This week we begin the book of Leviticus, or in Hebrew, Vayikra. The literal translation of Vayikra is "And He called," which refers to God's call to Moses at the start of the first verse of the book. Rashi comments at length on this word, noting that each time God spoke to Moses, He preceded His speech with a call, as a mark of respect and affection.
Now, as we know, the Torah includes not only sentences and paragraphs but also breaks between the paragraphs. Rashi uses this fact to make an important point about learning that has special relevance to us at Mandel. Rashi wrote: "One might think that the breaks too were preceded by a call. Scripture, therefore, states, 'and [the Lord] spoke (וַיְדַבֵּר) [to him],' denoting that only for speech was there a call, but not for the breaks. Now, if each break in the Torah does not represent a new call from God to Moses, then what is the purpose of these breaks? To give Moses space to contemplate between one passage and the next, and between one subject and another. And if this pause for contemplation was given to the great Moses when being taught by God, then how much more necessary is it for an ordinary person learning from another ordinary person."
As I said on the opening day of the academic year, the Mandel Leadership Insitute is a kind of "saf" - a doorway or liminal space between where you were before and where you will be next. It is a place where you are given optimal conditions to pause and reflect about what matters most and to plan your next steps. But even here, it is easy to become overwhelmed - not by workload as before you came to Mandel, but by the mental and emotional load of tough questions and new ideas.
In the spirit of Rashi's insight, I wish us all a refreshing Pesach vacation. May it be for us all, a pause within a pause, for reflection and contemplation. And may we return renewed, for a spring full of fresh growth and learning.
Excerpts from Dr. Eli Gottlieb’s remarks at the pre-Passover gathering at the Mandel
Leadership Institute