The Sacrifice Symbolizes The Way One Approaches God

Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin said in the name of Rabbi Levi: Come and see

how God is considerate of Israel's possessions –

He said to them: If one is obliged to bring an offering, if the offering

is to be an olah – a burnt offering – let him bring from his cattle –

"If his burnt offering is a burnt offering from the herd (Vayikra 1:3); and should he not find from the

herd, let him bring a sheep, – (Ibid., ibid. 10)

"… of sheep"; and should he not find a sheep, let him bring

a goat, (Ibid.) " … or of the

goats"; and if he does find a goat, let him bring from the

birds and from the fowl, and if he does not find a fowl, let him bring an

offering of meal – "choice flour as a regular meal offering".

Yet more, all [other] offerings may not be brought by halves, but this

latter one is offered by halves – (Vayikra 6) "half

of it in the morning and half of it in the evening." Yet more,

whoever offers this is reckoned as though he offered from one end of the world

to the other end, as is written, "For from where the sun rises to where

it sets, etc."

 (Vayikra

Rabba, Parasha 8)

Said Rabbi Abahu: Let a person always be of the pursued and not

of the pursuers; among the fowl, none is pursued more than doves and

pigeons, and the Torah decreed them acceptable for offering upon the altar.

 (Bavli,

Bava Kama 93a)

THE WEE ALEF

Pinchas

Leiser

Many years ago, when I began to learn Chumash

in Grade 1, the custom in the school where I learned was – as per the

time-honored heder tradition – to begin the study of Bible with Parashat

Vayikra. Many reasons were given for this practice. Among them, following the

Midrash Tanchuma, (91:14):

"Said Rabbi Assya: Why do the children

begin their study with the Book of Vayikra?

It is because all the offerings appear in VAYIKRA,

and because the little children are pure, and they have not tasted sin and

wrongdoing. Therefore The Holy One, Blessed Be He, said that they should first

begin with the order of the offerings: Let the pure ones come and study pure

matters, and therefore I reckon as if they stand and offer the sacrifices

before Me, and I inform you that even though the Temple was destroyed, and

offerings are not brought, were it not for children who study the order of the

sacrifices, the world could not exist."

The commencement of study was a festive and

ceremonial affair, to which the rabbi and communal leaders were invited. Among

other subjects discussed on this joyful and touching occasion was the written

tradition with which we are all familiar: The letter aleph at the end of

the word Vayikra is diminutive; in the Masorah, the tradition of

Biblical inscription, it is called 'aleph zeira' – 'little aleph'.

Now, fifty years later, I would like to

consider afresh this unique phenomenon. I do not intend, within the framework

of this d'var Torah, to conduct an extensive survey of the enlarged and

diminished letters in the Torah and the Bible as laid down by the Masorah. I do

wish to relate, in homiletic fashion, to the possible significance of this

diminution, following in the footsteps of some of the commentators who dealt

with this phenomenon.

Rabbi Yaakov ben Asher, author of the

commentary "Baal HaTurim" (and author of "The Four Turim"),

presents the familiar inscription as a compromise between Moshe's will

and that of The Holy One, Blessed Be He:

"The aleph of Vayikra is

diminutive because Moshe wanted to write only 'Vayiker' ('encountered',

as though by chance) as is written in the story of Bil'am, as though God

appeared to him by accident. God, however, directed him to write 'Vayikra'

– with an aleph. Moshe wrote the aleph – but undersized

it."

Rabbi Efrayim of Lunshitz, in his commentary

"Kli Yakar", takes in a similar approach, but he does

not present the text as a compromise between the will of Moshe and that of God;

it is rather a carefully directed message, designed to compare Bil'am's

prophecy with that of Moshe – at least in certain aspects:

"The 'aleph' of 'Vayikra'

is diminutive, as if it were written 'Vayiker' – 'encountered by chance'.

This is intended to compare the prophecy of Moshe to the prophecy of Bil'am

("Now God did encounter Bil'am"), as is written, "There

arose no further prophet in Israel like Moshe" – but among the

nations there did arise one, and who was that? Bil'am. The meaning of this is

not that Bil'am was Moshe's equal in prophecy, God forbid, but this is the

explanation: Moshe perceived more that his preparation had prepared him

for, as is written "who was known by God" but it does

not say "who knew God", meaning that he did not know

God beyond his personal capability, but God knew him and granted him additional

abundance in Israel, meaning to say "in Israel's merit". None of

Israel's other prophets perceived beyond their abilities. But among the nations

of the world there did arise one – for the honor of Israel – who did perceive

more than his character entitled him to… this teaches us that the two were

equal in that both had additional, unplanned perception, in addition to what

their personalities entitled them."

