To be wholly holy | Rabbi Stewart Weiss | Beit Midrash

Torah Portion and Tanach
Kdoshim

קטגוריה משנית

"Holy shall you be, for I – Hashem – am Holy." (19:1).

It sounds so simple, doesn’t it? "Just be holy!"
As if we can close our eyes, snap our fingers &
immediately elevate our souls to Heaven itself!
What exactly is this connection to Hashem?! Can we really, truly emulate
G-d, who defies not only definition, but imitation?

Perhaps the Torah is telling us that just as
Hashem is bound by the Mitzvot that Hashem
commands to us – thus Anim Z’Mirot records that
G-d also wears Tefilin! – so should we, also, do
the Mitzvot right along with G-d!

But while Hashem may indeed "keep" Shabbat, the
vast majority of the Torah’s other Mitzvot –
including most of the 51 Mitzvot in this Sedra –
are davka not kept by G-d! Just look at the very
first Mitzva in the parsha: "Every person: your
mother & father shall you revere." This could not
possibly apply to Hashem, who surely does not
have a mother or father - perhaps that is why the
command is introduced by the unusual heading, "every person."

And continuing the list of Mitzvot: Could Hashem
worship an idol? Could G-d steal (everything
already belongs to Hashem)! Could Hashem swear
falsely "by the name of Hashem?!" Could Hashem
"fear G-d," or have any of the many illicit
sexual relationships that are listed here?

So obviously, there must be another meaning to
the idea of being "holy as Hashem is Holy." I
suggest we focus on the word "Kadosh" to understand what it really means.

"Kadosh" connects to the word "Hekdesh," which
means "set aside for a holy purpose." For
example, if a person designated a particular
object or sum of money to be utilized for a
spiritual purpose in the Mishkan, that item could
not be used for anything else. It was sacrosanct.

As Jews, we have a particular & defined
spiritual, holy purpose in life: We are meant to
be mortal examples of G-d’s attributes; walking,
talking models of the values & ideals that Hashem
represents. That is why we are here on this
Earth, that is the "Hekdesh" mission that "sets
us apart" from every other nation. It may be
reflected in our belief in One G-d, in the way we
relate to other human beings, in our adherence to
modesty & sexual mores or in the respect we have
for our parents, teachers & Land.

This is what makes us "like G-d:" Hashem is
unique, unlike any other "god," & so we, too, are
a unique people. We give our all, even if it is
costly or dangerous, to proudly wear the badge of
Jew. Something to bear in mind this week as we
show our love & gratitude to all the holy
Chayalim who give their all & so epitomize Kedusha.