Parshat Vayikra/Shabbat Hahodesh

This Shabbat, we begin to read the third book of the Torah, the book of Vayikra or Leviticus. The book begins:  “God called to Moshe and spoke to him. . . ” According to Rashi, that opening sentence tells us  how God communicated with Moshe in general, not just on that particular occasion.  Rashi commented that “all communications and commandments from God were preceded by a call, which is an expression of love.”

To call a person is to single that person out by name.  It is to acknowledge that person’s uniqueness, to recognize who that person truly is.  Often, in the rush of life, we speak to people as if they were interchangable. But to take a moment to acknowledge that the person to whom we speak is an individual, unlike anyone else, is a great gift.  It is to grant that person his/her dignity as an image of God.  In that sense, it is an act of love.

When we speak to one another, may we always start by recognizing who it is that we are speaking to.