Making Room (Vayikra)

The relationship between Moses and God evolves and changes throughout the Torah. Moses begins as God’s shaliach, (messenger) both in relationship with the Israelites and the Pharaoh of Egypt. But by the end of Exodus, Moses has grown closer with God and serves as an advocate for the Israelites. He has evolved as a leader, perhaps less afraid to stand with and for others. Yet at the end of Exodus when the Tabernacle is completed, we read:

Moses, after dedicating years to connecting the Israelites to God, can’t enter into the very structure he has helped create for the very same purpose.

A brief glimpse ahead to the next book of the Torah might help illuminate the path forward. The very first verse of Leviticus reads:

There is a peculiarity to the way scribes calligraph the word “VaYikra/called.” The letter aleph (the final letter in the biblical Hebrew word “Vayikra”) is traditionally written much smaller than the other letters. One of the explanations of the small aleph is that, originally, the Torah was written without spaces between the words. The aleph became lost between the words. Our small aleph, according to that understanding, is the result of scribal tzimtzum, or contraction. The scribes found room to allow a letter to exist.

Perhaps we might imagine that the tenor of God’s call to Moses in Leviticus is the result of God witnessing Moses’ inability to connect at the end of Exodus. Perhaps the small aleph is a physical representation of God contracting just a bit, consciously making room for a sacred partner.

We might learn from this model of Divine Contraction to practice occasionally contracting to allow others to share of themselves. In everyday life, making space for others can create a platform for connection. Engaging in conversation with the checkout person at the market or the mailman demonstrates how important simple acknowledgements of people can be. This simple act bridges the gap between us and creates the opportunity to express gratitude. And showing appreciation and care for others is essential in building and maintaining relationships.

Rabbi Shai Held, in his analysis of the prayer Modeh Ani, shares how the translation of the Hebrew gives one pause in looking at gratefulness.

“I am grateful, but ‘Modeh Ani,’ grateful am I — as if to suggest that there is no self without gratitude, that I do not become fully human unless and until I convey my gratitude to the One who created the gift that I am, and the even greater gift that I inhabit.” (Held, Daring to Dream with God, The Forward (Sept. 22, 2010))

We have been granted multiple opportunities throughout the day to create a space of holiness with others and show gratitude. May we take advantage of every one.