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Beit Midrash
- Torah Portion and Tanach
- Vayikra
- Emor
All right, we hear the commandment. But what, exactly, does it mean "to be holy?" What is holiness?!
There are no less than 51 Mitzvot enumerated in this sedra; 13 "do’s" & 38 "don’ts." Perhaps we can discern "holiness – kedusha" by using these Mitzvot as a guide. So let’s see how it is that we should act:
Clearly, our interaction with others should be done in a "God-ly" way: We should hold our parents in awe; we should devote part of our field (e.g. our income) to the poor; we should not take something that doesn’t belong to us; we should pay our debts on time; we should love, not hate others; we shouldn’t gossip about or embarrass them; we should be honest in our business dealings & should give special respect to Torah scholars.
But there are other things we also must do to be "holy," things that don’t necessarily involve other people. We can’t make an idol for ourselves; we can’t cross-breed certain animals or plants; we have to let our trees go untouched for 3 years; we can’t eat or drink like a glutton or a guzzler; we can’t use a razor to cut certain parts of our beard or have a tattoo embedded into our skin.
So it seems like holiness – or "whole-iness," you might call it - is an overall state of being, a 24/7 state of being, whereby both our bodies as well as our souls are fully committed to a spiritually-directed way of life.
But I want to add another crucial aspect of holiness, one stated by the Ramban, Nachmanides. Quoting the Gemara in Yevamot 20, "Be kadosh in what is permitted to you," he says that Kedusha is reflected just as much by your behavior vis a vis what is allowed to you as by what is forbidden to you. Yes, you must tell the truth; but must you share that same truth if it causes others discomfort? You are entitled to be wealthy, but must you flaunt your wealth? You know the answer to every question, but can’t you let the other students answer sometimes, too? Holiness, says Ramban, is all about holding back.
The word "Kadosh" is strongly connected to the word, "Hekdesh." Hekdesh refers to that which was set aside in the Bet HaMikdash & exclusively designated to be used only in the service of Hashem. Isn’t this the essence of a Jew? Weren’t we, also, "set aside" by G-d & commanded to conduct ourselves in a uniquely moral & spiritual way, so that we could be an example to the whole world?
"Be Holy!" A very short statement - but a very tall order!
Rabbi Stewart Weiss
Was ordained at the Hebrew Theological College in Skokie, Illinois, and led congregations in Chicago and Dallas prior to making Aliyah in 1992. He directs the Jewish Outreach Center in Ra'anana, helping to facilitate the spiritual absorption of new olim.
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