March 22, 2024

Vayikra: Jewish Innovation in the Small Aleph from Rav Shach

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Season 6

Imagine the immense power of humility and how a single letter in the Torah could unlock lifelong wisdom. Join us as we unveil the transformative lessons nestled within the small aleph of the word Vayikra, guided by none other than Rav Shach's profound teachings. This episode is a journey through the subtle art of maintaining humility, exemplified by Moshe Rabbeinu's eternal battle with the Yehtsahara, the inclination towards ego and pride. Discover the significance of this minute detail and its implications for our daily quest for personal growth.

Witness the unwavering commitment to self-improvement that even the greatest leaders had to embrace. Rav Shach intricately connects the dots between the humble aleph and the strategies to combat one's ego, revealing that the journey toward humility is far from static; it's an evolving battle that requires continual innovation and self-reflection. Through our conversation, be inspired to reflect on your humility and the active measures you can take to nurture it. This discussion is not merely a lesson on a textual anomaly - it's a life guide, urging us never to cease striving for betterment in our character and spirit.

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Rav Shach began his talk with the following shocking statement.

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He said Ve oim er lachem.

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I'm going to tell you now dov ar she' ulai e'en eni yachel.

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Maybe I am not right for telling it to you ve e'en eni rashail, adaber u lahoven kach, and maybe I'm already incorrect for saying it and even thinking it.

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So you know, we're about to get something good.

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And oh, do we get something good Into this pearl of wisdom for the great Panavitra.

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Rashi's sheeva is a hein al-avracha.

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He begins by pointing out to us that Vayikra el-Maysheh, the very beginning of our safer, the very beginning of our parshah.

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It begins with Hashem calling out to Moshe and then he continues to tell Moshe, after the calling, all of the details of the sacrifices and offerings.

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But the aleph in the word Vayikra is tiny.

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It's an aleph ze'ira.

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It's written smaller in the Torah scroll than all of the other surrounding and other letters.

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Why?

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There are many answers, but perhaps the most famous is the Balaturim Of Shah.

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Points to the Balaturim who explains to us because Moshe Rabbeinu, he did not want to even write an aleph at all, because Vayikra is a very impressive way of being paged and called by Hashem.

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It's the way that the top dog, the real great sages and honorable menches.

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They get called by that word, Vayikra, when Hashem wants to speak to them.

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But Moshe being the ultimate humble individual, so bashful, unknow of Mikol Adam, the most humble man of all time, he didn't want to write Vayikra, he wanted to take out the aleph, so it became Vayikar, a much more subdued calling.

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So it wouldn't be so grand of a paging.

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But Hashem said no, but on my lack of the Shbarchu lichtov gamma aleph, write that aleph Vayikra.

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So Moshe wrote it small so that he could fulfill his obligation.

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But what if?

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Shachlan asks surely you're aware that this isn't the first Vayikra in the Torah?

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All of a sudden, moshe is a little bit uncomfortable because Hashem called to him in a very proud way, impressive way.

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This isn't the first time that Vayikra's mentioned.

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So why now?

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And now here comes the idea of Cesar of Shach that you think that Moshe Rabbeinu just shechted and destroyed his Yehtsahara, as if now he is totally humble and there isn't a struggle, cesar of Shach, no, the Chayb of Salavov tells us that the Yehtsahara is stitched into the fiber of your being, otherwise you'd be six feet under.

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And Moshe Rabbeinu was no different.

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He was a mortal man that had a beating heart and the Yehtsahara had told him on this day wow, look, how impressive you are.

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And Moshe Rabbeinu and his Milchamas Hayyetser said I have an idea.

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I'm going to write a small aleph, I have a new way to fight back.

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I'm going to keep myself humble by writing Vayikar that was his way of fighting the Yehtsahara and Cesar of Shach that Moshe Rabbeinu didn't come up with this new insight and tactic to fight the evil inclination until Vayikra.

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Before this, he hadn't had this idea.

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That's why only now is Vayikra with a small aleph Our battle.

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It never ends, not even for the greatest ones.

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But that is what life's about.

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You keep coming up with new tactics.

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You're just on autopilot, constantly filling your gas tank with energy to fight back, with new schemes, new charts, new stepping stones to get by the traps of the Yehtsahara.

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That's why we have the small aleph, because of Moshe Rabbeinu's ceaseless fight against the Yehtsahara, to constantly stay humble and become a total evanashen.