Parshat Kedoshim

(1) The LORD spoke to Moses, saying: (2) Speak to the whole Israelite community and say to them: You shall be holy, for I, the LORD your God, am holy. (3) You shall each revere his mother and his father, and keep My sabbaths: I the LORD am your God. (4) Do not turn to idols or make molten gods for yourselves: I the LORD am your God.

דבר אל כל עדת בני ישראל SPEAK UNTO ALL THE CONGREGATION OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL — This (the addition of the words כל עדת) teaches us that this section was proclaimed in full assembly because most of the fundamental teachings of the Torah are dependent on it (contained in it) (Sifra, Kedoshim, Section 1 1; Vayikra Rabbah 24:5).

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 people). Abba Shaul says: What is the duty of the King's retinue? To follow in the footsteps of the King.

קדשים תהיו YE SHALL BE HOLY — This means, keep aloof from the forbidden sexual relations just mentioned and from sinful thoughts. [It is evident that this is the meaning of קדשים תהיו because] wherever you find in the Torah a command to fence yourself in against such relations you also find mention of “holiness". Examples are: (Leviticus 21:7) “[They shall not take] a wife that is a harlot, or a profane etc.", and in the next verse "for I, the Lord, who sanctifieth you, [am holy]"; (Leviticus 21:15) “Neither shall he profane his seed (by the forbidden unions mentioned in the preceding verses) for I the Lord do sanctify him"; (Leviticus 21:6) "They shall be holy… followed by (v. 7) "[they shall not take] a wife that is a harlot or a profane" (cf. Vayikra Rabbah 24:4-6).

You will be holy. “Abstain from the forbidden sexual relationships [mentioned in the preceding section] and from [other] sin because wherever you find [in the Torah] a warning to guard against immorality, you find the mention of ‘holiness.’” This is Rashi’s language. But in the Torat Kohanim I have seen it mentioned without any qualification [i.e., without any particular reference to immorality, as Rashi expressed it], saying: “Be self-restraining.” Similarly, the Rabbis taught there: "Just as I am Holy, so be you holy. Just as I am Pure, so be you pure." And in my opinion, this abstinence does not refer only to restraint from acts of immorality, as the Rabbi [Rashi] wrote, but it is rather the self-control mentioned throughout the Talmud, which confers upon those who practice it the name of P’rushim (Pharisees), [literally: “those who are separated” from self-indulgence, as will be explained, or those who practice self-restraint]. The meaning thereof is as follows: The Torah has admonished us against immorality and forbidden foods, but permitted sexual intercourse between man and his wife, and the eating of [certain] meat and wine. If so, a man of desire could consider this to be a permission to be passionately addicted to sexual intercourse with his wife or many wives, and be among winebibbers, among gluttonous eaters of flesh, and speak freely all profanities, since this prohibition has not been [expressly] mentioned in the Torah, and thus he will become a sordid person within the permissible realm of the Torah! Therefore, after having listed the matters which He prohibited altogether, Scripture followed them up by a general command that we practice moderation even in matters which are permitted...He said in general, And thou shalt do that which is right and good, (Deuteronomy 6:18). thus including under a positive commandment the duty of doing that which is right and of agreeing to a compromise [when not to do so would be inequitable]; as well as all requirements to act “beyond” the line of justice [i.e., to be generous in not insisting upon one’s rights as defined by the strict letter of the law, but to agree to act “beyond” that line of the strict law] for the sake of pleasing one’s fellow person...

A Midrashic approach: The “be holy for I am holy,” with which our portion commences reflects the fact that the concept of a nation such as Israel inspired G’d to create the universe in the first place. Expressed differently: Israel shared G’d’s holiness already before the universe or the people were created. At this time G’d decided that the time had come for the people of Israel to demonstrate this latent holiness in actual visible fashion. If we were to illustrate this concept in a parable the matter is similar to a king who has become engaged to a bride, i.e. she has become designated for him exclusively. This prompts the king to say: “seeing that I am the king and you are going to become my queen you ought to share my glory. Seeing that my glory is my title “king,” you ought to share this glory of mine.” Applied to G’d and Israel respectively, G’d’s glory being His being holy, He is now (immediately prior to the revelation at Mount Sinai) desirous of His fiancee the Jewish people sharing this holiness. The way to achieve this is to observe the laws of the Torah, plus. This is precisely what happened prior to the revelation at Mount Sinai when G’d told Moses to “sanctify” the people (Exodus 19,10), whereas G’d Himself sanctified the people when He said: “you will be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exodus 19,6).

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.).

קדושים תהיו כי קדוש אני ה' אלהיכם. (Leviticus 19,2) "Be holy for I the Lord your G–d am holy;" Basing themselves on this verse, the prophets and sages drew a comparison between G–d and the Exodus experience of כנסת ישראל as being similar to the relationship between groom and bride. The entire book of Song of Songs is based on this concept. Most of the liturgical poetry in our prayer-books deals with this concept extolling this relationship between Israel and G–d. It is spelled out more clearly in Deuteronomy 26,17-18: את ה' האמרת היום להיות לך לאלוקים … וה' האמירך היום להיות לו לעם סגולה.. "You have affirmed this day that the Lord is your G–d…and the Lord affirmed this day that you are His treasured people." The relationship is mutual.

"The whole Community of Israel" means any place where Israel gathers together for the sake of Heaven, as it is written in the Talmud (Sanhedrin 38b) "...whenever ten Jews gather together, the Shechina rests on them..." Every place where Israel gathers together for the sake of Heaven, there the Shechina necessarily. This is as it says in the pasuk "For Hasahem your G!d walks in the midst of your camp" (Devarim 23:15) The word used for "walks" mithaech conveys that absolute certainty. For this reason we are commanded to be refined and sanctified, as a king who says to one who loves him "since you are obliging me to go with you, see to it that you do not lead me into any place of foulness"

The word for holiness, Kedusha, refers to preparedness. This means that the Blessed G!d tells the Jewish people to always be in a state of kedusha, and thus always be ready, expecting at all times the salvation of Hashem, that G!d will illuminate their eyes to the words of Torah. "For I am Holy" in other words this means that Hashem is saying G!dself is always ready (also in this state of preparedness) to bring salvation to Israel. and because of this we must also be eternally prepared for Divine arrival... G!d wants a person to eternally be ready and expect G!d to illuminate their eyes. Then at the time when the Divine flow of Chesed shel Emet (of Loving Truth), which is Love which endures forever, then Love itself will attain the person who waits for it. It will not forsake one who waits for the wordsd of Torah to enter their heart. A person must be careful not to turn their back but rather to should stand before G!d face to Face