Vayikra: God is Calling

The Torah has a funny way of naming things. Or, I guess, more accurately, the editors and compilers of the Books of the Torah had a funny way of naming things. You see, each of the Five Books of Moses - the first five books of the Bible - are named after the first significant word in that book. So, for example, if the 

first Harry Potter book worked the same way, that book would not be called "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's (or Sorcerer's, if you're reading the US version...) Stone," but would instead take its title from the first page of the book, which begins: "Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much." And I say 'significant' word, because the word 'Mister' might be pretty common, as is the word 'and' (obviously), and so is 'Misses.' So maybe the first Harry Potter book would be called 'Dursley,' or 'Privet Drive.' My point is, the books of the Torah do NOT derive their names from content or theme, but from the very, very simple principle of using the first important word in that text. And yet, the names seem to mean so much more than just that.

The first book is called 'B'reisheet,' meaning 'In the beginning.' It gets its name from the very first word of the Bible, which is, indeed, 'B'reisheet.' But, of course, that is also a very appropriate title for the entire book, because it tells our origin story, from the Garden of Eden, through Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and so on. The second book is 'Sh'mot,' 

meaning 'names,' because the book begins 'These are the names...', but it also goes on to present our ancestors' journey from slavery in Egypt to freedom in the wilderness, where they made a NAME for themselves. The fourth book is 'B'midbar,' meaning 'in the wilderness,' and gives the full account of our time spent in the desert. And the final book, 'D'varim,' means 'things/utterances/speeches,' and consists mainly of Moses' final speech to the people, and all the THINGS (lessons) he wanted to teach them. But what then of the book we are beginning this week, the third book of the Torah? Vayikra, meaning 'And [God] called,' seems like a strange name. Surely this does not follow the principle we stated earlier, that the title should be the first SIGNIFICANT word in the book. I mean, 'God called' appears tons of times in the Bible! God is sending messages to Moses all the time; shouldn't the book have taken its title from a more important word than that? A noun, perhaps, rather than a generic verb???

But the third book of the Torah isn't like the other four. All the others tell stories, while 'Vayikra' ('Leviticus,' in English) is mainly a list of laws, precepts, and instructions. It speaks of holiness, though mainly through the vehicle of sacrifice and purity. 

However, even though the majority of these laws are archaic, seeing as we no longer have a Temple and our society isn't governed by principles of ritual impurity the way it once way, ritual still matters to us a great deal. Whether we're talking about religious celebrations, baseball rituals, or family traditions; we do structure our lives around habit, custom, and familiar behavior. And if we're willing to see it, hidden inside all of these practices is the Voice of God, CALLING to us.

Take a moment and think about what the word 'calling' means to you. Seriously, stop reading this for a minute and think about how you interpret the word 'calling.' Is God commanding? Inviting relationship? Decreeing? Comforting? Go ahead, I'll wait.

I see this as an opportunity, an invitation, to define your personal relationship with God. And then to redefine it over and over again, throughout your life. How does God call to you, if at all, and how do you respond? Vayikra, the third book of the Torah, is everyday life. 

The other books tell of our history, our journeys, our hopes, and our goals. Vayikra is right here, right now. It's waking up in the morning, typing on your computer, eating meals with your family, and commuting to work; the rituals and rules that govern our everyday lives. And by giving it the name 'God is calling' (sort of), we are reminded, each and every day, to listen for God's Voice in our lives. It's a chance to elevate the mundane to a more spiritual experience, to enrich and enhance what you do, whenever and wherever you're doing it. You just gotta listen for it. Do you hear?


Photos in this blog post:

1. Image courtesy of Rabbi Gerber's copy of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (yes, I have the British version...)

2. Image courtesy of Everett Fox's "The Five Books of Moses"

3. CC image of the painting 'Rituals,' courtesy of Dr B K Guha on Wikimedia Commons

4. CC image courtesy of Zutje on Wikimedia Commons