The Small Aleph: Called Closer Through Humility
From the Torah ofRav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitzהרב דוד מתתיהו בן יחיאל יהושע רבינוביץProfile ›
Vayikra 1:1
וַיִּקְרָא אֶל־מֹשֶׁה וַיְדַבֵּר יְהֹוָה אֵלָיו מֵאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד לֵאמֹר
And He called to Moshe, and Hashem spoke to him from the Tent of Meeting, saying.
Rashi: Every utterance, every saying and every command was preceded by a calling, an expression of affection, the expression the ministering angels use, as it says, “And one called to the other.”
1“And He called to Moshe, and Hashem spoke to him from the Tent of Meeting, saying.”1 Rashi explains: “Every utterance, every saying and every command was preceded by a calling, an expression of affection, the expression the ministering angels use.” But what can “calling” mean when it is said of Hashem? Between people the word makes sense: a person calls to his friend when the friend is standing some distance away. Hashem, however, is the One of Whom it is said, “The whole earth is full of His glory,” and, as the Tikkunei Zohar teaches, “There is no place empty of Him.”2 How, then, can “calling” apply to Him? The same question arises about the ministering angels, of whom the verse also says: “And one called to the other and said.”3 They do not stand at a distance from one another, so how can “calling” apply to them?
וַיִּקְרָא אֶל מֹשֶׁה וַיְדַבֵּר ה׳ אֵלָיו מֵאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד לֵאמוֹר (א, א). פֵּירֵשׁ רש״י הַקָּדוֹשׁ, לְכָל דִּבְּרוֹת וּלְכָל אֲמִירוֹת וּלְכָל צִיוּוּיִים קָדְמָה קְרִיאָה, לְשׁוֹן חִיבָּה, לָשׁוֹן שֶׁמַּלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁרֵת מִשְׁתַּמְּשִׁין בּוֹ. וְיֵשׁ לְהָבִין עִנְיַן הַקְּרִיאָה הַנֶּאֱמָר אֵצֶל הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ, דְּבִשְׁלָמָא בְּאָדָם שַׁיָּיךְ לְשׁוֹן קְרִיאָה כַּאֲשֶׁר צָרִיךְ לִקְרוֹא לַחֲבֵירוֹ הָעוֹמֵד בְּרִיחוּק מָקוֹם הֵימֶנּוּ, אֲבָל ה׳ יִתְבָּרַךְ אֲשֶׁר ״מְלֹא כָל הָאָרֶץ כְּבוֹדוֹ״ (ישעיהו ו, ג), וְלֵית אֲתַר פָּנוּי מִינֵּיהּ (תקוני זוהר קכב, ב), מָה שַׁיָּיךְ לְגַבָּיו לְשׁוֹן קְרִיאָה. וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ זֶה יֵשׁ לְהָבִין גַּם לְעִנְיַן מַלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁרֵת שֶׁמָּצִינוּ לְגַבֵּיהֶם לְשׁוֹן קְרִיאָה ׳וְקָרָא זֶה אֶל זֶה וְאָמַר׳, הֲלֹא אֵינָם עוֹמְדִים בְּרִיחוּק מָקוֹם זֶה מִזֶּה, וְאִם כֵּן מָה שַׁיָּיךְ בָּהֶם לְשׁוֹן קְרִיאָה.
In shortHashem fills the whole earth, and the angels stand side by side; what, then, can “calling” mean for either?
2The Baal HaTurim, R' Yaakov ben Asher, explains in his commentary on the Torah why Vayikra is written with a small aleph, smaller than the letters around it in the Torah scroll. Moshe wanted to write vayikar, “He happened upon,” without the aleph, as if Hashem had appeared to him only by chance; that is the word the Torah uses for Bilam.4 But the Holy One, blessed be He, told Moshe to write it with an aleph, and he wrote it small. Why, then, did Moshe Rabbeinu not carry out Hashem's command in full and write Vayikra with an ordinary aleph?
