Vayikra/Zachor - Precious
Esther exemplifies the impact of personal action on our collective story.
In most years, Parshat Zachor corresponds with Parshat Tetzaveh. However, during leap years, such as this one, Parshat Zachor often corresponds with Parshat Vayikra instead. There is a fascinating link between the parshiot of Zachor and Vayikra that can be found in the first word of the book of Vayikra. The book famously begins with a small aleph at the end of the first word, וַיִּקְרָא, making it appear as if the word is actually וַיִּקָּר.
Rashi doesn’t explicitly address the small aleph, but he does point out that when God called Moshe, He said the full word, וַיִּקְרָא, which connotes warmth and affection. In contrast, when God addressed Bilaam, the teacher and prophet of Amalek according to our Sages, He used the word וַיִּקָּר, implying happenstance and distance. The Ba’al Haturim explains that Moshe’s humility led him to ask God if he could omit the aleph and write וַיִּקָּר, making it appear as if God only happened upon Moshe. God denied Moshe’s request but agreed to make the aleph small to remind the Jewish people of Moshe’s humility. Regardless of the reason for the small aleph, it is clear that the word וַיִּקָּר seems more prominent in the beginning of this week’s parsha because the aleph is so small.
The word וַיִּקָּר is also found in one of the most famous verses in the megillah, which we also recite every week at Havdalah:
לַיְּהוּדִים הָיְתָה אוֹרָה וְשִׂמְחָה וְשָׂשֹׂן וִיקָר
The Jews enjoyed light and gladness, happiness and preciousness. [Esther 8:16]
In this context, the word וִיקָר means preciousness. Moreover, the root of this word vikar, ykar, or some similar derivation is mentioned more times in the Megillah than in the rest of the Torah combined.
The use of this word presents a baffling paradox: How could the same word mean coldness and impurity in the Torah but signify caring and preciousness in the Megillah?
Our Sages teach about another link between the story of Purim and the story of Bilaam. As we noted above, Bilaam was the chief prophet and role model for the nation of Amalek. According to the Gemara he could detect the one moment each day when God was angry, and during that brief window, he could curse people.
אֶלָּא, מְלַמֵּד שֶׁהָיָה יוֹדֵעַ לְכַוֵּין אוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא כּוֹעֵס בָּהּ.
… Bilaam was able to precisely determine the moment that the Holy One, Blessed be He, is angry. At that moment, Balaam would utter his curse and, through God’s anger, it would be fulfilled. [Berachot 7a]
Bilaam’s power of manipulation convinced him that God cared little about humanity and the Jewish people, and Haman operated on the same assumption. This assumption is why Haman drew lots, believing they would reveal the moment when God, figuratively speaking, might be “asleep” and the Jewish people would be most vulnerable. Atheists and critics of religion like to cite this form of randomness in the natural world as a prime example of divine apathy.
The flaw in this skepticism is exposed in Mordechai’s challenge to Esther when she reacted with hesitation about approaching the king on behalf of the Jews. Mordechai famously replied
כִּי אִם־הַחֲרֵשׁ תַּחֲרִישִׁי בָּעֵת הַזֹּאת רֶוַח וְהַצָּלָה יַעֲמוֹד לַיְּהוּדִים מִמָּקוֹם אַחֵר וְאַתְּ וּבֵית־אָבִיךְ תֹּאבֵדוּ
On the contrary, if you keep silent in this crisis, relief and deliverance will come to the Jews from another quarter, while you and your father’s house will perish [Esther 4:14]
Mordechai was relaying that our ultimate survival is never up to us – it is part of the divine destiny decreed by God; it would occur with or without Esther’s participation.
But Mordechai then concludes
וּמִי יוֹדֵעַ אִם־לְעֵת כָּזֹאת הִגַּעַתְּ לַמַּלְכוּת
And who knows, perhaps you have attained to royal position for just such a crisis
Who knows? Perhaps this is why you became queen! Mordechai implies that Esther's ascent to royalty was not by chance; it provided her with a unique opportunity to play a crucial role in fulfilling God’s divine plan.
This idea is crucial to the message of Purim. The message of Purim is not simply that God is always behind the scenes, manipulating day-to-day events. The message is much more powerful; it celebrates the ability of each human being to make an impact on how our personal and national destiny will unfold. The story of Esther is a testament to the power of personal input in achieving what God has destined for the Jewish people. Without Esther, we would still have survived, but the joyous celebration of Purim as we know it would not exist.
This is why the word וַיִּקָּר, which means randomness, can also signify the preciousness of our opportunity to make a difference. As we said, the word וַיִּקְרָא in our parsha can look like the word וַיִּקָּר at first glance. The difference is the tiny aleph, which reminds us that while bad things may seem random, God is there, symbolized by that small aleph, which also represents each individual whom God is watching and waiting for.
Unlike what Bilaam thought, God is not sleeping; he is always aware of what is happening in our lives, cares immeasurably about us, and eagerly awaits our participation in the grand plan of life.
Vayikra and Zachor remind us that within God’s vast design, the randomness of daily existence gives each of us the chance to make a distinct and valuable impact on the world. We are at a critical time in Jewish and world history; let us be inspired this Purim to embrace those opportunities to make a difference.