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Let’s be honest: Our Torah portion this week, Vayikra, as Rabbi Ron Segal once told a student, is a bit of a “snoozer.”

The Book of Exodus gave us liberation, revolution, thunder on the mountain; Numbers will give us drama, rebellion, even talking animals. But Leviticus? Leviticus gives us... skin conditions, grain offerings, and the priestly equivalent of a cookbook.

But buried in all that procedural holiness is one of the most powerful openings in the entire Torah:

“Vayikra el Moshe”—“And God called to Moses.”

Not commanded. Not demanded. Called.

This isn’t a divine checklist. It’s a whisper in the ear. A holy nudge. Before there’s any fire on the altar, there’s presence. There’s proximity. There’s relationship.

And that’s where we tend to get it backward. We think spiritual life is built on big moments—shofars, breakthroughs, revelations. But Vayikra says: nope. It starts smaller, with the decision to show up.

We no longer bring bulls and birds and flour to the altar. But every time we pick up the phone to check on someone, show up for a class even when we’re tired, forgive someone who doesn’t fully deserve it, raise our voices when it would be easier to stay silent or quiet are voices when tempted to offer harsh critique… we bring an offering.

So this week, as we enter Leviticus, don’t get lost in the fire and fat. Listen for the call. And when it comes, in whatever form it comes, show up. That’s what transforms ritual into relationship; that’s what turns obligation into offering.

Shabbat Shalom