וּבְבַעַל הַטּוּרִים כָּתַב, שֶׁלָּכֵן נִכְתַּב וַיִּקְרָא בְּא׳ זְעֵירָא, לְפִי שֶׁמֹּשֶׁה לֹא רָצָה לִכְתּוֹב אֶלָּא ׳וַיִּקָּר׳ כְּדֶרֶךְ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בְּבִלְעָם, כְּאִילּוּ לֹא נִרְאָה לוֹ הַשֵּׁם אֶלָּא בְּמִקְרֶה, וְאָמַר לוֹ הקב״ה לִכְתּוֹב בְּא׳, וּכְתָבָהּ קְטַנָּה. וְיֵשׁ לְהָבִין לָמָּה לֹא קִיֵּים מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ ע״ה צִיוּוּי ה׳ בִּשְׁלֵימוּת, וְלֹא כָּתַב וַיִּקְרָא בְּא׳ רְגִילָה.
- Baal HaTurim on Vayikra 1:1; Bamidbar 23:4. ↩
In shortMoshe wanted to write vayikar, as if by chance, and then wrote the aleph small; why did he not carry out Hashem's command in full?
3aWe may explain it this way. The goal we should strive for is this: even when we are privileged to keep the mitzvos and to learn Torah, we must always know that we have not yet begun to do anything in His service. This is what the holy Rebbe of Kotzk, zt"l, is quoted as teaching on the verse “The people saw, and they trembled and stood from afar.”5 Bnei Yisrael had made many preparations to receive the Torah, yet they knew that they still stood far off. That is the meaning of “The people saw, and they trembled”: for all the lofty levels they had reached, they knew they were still far off. That is the gist of his words.
וְאֶפְשָׁר לְבָאֵר, כִּי הִנֵּה הַתַּכְלִית הַנִּרְצֶה וְהָרְאוּיָה הִיא, שֶׁהֲגַם שֶׁזּוֹכִים לְקַיֵּים הַמִּצְוֹות וְלַעֲסוֹק בַּתּוֹרָה, יֵשׁ עָלֵינוּ לָדַעַת תָּמִיד כִּי עֲדַיִין לֹא הִתְחַלְנוּ לַעֲשׂוֹת דָּבָר בַּעֲבוֹדָתוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ. וְכַמּוּבָא בְּשֵׁם הרה״ק מקאצק זצללה״ה עַל הַכָּתוּב (שמות כ, טו) ״וַיַּרְא הָעָם וַיָּנוּעוּ וַיַּעַמְדוּ מֵרָחוֹק״, כִּי אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁבְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל עָשׂוּ הֲכָנוֹת רַבּוֹת לִקְרַאת קַבָּלַת הַתּוֹרָה, בְּכָל זֹאת יָדְעוּ כִּי הֵמָּה עֲדַיִין עוֹמְדִים מֵרָחוֹק, וְזֶהוּ ׳וַיַּרְא הָעָם וַיָּנוּעוּ׳, שֶׁהֲגַם שֶׁהִגִּיעוּ לְמַעֲלוֹת רָמוֹת, בְּכָל זֹאת יָדְעוּ שֶׁהֵם עֲדַיִין עוֹמְדִים מֵרָחוֹק, עכ״ד.
- Shemos 20:15. ↩
3bHis teaching rests on a well-known principle. The higher a person rises in avodas Hashem, the service of Hashem, the more he grasps of the Creator's greatness, and the more he realizes how far he is from knowing Him. As the medieval work Bechinas Olam puts it, “The ultimate of knowledge is that we know that we do not know.”6 As a result, he sees his own lowliness ever more clearly. The Rambam describes this: “When a person reflects on His great and wondrous deeds and creations, and sees in them His wisdom, which is beyond all measure and without end …, he immediately recoils, afraid and trembling. He knows that he is a small, lowly, obscure creature, standing with slight and meager understanding before the One Who is perfect in knowledge.”7 So far his words.
