The Torah starts the book of Leviticus—Vayikra in Hebrew—with just that kind of a call. "He called to Moses, and the Lord spoke to him from the Tent of Meeting, saying…" (Leviticus 1:1). But what does that call really mean?
The Midrash, specifically Vayikra Rabbah, dives deep into this seemingly simple phrase. Rabbi Tanḥum bar Ḥanilai kicks things off with a verse from Psalms: "Bless the Lord, His emissaries [malakhav], mighty in strength, who perform His bidding…" (Psalms 103:20). Now, who exactly is this verse talking about? Angels? Humans?
The Midrash plays with this idea. If it's talking about the supernal beings, the angels, wouldn't it say "Bless the Lord, all His hosts" (Psalms 103:21), as it does in the very next verse? So, it must be talking about earthly beings. But why "emissaries" and not "all His emissaries"?
Here’s where it gets interesting. The Midrash suggests that earthly beings, us humans, don’t always live up to God’s expectations. We aren't always successful in performing God's tasks. Hence, the verse omits the word "all." God doesn't necessarily want the blessings of the wicked, according to the Etz Yosef commentary.
But wait, there's more! The prophets themselves were called malakhim, emissaries. Remember the verse "He sent a malakh and took us out of Egypt…" (Numbers 20:16)? Was that an angel? No, it was Moses! The Midrash points out that prophets are indeed called malakhim. As Rabbi Yoḥanan said, by their very nature, the prophets are called malakhim because their role is to deliver God's word to the people, as Rabbi David Luria explains. Think of Haggai: "Haggai, the malakh of the Lord, on mission from the Lord, said…" (Haggai 1:13).
So, what does it mean to be "mighty in strength, who perform His bidding"? Rabbi Yitzḥak offers a surprising answer: it's about those who observe the Sabbatical Year, the Shmita. Think about it: we work hard all year round, right? But during the Sabbatical Year, observant Jews let their fields lie fallow. They see their vineyard untouched, and they still pay the land tax, all while remaining silent. Is there anyone mightier than that? It takes incredible faith and strength to let go like that. The Midrash reinforces this connection by linking the phrase "Who perform His bidding [devaro]" to the "matter of [devar] the Sabbatical Year" (Deuteronomy 15:2).
And Rabbi Huna, citing Rabbi Aḥa, brings another perspective. He says the verse speaks of Israel standing before Mount Sinai. Remember that moment? They said, "Everything that the Lord has spoken we will perform and we will heed" (Exodus 24:7). They committed to doing before even hearing! What an act of trust and spiritual strength!
Rabbi Tanḥum bar Ḥanilai adds a final, powerful image. Usually, a burden that's hard for one is easier for two, and so on. But at Sinai, all of Israel was overwhelmed by the voice of God, saying, "If we continue to hear the voice of the Lord our God, we will die" (Deuteronomy 5:22). Yet Moses, alone, could hear the divine speech and live. Vayikra Rabbah emphasizes that from all of them, God called only Moses.
So, what's the takeaway? This seemingly simple call to Moses is actually a multifaceted exploration of faith, strength, and divine purpose. It’s about living up to the role of an emissary, whether you're a prophet, a farmer observing Shmita, or simply someone striving to fulfill God's commands. It’s a reminder that even in the face of overwhelming challenges, we are capable of extraordinary things. And maybe, just maybe, it's a call to each of us, in our own way, to answer the call and find our own purpose.