"וַיִּקְרָ֖א אֶל־משֶׁ֑ה וַיְדַבֵּ֤ר יְהֹוָה֙ אֵלָ֔יו מֵאֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵ֖ד לֵאמֹֽר"
"And He called to Moses, and the Lord spoke to him from the Tent of Meeting, saying"
Question: Why is the word Vayikra in the first pasuk written with a small aleph? (The small aleph is only visible in a torah scroll)
Rashi says that Hashem uses the word "Vayikra" as opposed to another speaking verb because it is an affectionate term. For example this term is used by the angels when speaking to each other. When Hashem is speaking to other nations naavim he uses the world "Vaayikar" which is a less affectionate term. While Moshe was writing down the torah Hashem told him to write Vayikra to show affection however moshe was very humble and didn't want to seem greater then the other naavim so he wrote it w as a small aleph.
Question: What are some other opinions as to why this word is written with a small aleph?
Ariella Rosencrantz
ReplyDeleteThe Baal Haturim explains that Moshe was very humble. He only wanted to write vayikar - chance, because HaShem appeared to him in a dream by chance. However, HaShem wanted him to write an aleph, and since Moshe was humble and didn’t want to disagree with HaShem, Moshe only wrote a small Aleph.
I think this idea was beautiful and shows Moshes humility towards HaShem. I also think this shows the power of compromise.
Source: http://rabbisacks.org/covenant-conversation-vayikra-between-destiny-and-chance/
Since the aleph is small, at first glance you might read the word without the aleph and pronounce it "vayikar." In fact, we find that word used when God appears to the character Bilaam in Numbers 23:4: "And God happened upon Bilaam."
ReplyDeleteAlthough the two words have a similar meaning, the Midrash tells us that the word vayikra (with the aleph) implies a loving, close relationship, as in Isaiah 6:3 when the angels are calling to one another. And the word vayikar (without an aleph) implies an accident and spiritual impurity, kind of like when a potty-training child has an "accident."
Moses had several arguments with God, one of them over the use of the aleph in this word. Moses, in his humility, wanted God to use the word vayikar without an aleph to show that he regarded himself no better than Bilaam. Yet God wanted Moses to write it with the aleph as an expression of intimacy and affection. So they compromised – by using a small aleph.
Source: https://www.aish.com/tp/b/mt/48961066.html?mobile=yes
I really like this answer because it shows Hashems love for all people.
^^ Elianna Ashendorf
DeleteLilly Fuchs:
ReplyDeleteIbun Ezra does not comment specifically on the small aleph, he just comments on the word vayikra. He says that Hashem is just summoning Moshe to talk to him at this time. He does not go into detail about the small aleph.
Rabbi Richard Address says that the little Alef can mean a few things, but agrees with others that the interpretation of it is the value of humility. He goes on a different path though and says that it teaches us humility but also that we should not have to much of it because than it could lead to low self esteem. If we see ourselves as a little aleph, it’ll make us feel small and think that we don’t have the ability to follow God “the right way”. One might think as they start to age and get much older, it will be impossible to do this. But judiusm tells us that no matter where we are in our lives you can grow and become closer with God. That little aleph is teaching us to continue learning and in doing so, to walk in humility with Hashem in your life. I really like this idea because it’s saying that you can always choose the path of God.
ReplyDeleteThe word Vayikra, “And He called”, has a small aleph so that you might just read the word as “vayikar”. The word “vayikar”, means “God HAPPENED upon”, as in it was an accident. The two words have similar meanings but with an aleph in the end, implies a more closer relationship with who ever Hashem is talking to. Moshe was very humble and did not want to look like he was better than Bilam (“And God happened upon Bilaam”) so Moshe wrote the word with a smaller aleph.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.aish.com/tp/b/mt/48961066.html
Ayala Kilimnick:
ReplyDeleteThe Kitzur Baal Haturim says, the Aleph is small because Moshe wanted to write Vayikar, the same way it is written when it comes to Bilaam, which implies that Hashem only came to him by chance. However, Hashem told Moshe to make the Aleph so it shows his love but Moshe made it small. I like the Idea of Hashem telling Moshe to add the Aleph because it just shows us how much Hashem loves and cares.
Eden Schechter
ReplyDeleteFrom the talks of the sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneerson
The first man, Adam, was ‘the handiwork of G‑d,’ and G‑d attested that his wisdom was greater than that of the angels. Adam was aware of his own greatness, and this awareness caused him to overestimate himself and led to his downfall in the sin of the Tree of Knowledge.
Adam’s name is spelled with an oversize aleph, because his self-awareness led to his downfall. On the other hand, Moses aleph is his sense of insufficiency, attained the highest level of humility, expressed by the miniature aleph of Vayikra.”
Rabbi Wein suggests that the small alef represents that Hashem is to be seen and heard in the small things in life and not only in the large, great events. He says that the first luchot – the tablets of stone that Moshe brought down from Sinai were given with great noise – thunder, lightning, volcanic explosions – and they ended up being smashed to bits. The second luchot, given quietly and privately to Moshe, and from him to all of Israel, endured and were the centerpiece of the mishkan and the Beit Hamikdash. The still, small voice is most representative of God and his power. calls out with a small aleph to his creatures – to see Him in every aspect of life, no matter how small and insignificant it may appear on its surface.
ReplyDeleteI personally like this opinion as I think it represents how Hashem is always present even when we feel like he isn’t. This little alef demonstrates the idea of having emunah in Hashem in every aspect of your life.
Source:
https://torah.org/torah-portion/rabbiwein-5765-vayikra/
The word “vayikar” means casually calling. while The word “Vayikra” means to call with love.
ReplyDeleteMoshe is our greatest Navi. Though we are told there will never be a Navi as great as moshe ever again, non Jews still claimed they had someone just as great. In the pasuk that Hashem speaking to Bilaam, it says, “Vayikar Elokim el Bilaam” (Bamidbar 23:4). The "א" of “vayikra” is omitted in order to show us that Hashem did not enjoy speaking to Bilaam and therefore called him in an off-hand way.
Because moshe was humble, He wanted to write “Vayikar” but because of Hashems great love for Moshe, Hashem insisted that he write “Vayikra”. Moshe and Hashem compromised and “Vayikra” was written with a small א".
Ally Brandwein
ReplyDeleteThe Midrash Rabbah says that there was some leftover ink while Moshe was writing the Torah. But it couldn’t be that Hashem miscalculated the amount of ink. Instead Moshe insisted that the Aleph was written small so that there was a little bit leftover so that he could rub it on his face, which would become radiant.
-Ally Brandwein
Nili Sacks
ReplyDeleteMoshe had extreme humility and did not want to write the aleph to show his greatness so he made it a smaller aleph. When moshe comes down from har Sinai his face was glowing- the Midrash explains that his face was glowing from the extra ink that he had on his finger. The Question than is how did he have extra ink if hashem planned out the entire Torah and know how much ink to use- the Taknat Ezra explains that because moshe made the aleph smaller- is why he had the extra ink which is why his face glowed. I like this idea because it shows how moshe got rewarded for being humble.