Do you hear the call?

We begin this week not only a new parsha but a new sefer as we begin to read from the Book of Vayikra (Leviticus). It opens up with the words “Vayikra el Moshe” or “ And He Called to Moshe”. Many of the commentaries have pointed out that though it’s obvious from the text that it’s G-d that called out to Moshe, it doesn’t explicitly say so as it typically does in other textual settings. The Nesivos Shalom quotes the Midrash that there is a heavenly voice that emanates from Mount Sinai on a daily basis and exhorts the Jewish people to repentance. He questions this by asking why can’t we hear this voice that’s emanating from Sinai and if we can’t hear it what’s the point of it being declared? He writes the following profound idea. There is a spiritual energy being released in the world on a daily basis. Some of us make the choice to capitalize on these sparks and internalize them into our soul. This enables us to embark on a journey on self-improvement in this world and allows our soul to connect to G-d in this finite and temporary world through meaningful Torah study, heartfelt prayer, and practicing acts of kindness. Some of us take a look at these spiritual sparks and even experience the spiritual energy that originates from Sinai and just take a pass for whatever reason. Then their souls lie dormant and become atrophied and dehydrated. Unfortunately, this can lead someone to feel that his life has no meaning or purpose. Can anyone say mid-life crisis? That is our challenge. The voice is calling each and every one of us. The only question is, who is going to answer the call? Have a Wonderful Shabbos, Rabbi Yaakov Fisch