A call-up order

Parasha and its realization - Parashat Vayikra - 5783

Rabbi Eliezer Shenvald

For the speedy recovery of Boaz ben Carmela

This week it was published that the chief military attorney stated: the demonstrations against the legal reform "do not have a political tone and therefore there is no obstacle to participating in them", and therefore she allows all soldiers up to the rank of lieutenant colonel (also during unpaid service) to participate in these demonstrations. The IDF spokesman emphasized that there is a balance and it is allowed to demonstrate both for and against the reform.

This is an explosive and problematic statement because it does not make a clear distinction between demonstration, protest, and between refusal, and rebellion.

The assertion that this is not a 'political protest' is controversial. It cannot be ignored that the demonstrations have a political motive. However, they also undoubtedly reveal deeper gaps in attitudes that touch the existential foundations of Israeli society - its Judaism and its democratic concept. And this is in contrast to how they try to present the dispute, as a dispute between the supporters of democracy and the supporters of a dictatorship, and between the supporters of the liberal Jewish state and the Halacha state.

So why is it still perceived that way among the public? Because in the media and street talk, only one-sided statements are heard, and the other side is neither seen nor heard. There is no serious discussion, and there is almost no dialogue, but mainly one-sided, extreme, and fear-mongering statements.

If it seemed that in the era of social networks, what happens in the city square no longer matters, as it gave way to the virtual square in the networks, reality proved the opposite.

When such a fundamental issue is up for discussion, is it possible to allow only one voice to be heard? And if the debate also takes place in the streets and in the city square, is it right to be absent from it and create the impression that there is only one side, where the truth lies, the silence and absence of the other side are like consent of this!

לַכֹּ֖ל זְמָ֑ן וְעֵ֥ת לְכׇל־חֵ֖פֶץ תַּ֥חַת הַשָּׁמָֽיִם... עֵ֥ת לַחֲשׁ֖וֹת וְעֵ֥ת לְדַבֵּֽר...        

"A season is set for everything, a time for every experience under heaven… A time for silence and a time for speaking…" (Kohelet 3:1-7)

It is true that there are times when it is better to be silent:

עֵת לַחֲשׁוֹת. פְּעָמִים שֶׁאָדָם שׁוֹתֵק וּמְקַבֵּל שָׂכָר, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר, "וַיִּדֹּם אַהֲרֹן", וְזָכָה שֶׁנִּתְיַחֵד הַדִּבּוּר עִמּוֹ… 

"A time to be silent. These are the times when a person is silent and receives a reward, as it is stated, “and Aharon was silent,” and he [therefore] merited that the Divine speech addressed him personally…" (Rashi ibid)

But there is also a time when you should not be silent! And it is necessary to read out loud:

וְעֵת לְדַבֵּר. "אָז יָשִׁיר משֶׁה"; "וַתָּשַׁר דְּבוֹרָה"; "קְחוּ עִמָּכֶם דְּבָרִים" 

"And a time to speak. [As it is stated,] “Then Moshe sang,” [and,] “And Devorah sang,” [and,] “Take words with you.” (Rashi ibid)

Now is the time to speak, and read out loud!

אֲלֵיכֶ֣ם אִישִׁ֣ים אֶקְרָ֑א וְ֝קוֹלִ֗י אֶל־בְּנֵ֥י אָדָֽם׃

“O men, I call to you; My cry is to all mankind". (Proverbs 8:4)

At this time everyone is given a 'warrant' and there are no 'exemptions'. It is obligatory to 'read aloud', voice an opinion, and present it also on the streets and in the city square, in a democratic way, out of the brotherhood, and without violating public order. It is forbidden to hear and present only one side of the argument. Discourse and discussions can be created only if both sides are heard, only this way will the public be proven that there is not only one-sided truth here, and the various opinions will be properly represented. Those who shy away and refrain from making their voice heard in public at this time, even if they are sure that they are right, and speaking is unnecessary, or for any reason, should not claim that their opinion is not heard, but by themselves.

Sefer Vayikra opens with the reading:

וַיִּקְרָ֖א אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֑ה וַיְדַבֵּ֤ר ה' אֵלָ֔יו מֵאֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵ֖ד לֵאמֹֽר דַּבֵּ֞ר אֶל־בְּנֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵהֶ֔ם אָדָ֗ם כִּֽי־יַקְרִ֥יב מִכֶּ֛ם קׇרְבָּ֖ן לַֽה' ...

"Hashem called to Moshe and spoke to him from the Tent of Meeting, saying:  Speak to the Israelite people, and say to them: When any of you presents an offering of cattle to Hashem… " (Vayikra 1:1)

The commentators asked what is the reason there is a doubling in the verse: 'call' and 'speak'. Was it not enough to mention one of them, and from it imply the other? And why was it necessary to change the way the scripture usually begins: וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר 'Hashem spoke' or וַיֹּ֤אמֶר, 'Hashem said' to וַיִּקְרָ֖א 'Hashem called'?

The Ramban (ibid.) explained that the need for 'calling' - 'Vayikra' - arose from the fact that G-d 'called' Moshe from the Tabernacle, to come inside. And otherwise, Moshe would not have been allowed to enter. However, in the Midrash we also find another direction:

אָמַר מָר: ״וַיִּקְרָא אֶל מֹשֶׁה״ — מֹשֶׁה וְכׇל יִשְׂרָאֵל עוֹמְדִין, מְסַיַּיע לֵיהּ לְרַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר. דְּאָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר: ״וַיִּקְרָא אֶל מֹשֶׁה״ — מֹשֶׁה וְכׇל יִשְׂרָאֵל עוֹמְדִין, וְלֹא בָּא הַכָּתוּב אֶלָּא לַחְלֹק לוֹ כָּבוֹד לְמֹשֶׁה.

לוּלֵ֡י מֹ֘שֶׁ֤ה בְחִיר֗וֹ 'had not been Moshe His chosen one'- the Almighty chose him and he would speak with him in front of all Israel –

"The Master said in that baraita cited above that when the Torah says: “And He called to Moshe,” it means that Moshe and all of the Jewish people were standing and listening. The Gemara suggests that this supports the opinion of Rabbi Elazar, as Rabbi Elazar said that when the Torah says: “And He called to Moshe,” it means that Moshe and all of the Jewish people were standing at the foot of the mountain and listening and if G-d did not mean that Moshe was to climb the mountain, why did He call him? The verse comes only to accord deference to Moshe. From Rabbi Elazar’s statement, it is clear that all of Israel heard the voice of G-d. (Midrash Hagadol)

The scripture comes to emphasize that there was a 'public calling' before the entire nation, and not 'speaking' or 'saying' in secret. The commandment to work in the Mishkan and the sacrifices required it to be public, loud, and for the multitude. Hashem 'calls': 'Moshe Moshe' also to reveal publicly, before the people, his virtues. So everyone hears and proves that G-d speaks directly to Moshe, and he is not an ordinary prophet. Even if this was already known, the time has come for a public calling.