Being Holy

דַּבֵּ֞ר אֶל־כָּל־עֲדַ֧ת בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל וְאָמַרְתָּ֥ אֲלֵהֶ֖ם קְדֹשִׁ֣ים תִּהְי֑וּ כִּ֣י קָד֔וֹשׁ אֲנִ֖י יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם׃

Leviticus 19:2

Speak to the whole Israelite community and say to them: You shall be holy, for I, the LORD your God, am holy.

דברים כ״ב:א׳

לֹֽא־תִרְאֶה֩ אֶת־שׁ֨וֹר אָחִ֜יךָ א֤וֹ אֶת־שֵׂיוֹ֙ נִדָּחִ֔ים וְהִתְעַלַּמְתָּ֖ מֵהֶ֑ם הָשֵׁ֥ב תְּשִׁיבֵ֖ם לְאָחִֽיךָ׃

Deuteronomy 22:1

You may not observe your brother’s ox or his sheep lost and conceal yourself from them; you must surely return them to your brother.

בבא מציעא כ״ט ב:ה׳

מצא כסות מנערה אחד לשלשים יום ושוטחה לצרכה אבל לא לכבודו

Bava Metzia 29b:5

If one found a garment, he shakes it once in thirty days, and he spreads it out for its sake, to ventilate it, but he may not use it as a decoration for his own prestige.

ברכות י״ט ב:י״ב

תָּא שְׁמַע: ״וְהִתְעַלַּמְתָּ מֵהֶם״ — פְּעָמִים שֶׁאַתָּה מִתְעַלֵּם מֵהֶם, וּפְעָמִים שֶׁאֵין אַתָּה מִתְעַלֵּם מֵהֶם.

Berakhot 19b:12

The Gemara cites an additional proof from a baraita: Come and hear: With regard to the laws of returning a lost object, it is stated: “You shall not see the ox of your brother or his sheep go astray and ignore them; return them to your brother” (Deuteronomy 22:1). The baraita explains that the seemingly extraneous expression and disregard them must be understood to give license that at times you disregard lost objects and at times you do not disregard them.

ברכות י״ט ב:י״ג

הָא כֵּיצַד? אִם הָיָה כֹּהֵן, וְהִיא בְּבֵית הַקְּבָרוֹת, אוֹ הָיָה זָקֵן וְאֵינָהּ לְפִי כְבוֹדוֹ, אוֹ שֶׁהָיְתָה מְלַאכְתּוֹ מְרוּבָּה מִשֶּׁל חֲבֵרוֹ, לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר ״וְהִתְעַלַּמְתָּ״. אַמַּאי, לֵימָא ״אֵין חׇכְמָה וְאֵין תְּבוּנָה וְאֵין עֵצָה לְנֶגֶד ה׳״!

Berakhot 19b:13

How so? If he was a priest and the lost object was in the cemetery, or if he was an elder and it is beneath his dignity to tend to a lost object of that kind, or if he had more work to do than another person and he does not want to set it all aside when another person is available to tend to the lost object. Therefore, with regard to those cases it is stated: And disregard them to permit one to refrain from returning the object. Why? Let us say here, too: Although handling the lost object would be beneath his dignity, “there is neither wisdom, nor understanding, nor counsel against the Lord.”

ברכות י״ט ב:י״ד

שָׁאנֵי הָתָם, דִּכְתִיב ״וְהִתְעַלַּמְתָּ מֵהֶם״. וְלִיגְמַר מִינַּהּ? אִיסּוּרָא מִמָּמוֹנָא לָא יָלְפִינַן.

Berakhot 19b:14

The Gemara answers: There it is different, as it is written: “And disregard them,” indicating that under certain circumstances one is permitted to disregard a lost object. In that case, there is a biblical directive that creates an exception to the prohibition: “You may not disregard” (Deuteronomy 22:3). We found a case in which human dignity overrides a Torah prohibition. The Gemara suggests: Let us derive a general principle that human dignity takes precedence over all mitzvot in the Torah from this case. This possibility is rejected: We do not derive halakhot pertaining to prohibitions from monetary laws, and the case of the lost object merely entails a monetary loss, unlike other prohibitions.

