Parshat Vayikrah, R Shlomo Katz - Slonim Torah

 Parshat Viyikrah, R Shloo Katz

Rebbe of Lechovitch explaining medrash:

Praiseworthy is a person who humbly allows his wife to awaken him in good ways. he can learn from this how to walk with G-d, to appreciate when G-d awakens him. But sometimes we are startled when awakened, but need to remember that we want to be awakened.

Sometimes it's the Rebbe that wakes one up as he takes counsel of Tzadikim regarding his desires and midot and takes in the advice.

But then, if the ears have been shut to these two, then parnassah awakening a person - needing it - is the last resort to awaken him.

From Shamayim you are awakened in these ways.

Vayikrah el Moshe. Moshe heard a calling and knew it was Hashem speaking to him. He addressed the callings he hard, the issues, the needs, like the ones described in the medrash, as being from Hashem, and gave that attribution/credit. And he woke up immediately.

If a person is focused on one thing, everything else reminds him of that one thing. What the heart thinks of, whatever one sees or hears, he feels relates to this. We should focus on Avodat hashem, and all that happens connects to this.

Today R Shlomo K got surprising news. So he needs to say, hashem, I want to be close to you, how does this relate?

Vayeirah eilav Hashem. Avraham not mentioned because all Hashem was thinking about was him. Reverse here - need not mention Hashem as He's all Moshe was thinking about.

Baal Shem Tov said after seeing chillul shabbat, that we only see things that have relevance to us. He scrutinized himself and found that he once heard a Talmid Chacham put down and was silent. A T"Ch is like Shabbos, so for him on his level, it was an element of Chillul Shabbos. We all need to be humble and honest enough to scrutinize in this way.

The alef is little so you can read it as Vayaker, like for Bilam. hashem speaks to us through all interactions, relationships, all. When thet's clear and we want to know, then there is rachamim from Shamayim and the signs get clearer. Think if there's something you saw that seemed unrelated to you, not connected to you, even repulsive. If we are humble with the little alef it changes the happenstance/vayaker into a calling from Hashem/

Reb Moshe Leib of Sassov saw a non Jewish carriage driver pass and asked R Moshe to pick up what fell. he said I can't. The driver said you can just don't want to. He took it to heart and applied it to his service of Hashem. Within that realm are things he doesn't do can'ts or don't want to. hakol talui beratzon.

All we hear is to awaken us to serve Hashem.

The highest level is to feel Hashem calling you in every way. But this can be taken to an extreme and make you crazy, G-d forbid.

A Rebbe said Amen yehei shmei... that it made him bigger. Another wanted to hear a brachah by the angels and got the chance and it knocked out his teeth.

So we need to pray for this to happen in a healthy and balanced way. And may all of Sefer Vayikrah, all the karbanot, all, be a calling to us that we can see as relevant and receive.