What is holiness?

Essential questions:
What does "holy" mean?
Is "holy" an adjective or a verb (or something else)?
Who/what makes something holy?
We see holiness as temporally bound, spatially bound, both, and neither. What are the similarities? Differences? How does it affect our understanding of holiness?
How do we take something routine and make it holy?
Can something be inherently holy, or does something have to make it holy?

Introduction to "the Holiness Codes"

Commentary on Chapter 19 from Etz Hayim Commentary

Leviticus Chapter 19 "is one of the richest and most exalted in the Torah, and begins with the words "you shall be holy" (kedoshim t'hiyu). What is holiness? The term can be applied to God, to good people, to a book, to a period of time, or to an animal to be offered as a sacrifice. To be holy is to be different, to be set apart from the ordinary. The opposite of holy (kadosh) is ordinary (chol). To be holy is to to rise to partake in some measure of the special qualities of God, the source of holiness. Holiness is the highest level of human behavior, human beings at their most Godlike.

S.R. Hirsch defines holiness as occurring "when a morally free human being has complete dominion over one's own energies and inclinations and the temptations associated with them, and places them (his energy) at the service of God's will."

Martin Buber finds holiness in relationships (with other people), in human beings recognizing the hidden divinity in each of us.

As humans, we can be Godlike by exercising our power to sanctify moments and objects in our lives.

Time can be sanctified when it is used to draw closer to God. Objects can become holy when they help people rise toward God. The Torah is holy not because it comes from God, but because it leads to God."

בראשית ב׳:ג׳

וַיְבָ֤רֶךְ אֱלֹקִים֙ אֶת־י֣וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔י וַיְקַדֵּ֖שׁ אֹת֑וֹ כִּ֣י ב֤וֹ שָׁבַת֙ מִכָּל־מְלַאכְתּ֔וֹ אֲשֶׁר־בָּרָ֥א אֱלֹקִ֖ים לַעֲשֽׂוֹת׃ (פ)

Genesis 2:3

And G-d blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because on it G-d ceased from all the work of creation that G-d had done.

שמות כ׳:ח׳

(ח) זָכ֛וֹר֩ אֶת־י֥֨וֹם הַשַּׁבָּ֖֜ת לְקַדְּשֽׁ֗וֹ

Exodus 20:8

(8) Remember the sabbath day and keep it holy.

שמות מ׳:י׳

וּמָשַׁחְתָּ֛ אֶת־מִזְבַּ֥ח הָעֹלָ֖ה וְאֶת־כָּל־כֵּלָ֑יו וְקִדַּשְׁתָּ֙ אֶת־הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַ וְהָיָ֥ה הַמִּזְבֵּ֖חַ קֹ֥דֶשׁ קָֽדָשִֽׁים׃

Exodus 40:10

And you shall anoint the burnt-offering altar and all of its implements. And you shall consecrate the altar, and the altar shall be holy of holies.

ויקרא י״א:מ״ד

כִּ֣י אֲנִ֣י ה' אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶם֒ וְהִתְקַדִּשְׁתֶּם֙ וִהְיִיתֶ֣ם קְדֹשִׁ֔ים כִּ֥י קָד֖וֹשׁ אָ֑נִי וְלֹ֤א תְטַמְּאוּ֙ אֶת־נַפְשֹׁ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם בְּכָל־הַשֶּׁ֖רֶץ הָרֹמֵ֥שׂ עַל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃

Leviticus 11:44

For I the LORD am your G-d: you shall sanctify yourselves and be holy, for I am holy. You shall not make yourselves unclean through any swarming thing that moves upon the earth.

ויקרא י״ט:ב׳

דַּבֵּ֞ר אֶל־כָּל־עֲדַ֧ת בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל וְאָמַרְתָּ֥ אֲלֵהֶ֖ם קְדֹשִׁ֣ים תִּהְי֑וּ כִּ֣י קָד֔וֹשׁ אֲנִ֖י ה' אֱלֹקֵיכֶֽם׃

Leviticus 19:2

Speak to the entire congregation of the children of Israel, [(This section was stated in the presence of all, for most of the major tenets of Torah are inherent in it.)] and say to them: Holy shall you be. [Separate yourselves from illicit relations], for holy am I, the L-rd your G-d.

ויקרא כ׳:ז׳

וְהִ֨תְקַדִּשְׁתֶּ֔ם וִהְיִיתֶ֖ם קְדֹשִׁ֑ים כִּ֛י אֲנִ֥י ה' אֱלֹקֵיכֶֽם׃

Leviticus 20:7

You shall sanctify yourselves and be holy, for I the LORD am your God.

19:2 You shall be holy. In the Hebrew, the summons is phrased in the plural, implying that the capacity for holiness is not restricted to spiritually gifted people, anyone may attain holiness. The plural phrasing suggests further that holiness is most easily achieved in the context of community. It is difficult to live a life of holiness without others (Etz Hayim)