Written by Rabbi Gidon Goldberg
Dear Parents,
Did you know that there is a hidden message in the first posuk in Sefer Vayikra? “And He called to Moshe and Hashem spoke to him from the Tent of Meeting, saying …” The word לאמר , “saying," seems to be extra.
Rashi explains that the word לאמר teaches us that although the Voice was loud and powerful, it did not go out beyond the Ohel Moed. If someone wanted to listen in behind the curtains of the Ohel Moed on the conversation Hashem was having with Moshe Rabbeinu, he would not hear anything. This raises the question; if the voice was loud and powerful, how did it not go beyond the confines of the Ohel Moed?
The sefer Darchei Mussar suggests that this was not due to a miracle. In reality, the Voice was loud enough to be heard. However, the people were not "tuned in" to hear that Voice. Similarly, a dog whistle, להבדיל, has a frequency that is audible for a dog, but not for humans. The קול ה‘ was a sound that could only be "picked up" if one were on the spiritual level of משה רבינו .
Conceivably, anyone could have heard the Voice, provided they were properly "tuned in." Likewise, there are sometimes voices that are present in our lives, which we just do not hear.
There are many sounds and messages from Shamayim that are present, but unfortunately, we are often not receptive to them. As we learn more Torah, perfect our avodas Hashem and come closer to Hashem, we are more receptive to the messages from Hashem and cognizant of His רצון. As our children mature, they too become more “attuned” to אמת and their actions are more in line with that voice. Until then, we need to be patient with them, guide them, and help them realize that they do not always “hear” the message Hashem is conveying to us.
Gut Shabbos,
Rabbi Gidon Goldberg
Head of School