True, according to the logic of the above,

the text should have read "Vayiker", without the aleph",

but "Vayiker" has the connotation not only of something

temporary, coincidental; it also has the connotation of impurity, and therefore

an "aleph" – a wee aleph – was added on.

It is interesting to examine the Midrashic

tradition (Midrash Rabba Parasha 14, beginning with "ub'vo Moshe)"

which contrasts Moshe's prophecy with that of Bil'am:

'"When Moshe would come to the Tent

of Appointment to speak with Him.' It is taught 'There arose no further

prophet in Israel like Moshe' – in Israel there arose no prophet the

equal of Moshe, but among the nations there did arise one. This was so

that the nations of the world should have no excuse, saying 'If we had a prophet

like Moshe, we too would have worshipped The Holy One, Blessed Be He.' And what

prophet did they have who was the equal of Moshe? This was Bil'am ben Be'or.

There was, however, a difference between the prophecy of Moshe and that of

Bil'am. Moshe possessed three qualities, which Bil'am lacked:

–     He

would speak with Him standing, as is written, "And you stand

here with Me and I will talk to you'; but He would speak to Bil'am only

when Bil'am was prostrate, as is written, 'Bowed, but with eyes uncovered'.

–    

Moshe would speak with Him mouth to mouth, as is

written 'Mouth to mouth, etc', but with Bil'am, 'Utters the hearer of

Godly sayings' – he did not speak to Him mouth to mouth.

–    

Moshe spoke with Him face to face, as is written 'And

God spoke to Moshe face to face"; to Bil'am He spoke only

through parables, as is said, 'He took up his parable and said.'

Bil'am had three qualities

that Moshe lacked:

–     Moshe

knew not who spoke to him, but Bil'am knew who spoke to him, as is written, 'Utters

the hearer of Godly saying who envisages a vision of Shaddai'.

–     Moshe

did not know when God spoke to him; Bil'am knew when The Holy One, Blessed Be

He, spoke to him, as is written, 'Who knows the knowledge of the Most High'.

A parable was spun: A king's cook knows what is on the king's table and how

much the king spends on his table. So did Bil'am know what The Holy One,

Blessed Be He, was going to say to him.

–     Bil'am

would speak with Him whenever he so desired, as is written, 'Bowed, but with

eyes uncovered' – he would fall on his face and immediately his eyes would

be uncovered in respect to his request; Moshe did not speak with Him whenever

he pleased.

–     Rabbi

Shim'on said: Moshe, too, would speak with Him whenever he wished, as is

written 'And when Moshe would enter the Tent of Appointment to speak with

him' – he would immediately hear the voice speaking to him."

In the Yalkut Shimoni (V'Zot Ha-beracha

247:966), we find a somewhat different presentation of the comparison:

"There arose no further prophet in

Israel like Moshe' – in Israel there arose no prophet the equal of Moshe,

but among the nations there did arise one. And who was that? Bil'am the son of

Be'or. But there are differences between the prophecy of Moshe and the prophecy

of Bil'am son of Be'or:

–     Moshe

did not know who was speaking with him; Bil'am knew who was speaking with him,

as is written, 'utters the hearer of godly sayings'.

–    

Moshe did not know when God would speak with him before He

spoke; Bil'am knew when God would speak to him, as is written, 'Who knows

the knowledge of the Most High'.

–    

Moshe did not speak with Him unless he was standing, as is

written, 'And you stand here with Me'; Bil'am spoke with Him while

prostrate, as is written, 'Envisages a vision of Shaddai, bowed, but with

eyes uncovered'. This may be compared to a king's cook who knows how much

the king spends on his table."

In Midrash Rabba, separation is made between

those characteristics which make Moshe's prophecy superior – although here too

the Midrash does not ignore elements of Bil'am's prophecy which make it the

more important. In contrast to this, the comparison drawn by the Yalkut Shimoni

tips the scales in favor of Bil'am.

The tension between the prophecy of Moshe and

that of Bil'am appears to be the background for the Rashi's commentary on Vayikra

1:1 – although there is no explicit reference to the diminutive aleph:

"And He called to Moshe" –

All statements and all declarations and all commandments were preceded by a

call, a term of affection, the idiom used with reference to the angels, as is

written (Isaiah 6:3) 'And they called

one to the other'; but to the prophets of the nations of the world He

reveals Himself with expressions connoting the temporary and the impure,

as is written, 'Now God did encounter Bil'am'.

Rashi contrasts "Vayikra" to

"Vayiker" – without overt reference to the Masorah.

