Why God Called Moses From the Tent of Meeting

"And He called to Moses" (Leviticus 1:1). From where [did He call to him]? From the Tent of Meeting. May His name be blessed forever, for He left the upper beings and chose the lower ones, to dwell in the Tabernacle, on account of His love for Israel. Solomon said, "But will God in truth dwell upon the earth? Behold, the heavens and the highest heavens cannot contain You; how much less this House that I have built!" (I Kings 8:27). Is there a potter who longs for vessels of clay? As it were—for "He is the Fashioner of all things" (Jeremiah 10:16). Rather, it was on account of love, [as it is written], "My soul longs, and even yearns" and so forth (Psalms 84:3). And thus it says, "And He called to Moses." Moses was great. See what is written: "And God called the light Day" (Genesis 1:5). This is a "calling" and that is a "calling"—who is greater, the captor or the captive? You must say: the captor. See what is written: "And God called the light Day"—and "light" is nothing other than Torah, as it is said, "For the commandment is a lamp, and the Torah is light" (Proverbs 6:23). Moses took the Torah captive, as it is said, "You ascended on high, You took captivity captive" and so forth (Psalms 68:19). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: In this world I have made you head; and in the world to come, when the righteous come to receive their reward, you will come at the head of them all, as it is said, "And he came at the head of the people" and so forth (Deuteronomy 33:21).