The word “Kedoshim” comes from the opening verse of our
parasha, where God commands the people “Kedoshim tihiyu!” “You shall be holy!”
The word “kedoshim” means “holy,” in the plural form. Up until this point in
the Torah, we have encountered the theme of “holiness” in relation to the holy
space of the Tabernacle and the holy objects and donations that are part of the
sacrificial system. These places and objects are set aside for the purpose of
serving God. We have already received laws that set the people of Israel apart,
whether through regulations on our sexual behavior or what we eat.
This Torah portion adds another dimension to the idea of
holiness. Here, as Everett Fox writes in his commentary, “Holiness has a connotation
of wholeness and perfection; Wright (1992) has defined it as ‘that which is
consistent with God and his character.’” The opening verse of the parasha
continues, “You shall be holy for I Adonai your God am holy.” The parasha then lists
law after law about how we are to behave in our business dealings, agriculture,
our justice system, and in how we treat the blind, the deaf, the old, the
stranger, and our neighbors. We see here that our Torah teaches that “imitation
dei,” or striving to be godlike, is expressed through our outward actions and
behavior, especially vis a vis our fellow human beings. It is also critical to highlight
that that word, “kedoshim,” is in the plural. We can only strive for holiness
in the context of the community.
But there is more than action alone. We also are commanded
in this parasha to cultivate empathy and compassion. See the following verses: “love
your neighbor as yourself”(19:18), “You shall not hate your kinsfolk in your
heart,”(19:18) and, “The stranger who reside with you shall be to you as one of
your citizens; you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the
land of Egypt.” (19:33-34)
Not only do we live a holy life by doing what is right by
our fellow human beings, but we also foster holiness through training our
hearts. We are to remember our own suffering, and out of that experience, to feel
love for the stranger in our own community.
Duty and empathy are linked in holiness. Discuss!!