בבא מציעא ל׳ א:ט״ז

למאי איצטריך קרא אילימא לכהן והיא בבית הקברות פשיטא האי עשה והאי לא תעשה ועשה ולא אתי עשה ודחי את לא תעשה ועשה ותו לא דחינן איסורא מקמי ממונא

Bava Metzia 30a:16

The Gemara asks: For what case was a verse necessary to derive that one may disregard a lost item? If we say that the verse is necessary for the case of a priest and the lost item in the graveyard, it is obvious that he need not return the item, as this obligation to return the lost item is a positive mitzva: “You shall return them to your brother” (Deuteronomy 22:1), and that entry of a priest into a graveyard is prohibited by both a prohibition: “To the dead among his people he shall not defile himself” (Leviticus 21:1), and a positive mitzva: “You shall be holy” (Leviticus 19:2); and there is a principle that a positive mitzva does not override a prohibition and a positive mitzva. And furthermore, we do not override a ritual prohibition in the face of monetary matters.

בבא מציעא ל״ב א:ט״ו

טעמא דכתב רחמנא את שבתותי תשמרו הא לאו הכי הוה אמינא צייתא ליה ואמאי האי עשה והאי לא תעשה ועשה ולא אתי עשה ודחי את לא תעשה ועשה

Bava Metzia 32a:15

The Gemara infers: The reason that a priest must not obey his father’s command to become impure is because the Merciful One writes: “You shall observe My Shabbatot; I am the Lord”; but if it were not so, I would say that the child must obey him. The Gemara asks: But why? This obligation to obey a parent is a positive mitzva, as it is written: “Honor your father and your mother” (Exodus 20:12), and that obligation of a priest to refrain from becoming impure is both a prohibition: “To the dead among his people he shall not defile himself” (Leviticus 21:1), and a positive mitzva: “You shall be holy” (Leviticus 19:2); and the principle is that a positive mitzva does not come and override a prohibition and a positive mitzva.

מדרש תנחומא, קדושים א׳:א׳

דַּבֵּר אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל קְדֹשִׁים תִּהְיוּ. זֶה שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב: וַיִּגְבַּהּ ה' צְבָאוֹת בַּמִּשְׁפָּט וְגוֹ' (ישעיה ה, טז). אֵימָתַי נַעֲשֶׂה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא גָּבוֹהַּ בְּעוֹלָמוֹ. כְּשֶׁיַּעֲשֶׂה מִשְׁפָּט בָּאֻמּוֹת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: נִצָּב לָרִיב ה' וְעוֹמֵד לָדִין עַמִּים (שם ג, יג).

וַיִּגְבַּהּ ה' צְבָאוֹת בַּמִּשְׁפָּט (שם ה, טז). מַהוּ וְהָאֵל הַקָּדוֹשׁ נִקְדַּשׁ בִּצְדָקָה. שֶׁהוּא מִתְקַדֵּשׁ בְּעוֹלָמוֹ, בִּצְדָקָה, שֶׁהוּא מְלַמֵּד עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל סַנֵּיגוֹרְיָא, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: אֲנִי מְדַבֵּר בִּצְדָקָה רַב לְהוֹשִׁיעַ (ישעיה סג, א). אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, לֶעָתִיד אֲנִי מִתְקַדֵּשׁ בָּכֶם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: כִּי בִרְאוֹתוֹ יְלָדָיו מַעֲשֵׂה יָדַי בְּקִרְבּוֹ יַקְדִּישׁוּ שְׁמִי (שם כט, כג). וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר, יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר בְּךָ אֶתְפָּאָר (שם מט, ג). וְאַתֶּם מִתְקַדְּשִׁים בִּי וַאֲנִי מִתְקַדֵּשׁ בָּכֶם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְהִתְקַדִּשְׁתֶּם וִהְיִיתֶם קְדֹשִׁים (ויקרא יא, מד).

Midrash Tanchuma, Kedoshim 1:1

(Lev. 19:2:) “Speak unto the [whole congregation] of the Children of Israel, and say unto them, ‘You shall be holy.’” This text is related (to Is. 5:16), “The Lord of hosts has been exalted through justice, and the holy God has been sanctified through holiness.” When did the Holy One, blessed be He, become exalted in His world? When he brought about judgment and justice among the peoples of the world. It is so stated (in Is. 3:13), “The Lord stands up to plead a cause, and rises to judge peoples.”

. . .

