWR contributor Rabbi Berel Wein, one of Jewry's foremost historians, is an author and international lecturer.