Vayikra (Leviticus 1:1–5:26) (וַיִּקְרָא ‎ — Hebrew for “and He called,”) is the first word in this week’s Torah Portion.

When you look out from within, the world in a very real sense revolves around you.

You see it, feel it, experience it, though your senses and your perspective. You can heighten specific senses to then perhaps experience something a little different, a little more enhanced or deeper, and you can significantly change your perspective and this can bring about huge and life-changing epiphanies. Yet it is still you and it is still a world that surrounds you.

But if you try to fly out (in your mind’s eye) beyond the atmosphere, beyond the moon, past the sun and the solar system, out of the Milky Way galaxy to view a trillion+ other galaxies, then from this perspective, you are now less than a dot, less than a grain of sand and less significant than a moon or planet or star. From this perspective, you may seem to be pointless and valueless.

Yet, the Creator of this vast Universe, created you.

He choose you, a totally unique person and placed you into this world at a specific time and place for a purpose. He wanted you here as He has a task for you. A task or tasks that you are uniquely qualified for. While it may be true that if you reject His purpose for your life, He is more than capable of finding another way to achieve His purposes.

But His hope really is in You!

Yehovah has called you. He has a task, a vocation for you. It could be a gift to give the world; a kindness to ease someone’s pain, a love to share that heals a broken life, or a smile to light a dark corner.

Discerning that task, hearing Vayikra, God’s call, is one of the great spiritual challenges for each of us.

For example, being a care-giver for a partner or parent or even parent-in-law with Alzheimer’s Disease is a modern day example of a sacrifice almost beyond reason, beyond rationale foresight. Yet many willingly take on this sacrifice.

Rabbi Sacks argues that “We are willing to make sacrifices when we feel they are part of the task we are called on to do.”

Obviously, if the family member with Alzheimers for example is very much loved, then it may seem very natural to take up the challenge of being a care-giver and sacrifice much of your own life for a season.

Whether the care-giver would see this as the task or role that Yehovah has called them to is another matter. Perhaps though, the lessons learned though this great challenge and sacrifice may prove crucial in future situations where the call may even be more vital.

The very nature of spiritual challenges and the natural changes over time in a persons life journey would seem to me to suggest that discernment and clarity of purpose is never easy and even when attained it may prove only temporary and fleeting.

 Rabbi Sacks also argues that “Where what we want to do meets what needs to be done, that is where God wants us to be.”. This certainly has a synergy about it and perhaps may resonate with your soul.

I think we all need to stop and take stock at times (this is actually one of the reasons that the Almighty gave us the gift of Shabbat!). So to seek this synergy and find our unique task and purpose, we may also need to refresh and replenish our soul.

And it also seems timely that once again Passover (Pesach) approaches, as this too is an ideal time for some soul-searching and seeking of your higher-calling.

Please see my article ‘Searching for the Soul’ for more on this: https://globaltruthinternational.com/2018/03/31/searching-for-the-soul/