In my opinion, the diminutive aleph

opens an interesting window through which we can observe the difference between

the prophecy of Moshe, the greatest of all Israel's prophets ("There

arose no further prophet in Israel like Moshe') and the prophecy of Bil'am,

greatest of non-Israelite prophets, and perhaps, via these two prophets, we can

discern the difference between Israel and the nations.

In Midrash Rabba the (almost) equal

opportunity given Bil'am is presented as an opportunity given the nations of

the world "so that they have no excuse" – but priority is given by

The Holy One, Blessed Be He, to Moshe. In the Yalkut, however, Bil'am is

presented as having a qualitative starting edge over Moshe.

The Baal Ha'Turim paints a Moshe as a humble

man who does not see himself intrinsically any better than Bil'am, but The Holy

One, Blessed Be He, grants him an advantage, and the 'compromise"

(diminutive aleph) is a result of dialogue between The Holy One, Blessed

Be He, and Moshe.

The author of the Kli Yakar presents the two

as equals in terms of basic God-given attributes; Moshe reaches a higher plane

through his own efforts, not through divine favoritism.

It seems to me that these approaches parallel

the differences between those who see the concept "Chosen People" as

an innate trait, a kind of divine grace — and those who believe in the

basic and intrinsic equality of all men

created in His image. The election of the Jewish people, according to

this approach is first and foremost an opportunity and a challenge – a little aleph,

but great responsibility.

Pinchas Leiser, editor of Shabbat Shalom,

is a psychologist.

"Where ['asher'] a leader sins" ('Asher nasi yech'ta" is the subject of

multiple translations – 'when a leader sins', 'where a leader

sins', 'a leader who sins' etc., thus making possible the ensuing derashot.)

– The Ethics of Government, Between Reality And Hope

"Where ['asher'] a leader sins" related

to "Ashrei" – praiseworthy. Praiseworthy is the

generation whose leader is assiduous about bringing offerings of atonement for

his unintentional sins; how much more so does he regret his intentional

transgressions.

In all the other cases, it is written, "If the anointed

priest sins", "If the entire community of Israel errs' – but

regarding the leader it says, "When the leader sins".

This difference is the subject of a most penetrating insight. Every Jew,

even the anointed priest, even the entire assembly of Israel, is liable to sin

– although this is neither logically nor realistically inevitable. Ergo, the

term "if". But the leader will certainly sin. Why? Because he

is a leader; leadership has the inherent tendency to ruin and corrupt the

person. Therefore, the Torah does not discuss the possible event (if a

leader should sin), but accepts the assumption that "when the

leader sins", because the leader will certainly sin. Rule and reign

without the leader slipping into sin is impossible. This is the Torah's general

attitude to power: It recognizes it and its authority – but 'respect it and

suspect it.'

(From Comments on the Weekly Portion, Yeshaaya

Leibowitz, z"l)

Approaching God Sometimes Demands The

Slaughter Of 'Holy Cows"

The Egyptians worshipped the constellation "Lamb'. Therefore they

forbade the slaughter of sheep and abominated shepherds. There were sects of

"Tsaaba" (idolaters whose center was in Babylonia) who worshipped

demons, believing that they appeared in the form of goats, and therefore they

called the demons se'irim' – 'hairy goat demons', and subsequently there

were sects which forbade the consumption of goats. Even in our day one finds

the Hindus who do not slaughter cattle at all. In order to erase the traces of

these fallacious doctrines, we were commanded to offer up to Him these three

species in particular, from the flock, from the herd, and from the sheep, so

that the act which they considered the height of rebellion was chosen to be the

instrument of approaching God; with that act [of sacrificing those animals]

sins are atoned for. By going to the opposite extreme, those evil doctrines,

which are sicknesses of the soul, are cured.

 (Rambam, Guide

of the Perplexed, Part III, Chap. 46)

Multiple Aspects of "The Holy

Spirit"

It was taught in a Barayta of Rabbi Eliezer: The Scroll of Esther was

composed with the Holy Spirit, as is written (Esther

6): "And Haman said in his heart."

Rabbi Akiva said: Esther was composed with the Holy Sprit, as is written

(Esther 2) "And the matter became

known to Mordecai".

Rabbi Yossi ben Dormaskis said: Esther was composed with the Holy Sprit,

as is written (Esther 9) "And

they did not partake of the spoils."

Shmuel said: If I were present [among the above Tannaim] I would have

said something superior to all their proofs. It is said "kiymu

v'kiblu" – "they fulfilled and accepted" – they

fulfilled above that which they accepted below.

(Megillah 7a)

Editorial

Board: Pinchas Leiser (Editor), Miriam Fine (Coordinator), Itzhak

Frankenthal and Dr. Menachem Klein

Translation:

Kadish Goldberg

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