וְהוּא עַל פִּי הַנּוֹדָע שֶׁכָּל כַּמָּה שֶׁהָאָדָם מִתְעַלֶּה בַּעֲבוֹדַת ה׳, מַשִּׂיג הַשָּׂגוֹת יוֹתֵר בְּגַדְלוּת הַבּוֹרֵא יִתְבָּרַךְ שְׁמוֹ, וְיוֹדֵעַ כַּמָּה הוּא רָחוֹק מִלֵּידַע אוֹתוֹ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ ׳תַּכְלִית הַיְּדִיעָה שֶׁנֵּדַע שֶׁלֹּא נֵדַע׳ (בחינת עולם פרק יב), וּמִמֵּילָא רוֹאֶה יוֹתֵר וְיוֹתֵר אֶת שִׁפְלוּת עַצְמוֹ, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתַב הרמב״ם (פ״ב מהלכות יסודי התורה ה״ב) בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁיִּתְבּוֹנֵן הָאָדָם בְּמַעֲשָׂיו וּבְרוּאָיו הַנִּפְלָאִים וְהַגְּדוֹלִים וְיִרְאֶה מֵהֶן חָכְמָתוֹ שֶׁאֵין לָהּ עֵרֶךְ וְלֹא קֵץ וְכוּ׳, מִיָּד הוּא נִרְתָּע לַאֲחוֹרָיו וְיִירָא וְיִפְחַד וְיֵדַע שֶׁהוּא בְּרִיָּה קְטַנָּה שְׁפָלָה אֲפֵלָה עוֹמֶדֶת בְּדַעַת קַלָּה מְעוּטָה לִפְנֵי תְּמִים דֵּעִים, עכ״ל.
In shortHowever high we climb, we must feel we have not yet begun, for each new grasp of Hashem's greatness shows us how far we stand.
4aThis lets us explain a Midrash: “You find that when the Holy One, blessed be He, revealed Himself to Moshe from within the bush, Moshe hid his face from Him, as it says, ‘And Moshe hid his face …’ … At Sinai he stood off to the side, and He said to him, ‘Come up to Hashem,’ meaning: If you do not go up, no one else goes up. In the Tent of Meeting he stood off to the side, and He said to him, ‘How long will you lower yourself? This moment is waiting for you alone.’ Know that it is so, for the Divine word called to no one but Moshe: ‘And He called to Moshe.’”8
וּבָזֶה יֵשׁ לְבָאֵר מַה דְּאִיתָא בַּמִּדְרָשׁ (ויקרא רבה א, ה) אַתָּה מוֹצֵא בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁנִּגְלָה הקב״ה לְמֹשֶׁה מִתּוֹךְ הַסְּנֶה הָיָה מַסְתִּיר פָּנָיו מִמֶּנּוּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות ג, ו) ״וַיַּסְתֵּר מֹשֶׁה פָּנָיו״ וְגוֹ׳ וְכוּ׳, בְּסִינַי עָמַד לוֹ מִן הַצַּד אָמַר לוֹ (שם כד, א) ״עֲלֵה אֶל ה׳״ לוֹמַר שֶׁאִם אֵין אַתָּה עוֹלָה אֵין אַחֵר עוֹלָה, בְּאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד עָמַד לוֹ מִן הַצַּד, אָמַר לוֹ הקב״ה עַד מָתַי אַתְּ מַשְׁפִּיל עַצְמְךָ, אֵין הַשָּׁעָה מְצַפֶּה אֶלָּא לְךָ, תֵּדַע לְךָ שֶׁהוּא כֵּן, שֶׁמִּכּוּלָּן לֹא קָרָא הַדִּיבּוּר אֶלָּא לְמֹשֶׁה ״וַיִּקְרָא אֶל מֹשֶׁה״, ע״כ.
- Vayikra Rabbah 1:5; Shemos 3:6; Shemos 24:1. ↩
4bIn other words, even when Moshe Rabbeinu sensed Hashem's sweetness at the bush and saw the fire burning, he still did not want to come closer. This was because he saw his own lowliness, like the people who “stood from afar”: the deeper his grasp of Hashem then, the more he knew how far he was from Him. So too at the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai: the greater his grasp, and the loftier and more wondrous the levels he reached, the more he held back from approaching what is holy. He stood off to the side until Hashem said to him, in a later verse, “Come up to Me to the mountain.”9 In the Tent of Meeting, too, Moshe did not want to approach the service of the korbanos, the offerings, so a special calling was needed. All this was in the spirit of “The ultimate of knowledge is that we know that we do not know.” That is why, at each of the places the Midrash lists, the Holy One, blessed be He, had to draw Moshe close and call him, letting him know that he was worthy to approach Him.
