Parshat Vayikra - Knowing Your Purpose
This week we start the third book of Torah. Like the Parasha, it is called Vayikra, which means "And He called..." HaShem calls Moshe and Moshe hears the call.
There is something special about the call though: the word Vayikra, in the Torah is written with a small Aleph. Our sages teach us that the small Aleph represents our true inner self, but like the sound of an Aleph, it is something that is silent.
Unlike a regular silence, the silence of the call of Vayikra is smaller and quieter than even silence: it is something that we each have to discover for ourselves.
No one can tell you who you are or who you should be. It is something we have to learn about and know for ourselves.
Modern meditation and mindfulness practice talk about quieting the mind. The Torah adds another dimension: quiet your mind and then listen closely. Don't listen for a voice or any other sound, but listen to that sound of silence and, if you pay really close attention, you will "hear" the call of the small Aleph, directing you toward your unique and individual purpose in the world.
Discussion Questions:
1. Simon and Garfunkel, a classic folk rock duo, have a song called "The Sound of Silence". The first line is "Hello darkness my old friend...". How are darkness and silence connected, and why do you think they call darkness their "old friend"?
2. Have you ever meditated? If yes, how did you feel before, during, and after the experience? If no, set a timer for 5 minutes, close your eyes, sit still, and silent. Now that you have meditated, how did you feel before, during, and after the experience?
3. If you could do anything and had no worries or limits, what would that be?
4. Why is that your answer?
(Remember, these are personal and unique to you. There are no right or wrong answers. If you don't know the answers yet, that is okay. Say "I don't know yet" and then sit in silence and be okay with the silence.)
