This week, we begin reading Sefer Vayikra and its first parasha, Parashat VaYikra. The parasha discusses many of the laws of specific korbanot – sacrifices – including the olah, shlamim chatat and others.
The parasha opens with the following verse: “And He called to Moshe and Hashem spoke to him from the tent of meeting saying …”
Our mesorah – oral tradition – teaches that the word, -ויקרא” “ and He called – is to be written in the Torah scroll with a peculiarity. The last letter in that word – the letter aleph – is to be written in a significantly smaller font. Our commentators have a number of different explanations and interpretations of this requirement.
One explanation is given by the Kli Yakar, Rabbi Shlomo Ephraim Luntschitz. He explains that the letter aleph is associated with learning and education. The letter aleph is the first letter in the Hebrew alphabet – the basis of learning. The root of the word aleph is also associated in Hebrew with training and preparation. The Kli Yakar explains that the letter is written in a smaller font to convey the idea that learning and education can only be sustained when a person makes himself or herself “small” – humble.
Moshe Rabbenu merited to have this letter written in reference to him because he was the archetype of the humble person. One indicator of this quality was Moshe’s attitude towards leadership – he ran away from power and authority over others and lived by the Talmudic dictum mentioned in Masechet Eruvin, “Those who chase authority, authority will run away from them.”
In his sefer, Torah Le’Daat, Rav Matis Blum tells a story of a man who approached a great chacham who was disturbed authority and power were not “chasing after him” despite the fact that he intentionally runs away from power! The chacham explained to the man that it appeared from his question that while he is running away from power he is constantly looking back to see if power and authority are following him. This attitude is the greatest expression of seeking power – therefore, it constantly escapes him.
Why is humility so critical to the process of education?
The ability to ask a question – the basis of all learning – is tied up with the acceptance of one’s own ignorance. A person who thinks that he knows all cannot ask a question – nothing bothers him. On the contrary, one who is humble is open to the realization of his own ignorance and is open for new knowledge. The small-font aleph teaches us that arrogance is a barrier to education. Therefore, Moshe Rabbenu, the paragon of humility, is the greatest of our teachers.
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