(א) וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר (ב) דַּבֵּ֞ר אֶל־כָּל־עֲדַ֧ת בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל וְאָמַרְתָּ֥ אֲלֵהֶ֖ם קְדֹשִׁ֣ים תִּהְי֑וּ כִּ֣י קָד֔וֹשׁ אֲנִ֖י יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם׃ (ג) אִ֣ישׁ אִמּ֤וֹ וְאָבִיו֙ תִּירָ֔אוּ וְאֶת־שַׁבְּתֹתַ֖י תִּשְׁמֹ֑רוּ אֲנִ֖י יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם׃ (ד) אַל־תִּפְנוּ֙ אֶל־הָ֣אֱלִילִ֔ים וֵֽאלֹהֵי֙ מַסֵּכָ֔ה לֹ֥א תַעֲשׂ֖וּ לָכֶ֑ם אֲנִ֖י יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם׃ ... (יג) לֹֽא־תַעֲשֹׁ֥ק אֶת־רֵֽעֲךָ֖ וְלֹ֣א תִגְזֹ֑ל לֹֽא־תָלִ֞ין פְּעֻלַּ֥ת שָׂכִ֛יר אִתְּךָ֖ עַד־בֹּֽקֶר׃ (יד) לֹא־תְקַלֵּ֣ל חֵרֵ֔שׁ וְלִפְנֵ֣י עִוֵּ֔ר לֹ֥א תִתֵּ֖ן מִכְשֹׁ֑ל וְיָרֵ֥אתָ מֵּאֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ אֲנִ֥י יְהוָֽה׃ (טו) לֹא־תַעֲשׂ֥וּ עָ֙וֶל֙ בַּמִּשְׁפָּ֔ט לֹא־תִשָּׂ֣א פְנֵי־דָ֔ל וְלֹ֥א תֶהְדַּ֖ר פְּנֵ֣י גָד֑וֹל בְּצֶ֖דֶק תִּשְׁפֹּ֥ט עֲמִיתֶֽךָ׃ (טז) לֹא־תֵלֵ֤ךְ רָכִיל֙ בְּעַמֶּ֔יךָ לֹ֥א תַעֲמֹ֖ד עַל־דַּ֣ם רֵעֶ֑ךָ אֲנִ֖י יְהוָֽה׃ (יז) לֹֽא־תִשְׂנָ֥א אֶת־אָחִ֖יךָ בִּלְבָבֶ֑ךָ הוֹכֵ֤חַ תּוֹכִ֙יחַ֙ אֶת־עֲמִיתֶ֔ךָ וְלֹא־תִשָּׂ֥א עָלָ֖יו חֵֽטְא׃ (יח) לֹֽא־תִקֹּ֤ם וְלֹֽא־תִטֹּר֙ אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י עַמֶּ֔ךָ וְאָֽהַבְתָּ֥ לְרֵעֲךָ֖ כָּמ֑וֹךָ אֲנִ֖י יְהוָֽה׃
(1) And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: (2) Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them: Ye shall be holy; for I the LORD your God am holy. (3) Ye shall fear every man his mother, and his father, and ye shall keep My sabbaths: I am the LORD your God. (4) Turn ye not unto the idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods: I am the LORD your God. ... (13) Thou shalt not oppress thy neighbour, nor rob him; the wages of a hired servant shall not abide with thee all night until the morning. (14) Thou shalt not curse the deaf, nor put a stumbling-block before the blind, but thou shalt fear thy God: I am the LORD. (15) Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment; thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor favour the person of the mighty; but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour. (16) Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people; neither shalt thou stand idly by the blood of thy neighbour: I am the LORD. (17) Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart; thou shalt surely rebuke thy neighbour, and not bear sin because of him. (18) Thou shalt not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.
DIRECTIONS: Using a chumash or Tanach, look up each of these three verses in context.
(1) This part of Vayiqra is often called the "Holiness Code." Why?
(2) What is the relationship between Hashem and the Jewish people in this passage?
(3) How is divine holiness different from human holiness?
(4) How do we praise human holiness?
כל זמן שאדם מרבה במצות, הוא קונה שם טוב לעצמו. את מוצא שלשה שמות נקראו לו לאדם, אחד מה שקוראים לו אביו ואמו, ואחד מה שקוראין לו בני אדם, ואחד מה שקונה הוא לעצמו. טוב מכולן מה שקונה הוא לעצמו. תדע לך, שהרי בצלאל על ידי שקנה שם טוב, זכה שיעשה מלאכת המשכן. וכתיב, נבחר שם מעושר רב, מכסף ומזהב חן טוב (משלי כב א).
One finds three names by which a person is called: one by which his father and his mother call him, one by which other people call him, and one which he acquires for himself. Best of all is one which he acquires for himself. Know that because Bezalel acquired a shem tov, he earned the merit or work on the Tabernacle. And it's written (Proverbs 22:1), "A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, And loving favor rather than silver and gold."
DIRECTIONS: Open a siddur to the Kedushah blessing of the Amidah. Compare it to the Kaddish. Both passages connect Hashem's name with divine holiness.
(1) How does naming something make it holy?
(2) Pick three adjectives to describe yourself. Would your parents or friends use the same adjectives?
(3) How has your reputation changed over time?
(4) A shem tov is a "good reputation." How has your reputation influenced your life?
DIRECTIONS: Read the passages above carefully.
(1) Find and underline the words in the first passage that we recite in the Kedushah. Note who is speaking them: _____________
(2) How does Isaiah feel in the heavenly court?
(3) Carefully read Psalm 148, in Hebrew if possible. How do we know that angels and humans have similar ways of praising Hashem?
(4) What does it mean to praise the name of Hashem (Psalm 148:13)?
(1) I am a rose of Sharon, A lily of the valleys. (2) As a lily among thorns, So is my love among the daughters.
DIRECTIONS: Carefully read the second and third blessings (gevurot and kedushah) in the Siddur.
(1) In the second blessing of the Amidah, how is Hashem's power set apart from human power? Contrast the two.
(2) Is Hashem part of this world or not? What is relation to it? How do holy, righteous people relate to this world?
(3) How might "Song of Songs" describe Israel?
(4) What do you mysterious about Judaism and/or Hashem?