THE SMALL ALEPH

Dear Family,

I hope that everyone is well.

Wishing a refuah shleimah for Yechezkiel ben Ester.

Mazal Tov to Zalmy and Nechama Dina on their Wedding Anniversary last week. The English date was yesterday. Blessings are never too late, and so, wishing you much continued happiness together with much growth and achievement!

Mazal Tov to Binyamin on his birthday next week. Wishing you continued growth and achievement Binyamin, and a year of flourishing in all your good efforts!

Mazal Tov to Nechama Dina Davidoff Jnr on her birthday next week. Love having you with us each week, Nechama, and wishing you a happy year, giving your parents much nachas!

Hahem calls to us

I heard some beautiful points this week from Rabbi Gordon shiur ah, relating to this week's Sedra Vayikra, and the word Vayikra.

The Hebrew word Vayikra means 'He called', and Rashi says (1:1) that this term is an expression of affection or endearment (of Hashem calling to us).

The Hebrew word vayikar (vayikra without the aleph) means 'chanced upon'. It also refers to a communication, but it has connotations of transience and impurity. This was the term used by Hashem when addressing the non-Jewish prophet, Bilam.

To explain this, he brings a teaching from Chassidus as follows:

Life is not a series of coincidental happenings where we feel we are drifting in an ocean, or being blown about by the wind ie things just happening (vayikar).

Rather Hashem is calling out personally to each individual Jew with affection - Vayikra. And the aleph of Vayikra is in diminutive form in this week's Sedra, referring to this personal connection. Everything that happens to us is specific and focused. These situations are sometimes difficult, but nothing is random. They happen for a reason, and we don't necessarily understand.

Hashem has expectations of us, and we have to utilise every situation, and maximise this connection to Hashem through the guidance of Torah, Mitzvos, and acts of goodness and kindness.

We call to Hashem

And interestingly, this concept of 'calling', also came up in beautiful way in Tanya this week (Chap 37).

The Alte Rebbe brings the Talmudic expression regarding a Torah student reading Torah - korei baTorah. This is usually interpreted as 'one who studies Torah', but the Talmud interprets it to mean 'one who calls to Hashem through Torah', as a man calls to his friend, or as a child calls to his father to come and join him, and not to part from him G-d forbid.

Practically

Hashem accepts our small acts. The Sedra goes on to show how less well-off people could bring a bird as a sacrifice, or even just plain flour, instead of an animal brought by the more wealthy.

And over the past few weeks, Mommy (Rahel) has handed out dozens of Shabbos candles to Jewish women on the street, who have taken upon themselves the 'small act' of lighting Shabbos candles on time, Friday evenings!

Gut Shabbos to all