This week's parsha, which is the first parsha of the third book of the Torah known as Leviticus is actually named Vayikra because it is the opening word of the parsha. In Jewish sources the entire book of Leviticus is also referred to as the Book of Vayikra because of its opening word. It is obvious that the name Vayikra is an extremely important word that teaches us a crucial lesson that relates to the entire book that is devoted to the theme of holiness and goodness.

Vayikra is translated as: "And He called." It is a reference to the manner in which G-d would communicate the teachings of Torah to Moses. As a sign of His affection fro him, Rashi explains, G-d would call Moses before each one of his communications with him. Calling someone before addressing them is a sign that you are not compelled to speak to them and that your communication with the other is not a reluctant one. On the contrary, the speaker enjoys and savors his communication with his interlocutor.

Rashi contrasts this affectionate introduction to Moses with the way G-d communicated with the heathen and vile prophet Bilam. There the Torah uses the word Vayikar which translates as "He chanced on him," suggesting that his communication with Bilam was highly undesirable.

Rashi, however, adds another point. Notwithstanding the fact that the reference to G-d calling Moses before speaking to him is mentioned only once here at the beginning of the book of Leviticus, nevertheless, Rashi asserts, G-d did it for each and every time He communicated with Moses.

The question is why. Why did G-d have to call him repeatedly? To make the case that Moses was beloved to G-d it would have sufficed for Him to do it once.

One answer is based on the way we must view our status and relationship with     G-d. The Talmud states that before we are born an oath is administered to us. This oath consists of two parts: The first is: "Be righteous and do not be wicked." The second part states: "Even if the entire world says to you that you are righteous, you shall still regard yourself as if you are wicked."

At first glance, the second part of the oath is incomprehensible. First, why should we disregard all of the positive testimony of others? And second, why would it be desirable to think of oneself as a wicked person? Wouldn't that lead to depression and other undesirable consequences?

The Chassidic classic Tanya explains that if we examine the terminology of that Talmudic passage we will see that it does not say that we should regard ourselves as wicked. Rather it says that we should regard ourselves "as if" we were wicked, which suggests that we must incorporate one aspect of the experience of a wicked person. This means that just as a wicked person has to struggle with evil, so too, do most righteous people have to struggle with evil. And while many righteous people will prevail over their evil impulses they must never let their guard down lest they will succumb to a sudden surge of evil that may have been suppressed. Since they think they are righteous and have no problem with evil they will not be prepared for that sudden confrontation with evil that will cause them to regress. 

The fact that the "entire world" considers one to be a righteous person who has vanquished all his or her evil does not prove that it is indeed true. The appearance of righteousness may belie one's embedded evil that can awaken from its slumber at any time and make us vulnerable.

There is one exception to the rule of not believing when others tell us that we are completely righteous. When G-d tells you that you are righteous, you can justifiably assume that you are indeed completely righteous. After all, G-d surely knows what is in one's heart and if He intimates that you are good and holy it is surely true. Thus when G-d called out to Moses affectionately before he addressed him, Moses could have very easily and correctly concluded that G-d regarded him as a truly and inherently righteous person.

However?and this is where we see Moses' unique humility expressed?the second after G-d showed him the sign of affection, compelling Moses to conclude that he was indeed righteous, he did not allow that thought to linger. He quickly banished the thought from his mind and said to himself that even if he was righteous in the past?for that he could not deny?it did not mean that he was righteous in the present. G-d therefore repeated His calls of affection to continually reinforce His high regard for Moses. And Moses, despite his accomplishments for which he was lauded by G-d, never rested on his laurels. He felt that he had to start from scratch.

Thus each and every time G-d spoke to him He called out to him ("Vayikra") with love to reinforce His high regard for him. And after every time G-d did that Moses still regarded himself to be no different from anyone else. It did not make him arrogant and condescending and it did not make him want to slow down in his efforts to serve G-d and humanity.

In other words, Moses' "default" consideration of himself was that he was ordinary. It took G-d's calling him with love to make him realize his exalted position, which he used only as an inspiration to continue to please G-d.

The application of this analysis to our lives is that in a certain sense we are all like Moses. As the Ba'al Shem Tov taught, every Jew possesses a spark of Moses' soul. And just as G-d called out to Moses to show His affection for him so too G-d calls out to each and every one of us to show us how much He loves us and has high regard for us. However, we must never allow this realization to go to our heads. Our default position has to be that we have to be prepared to prove ourselves each and every day.

And lest one would think that they are incapable of pleasing G-d  by doing what is right, the memory we have of the last time He called out to the Moses within us should inspire us to repeat our goodness and righteousness without the attendant sense of superiority over others.

 The same idea can be applied to our preparations for the Messianic Age. We must always heed the call of G-d to us that expresses His love for us and all that we have done in the past. And this love, while not always apparent to us, is certainly there and finds expression in our lives from time to time. Based on this love, we are confident that He will imminently bring about the promised Redemption when His love will shine brightly perpetually. However, we must emulate Moses, who despite hearing repeatedly G-d's loving call to him, he did not allow that memory to cause him to retire spiritually. On the contrary, knowing G-d's love for us should inspire us to rededicated action until we bring Moshiach and beyond.