Parashat Vayyikra begins with the words “And He called to Moses …” Rashi defines the verb vayyikra, “He called,” as a term of affection, closeness, and love. This call is heard from within the mishkan, the traveling Tabernacle, a place built after the great crisis of the golden calf, perhaps as a response to that event. The Torah reminds us that even after difficult moments of rupture and loss, it is possible to rebuild a place of sanctity and encounter.
We too find ourselves in a difficult time as a country and as a society. The war with Iran fills us with dread and uncertainty. Our congregation in Be’er Sheva in particular is at a moment of crisis after a missile struck close to our synagogue building, with considerable damage that reminds us how fragile our reality is. Nevertheless, it is at precisely these moments that the power of community is revealed.
The parashah’s call is to continue to respond: to pray together, to look after each other, to rebuild. From the midst of the difficulty, the call is heard — not to close ourselves in due to fear, but to approach, to come close. And when a community responds to that call, hope too is born.