What is the meaning of (Is. 5:16), “and the holy God is sanctified in justice (tsedekah, which also means charity)?” That He is sanctified in His world in justice, because He advocates for the defense concerning Israel, as stated (in Is. 63:1), “it is I who speaks in justice (tsedekah), mighty to save.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel, “In the future, I will be sanctified in you, as stated (in Is. 29:23), ‘For when [Jacob] sees his children in his midst, the work of My hands, they shall sanctify My name.’” And so it says (in Is. 49:3), “Israel in whom I will be glorified.” So you are sanctified in Me, and I am sanctified in you, as stated (in Lev. 11:44; cf. 19:2), “so you shall sanctify yourselves and be holy.”

פרקי דרבי אליעזר נ״א:א׳

רבן גמליאל אומר, כמו ראשי חדשים מתחדשים ומתקדשים בעה"ז, כך יהיו ישראל מתחדשים ומתקדשים לעה"ב, שנ' דבר אל כל עדת בני ישראל ואמרת אליהם קדושים תהיו כי קדוש אני ה'. וחכמים אומרים, שמים וארץ עתידים לעבור ולחדש, מה כתי' עליהם ונגולו כספר השמים כאדם הקורא בתורה וגולל אותה וחוזר ופותח וגולל אותה, כך הב"ה עתיד לגול את השמים, שנ' ונגולו השמים כספר והארץ כבגד תבלה, כאדם שהוא פושט את טליתו ומקפל אותה וחוזר ופותח ולובש אותה ומחדש אותה במקומה, שנ' והארץ כבגד תבלה.

Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer 51:1

THE NEW HEAVENS AND EARTH
RABBAN GAMALIEL said: Just as the New Moons are renewed and sanctified in this world, so will Israel be sanctified and renewed in the future world just like the New Moons, as it is said, "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" (Lev. 19:2). The sages say: The heavens and the earth are destined to pass away and to be renewed. What is written concerning them? "And all the host of the heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll" (Isa. 34:4). Just as when a man reads in a scroll of the Torah and he rolls it, and again he opens it to read therein and he rolls it (together), likewise in the future will the Holy One, blessed be He, roll together the heavens like a scroll, as it is said, "And the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll" (ibid.); "And the earth shall wax old like a garment" (Isa. 51:6); just as a man spreads out his garment and folds it up, and again he unfolds it || and puts it on and renews it (thereby), likewise the Holy One, blessed be He, in the future will fold up the earth and again will He spread it out and put it in its place like a garment, as it is said. "And the earth shall wax old like a garment" (ibid.).

ספרא, קדושים, פרשה א א׳

[א] "דבר אל כל עדת בני ישראל ואמרת אלהם קדושים תהיו" – מלמד שהפרשה נאמרה בהקהל. ומפני מה נאמרה בהקהל? מפני שרוב גופי תורה תלוים בה. "קדושים תהיו" – פרושים תהיו. "כי קדוש אני ה' אלקיכם" – לומר אם מקדישים (ס"א מקדשים) אתם עצמכם מעלה אני עליכם כאילו קדשתם אותי. ואם אין אתם מקדישים (ס"א מקדשים) עצמכם מעלה אני עליכם כאילו לא קדשתם אותי. או אינו אומר אלא אם מקדישים אתם אותי הריני מקודש ואם לאו איני מקודש... תלמוד לומר "כי קדוש אני" – בקדושתי אני, בין מקדשים אותי ובין אין מקדשים אותי. אבא שאול אומר פמליא למלך, ומה עליה להיות מחקה למלך.

Sifra, Kedoshim, Section 1 1

1) (Vayikra 19:1) "And the L–rd spoke to Moses, saying (Vayikra 19:2) Speak to the entire congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them: Holy shall you be." We are hereby taught that this section was stated in the presence of all. Why so? Because most of the major tenets of Torah are inherent in it. "Holy shall you be": Separate yourselves (from arayoth.) "Holy shall you be, for holy am I, the L–rd your G d." If you sanctify yourselves, I will consider it as if you had sanctified Me, and if you do not sanctify yourselves, I will consider it as if you had not sanctified Me. — But perhaps the meaning is: If you sanctify Me, I am holy, and if not I am not holy. It is, therefore, written "for holy am I" — I remain in My holiness whether or not I am sanctified (by men). Abba Shaul says: What is the duty of the King's retinue? To follow in the footsteps of the King (and to be holy).