וְהַיְינוּ דְּאַף בְּעֵת שֶׁמֹּשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ ע״ה הִרְגִּישׁ אֶת נוֹעַם ה׳ בַּסְּנֶה וְרָאָה שֶׁהָאֵשׁ בּוֹעֵר, מִכָּל מָקוֹם לֹא רָצָה לָגֶשֶׁת, כֵּיוָן שֶׁרָאָה שִׁפְלוּת עַצְמוֹ בִּבְחִינַת ׳וַיַּעַמְדוּ מֵרָחוֹק׳, שֶׁכֵּן לְפִי גּוֹדֶל הַשָּׂגָתוֹ שֶׁהִשִּׂיג אָז, הוֹסִיף לֵידַע גּוֹדֶל רִיחוּקוֹ מֵה׳. וּכְמוֹ כֵּן הָיָה בְּמַעֲמַד הַר סִינַי, שֶׁלְּפִי גּוֹדֶל הַשָּׂגָתוֹ שֶׁהִשִּׂיג מַדְרֵגוֹת רָמוֹת וְנִפְלָאוֹת, לָכֵן לֹא רָצָה לָגֶשֶׁת אֶל הַקּוֹדֶשׁ וְעָמַד לוֹ מִן הַצַּד, עַד שֶׁאָמַר לוֹ ה׳ ׳עֲלֵה אֵלַי הָהָרָה׳. וּכְמוֹ כֵּן בְּאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד בַּעֲבוֹדַת הַקָּרְבָּנוֹת לֹא רָצָה מֹשֶׁה לָגֶשֶׁת לָזֶה וְלָכֵן הוּצְרַךְ לִקְרִיאָה מְיוּחֶדֶת, וְכָל זֶה הָיָה בִּבְחִינַת תַּכְלִית הַיְּדִיעָה שֶׁלֹּא נֵדַע, וְהוּצְרַךְ הקב״ה לְקָרְבוֹ אֵלָיו בְּכָל הַמְּקוֹמוֹת שֶׁהֵבִיא הַמִּדְרָשׁ, וְלִקְרוֹא לוֹ לוֹמַר לוֹ שֶׁהוּא רָאוּי לָגֶשֶׁת אֶל ה׳.
- Shemos 24:12. ↩
In shortMoshe felt farther the more he grasped, so at the bush, at Sinai and in the Tent of Meeting Hashem had to call him near.
5This is what Rashi means when he says that Vayikra is the expression the ministering angels use. The ministering angels stand on high and know the greatness of the Creator. Their awe of Hashem all but dissolves their very being, and they regard themselves as nothing. So they must urge one another on, calling to each other with encouragement and affection to sing before Him, since this is the Creator's will. That is why it says of them, “And one called to the other.”10 It was the same with Moshe. He always felt, deep within, that he was not ready or worthy to speak with the Holy One, blessed be He, so every saying was preceded by a special call for him to draw near to Him. [This neatly resolves our question: how can “calling” apply to Hashem, Who does not stand at a distance? From what we have explained, this calling is not meant in its plain sense, of summoning someone from a distance; it means urging. Once Moshe had become as nothing before Hashem and was afraid to approach what is holy, a voice was sent to him from on high, calling him to draw close to Hashem and to hear His voice.]
וְזֶהוּ שֶׁכָּתַב רש״י שֶׁוַּיִּקְרָא הוּא לָשׁוֹן שֶׁמַּלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁרֵת מִשְׁתַּמְּשִׁים בּוֹ, דִּלְפִי שֶׁמַּלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁרֵת עוֹמְדִים לְמַעְלָה וּמַכִּירִים בְּגַדְלוּת הַבּוֹרֵא יִתְבָּרַךְ, וּמֵחֲמַת כֵּן הֵם כִּמְעַט בְּטֵלִים בִּמְצִיאוּתָם מִיִּרְאַת ה׳, וּמַחֲזִיקִים עַצְמָם לְלֹא כְּלוּם, לָכֵן צְרִיכִים לְזָרֵז זֶה אֶת זֶה וְלִקְרוֹא אֶחָד לַחֲבֵירוֹ בִּקְרִיאָה שֶׁל זֵירוּז וְחִיבָּה לוֹמַר שִׁירָה לְפָנָיו הֱיוֹת שֶׁזֶּה רְצוֹן הַבּוֹרֵא, וְלָכֵן נֶאֱמַר בָּהֶם ״וְקָרָא זֶה אֶל זֶה״ (ועיין עוד באבות דרבי נתן פרק יב, ה). וְכֵן הָיָה אֵצֶל מֹשֶׁה, שֶׁתָּמִיד הִרְגִּישׁ בְּנַפְשׁוֹ שֶׁהוּא אֵינֶנּוּ מוּכָן וְרָאוּי לְדַבֵּר עִם הקב״ה, וְלָכֵן לְכָל אֲמִירָה קָדְמָה קְרִיאָה מְיוּחֶדֶת לָבוֹא לִקְרַאת הקב״ה. [וּמִמֵּילָא מְתוֹרָץ יָפֶה מַה שֶׁהִקְשֵׁינוּ הַאֵיךְ שַׁיָּיךְ לְשׁוֹן קְרִיאָה אֵצֶל הקב״ה שֶׁאֵינוֹ עוֹמֵד בְּרִיחוּק מָקוֹם, דִּלְהַמְּבוֹאָר אֵין קְרִיאָה זוֹ בְּמַשְׁמָעוּת הַפְּשׁוּטָה לִקְרוֹא לָאָדָם שֶׁיָּבוֹא אֵלָיו, אֶלָּא מַשְׁמָעוּת קְרִיאָה זוֹ הוּא לְשׁוֹן זֵירוּז, שֶׁלְּאַחַר שֶׁהוּא בָּטֵל בִּמְצִיאוּת אֶל ה׳ וְהוּא יָרֵא לָגֶשֶׁת אֶל הַקּוֹדֶשׁ, אָז נִשְׁלַח אֵלָיו קוֹל מִמָּרוֹם שֶׁיָּבוֹא לְהִתְקָרֵב אֵלָיו יִתְבָּרַךְ, וְלִשְׁמוֹעַ אֶת קוֹל ה׳].
- Yeshayahu 6:3; see also Avos deRabbi Nasan 12:5. ↩
In shortHere “calling” means urging, not crossing a distance: the angels, and Moshe, felt so small that they needed a loving call to come forward.
6In light of this, we can explain why Moshe Rabbeinu wrote Vayikra with a small aleph. He wanted to teach every generation this path: each person must be so small in his own eyes that Heaven has to call him to draw near to avodas Hashem.
וְעַל פִּי זֶה יֵשׁ לְבָאֵר, כִּי לְכָךְ כָּתַב מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ ע״ה וַיִּקְרָא בְּא׳ זְעֵירָא, לְלַמֵּד וּלְהוֹרוֹת דֶּרֶךְ זוֹ לְכָל הַדּוֹרוֹת, שֶׁכָּל אֶחָד צָרִיךְ לִהְיוֹת קָטָן בְּעֵינָיו, עַד שֶׁיִּהְיוּ צְרִיכִים לִקְרוֹא לוֹ מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם לְהִתְקָרֵב לַעֲבוֹדָתוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ.
In shortThe small aleph teaches every generation to be so small in our own eyes that Heaven must call us near.
7May Hashem grant that we walk in this path and so draw near to the Creator. Amen, may it be His will.
יְהִי רָצוֹן שֶׁנֵּלֵךְ בְּדֶרֶךְ זוֹ לְהִתְקָרֵב לַבּוֹרֵא יִתְבָּרַךְ שְׁמוֹ, אָמֵן כֵּן יְהִי רָצוֹן.
In shortMay we walk this path of humility and so draw near to the Creator.
Takeaway
The more truly we grasp Hashem's greatness, the more we sense how far we still are, even after much Torah and many mitzvos. Moshe, the greatest of all, held back again and again, and Hashem Himself called him near with affection. That is the lesson of the small aleph: to be small in our own eyes, so that Heaven calls us to draw close.
Learn this in the merit of Rav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitz. His yahrzeit and life ›
English translation, notes and summaries © Zechusam.