It Takes Courage to Be Holy
Acharei Mot-Kedoshim, Leviticus 16:1–20:27
Dr. Vered Hillel, Netanya, Israel
“You must be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy” (Lev 19:2).
What an incredible statement! How can we, who are finite and mortal, be like God, who is infinite and eternal? It almost seems preposterous and impossible; yet Hashem told Moses to speak these exact words to the children of Israel, more than once. All of the commands for Israel to be holy as Hashem is holy, with the exception of Leviticus 11:44, 45, are found in what is known as the Holiness Code (Lev 17:1–26:46). This unit draws its name from the central theme of holiness, which is repeatedly and emphatically addressed throughout this section. This week’s Torah portion comprises part of the Holiness Code.
The people of Israel bear a collective responsibility to seek and demonstrate holiness. In almost every section of the Holiness Code, Hashem tells Moses, “Speak . . . to the children of Israel” (17:1; 18;1; 19:2; 20:2; 22:17; 23:1, 24; 24:1–2; 25:20). We bear a collective, as well as individual, responsibility to seek to be holy as Hashem is holy. And we bear witness to the presence of Hashem in and among us. The Holiness Code, through its collection of secular, ritual, moral, and festival regulations, separates Israel from the other peoples of the world as Hashem’s chosen people (Lev 20:24, 26) and informs us how to demonstrate this unique calling through our actions, through the way we live.
Let’s look a little more closely at the first four chapters of the Holiness Code (Leviticus 17–20), which are part of this week’s Torah portion, to see what we can learn about being holy as Hashem is holy. Three times in these four chapters (17:2, 18:2, 19:2) Hashem tells Moses “Speak to . . . the children of Israel and tell them . . .” In Leviticus 17:2 Moses tells Israel, “This is what the Lord has commanded.”
Three general areas are addressed in chapter 17: 1) the instruction that sacrifices must be offered at the one, legitimate altar near the entrance to the tent of meeting; 2) regulations concerning the blood of animals, both sacrificial and those used for food, and the prohibition against consuming blood; and 3) the prohibition against eating the flesh from carcasses of animals that died or that were torn by beasts.
Moving on to 18:2, we read that Hashem tells Moses, “Speak to the Israelites . . . ‘I the Lord am your God. You must . . .’” Chapter 18 contains the most systematic and complete collection of laws in the Torah dealing with the subject of incest and forbidden sexual unions. In the process of defining sexual sins, the chapter delineates the limits of the immediate family. In chapter 19, Moses is to tell Israel, “You must be holy for I, the Lord your God, am holy.” Chapter 20 is a continuation of chapter 19 and culminates in verses 24 and 26 where Hashem proclaims, “I am the Lord your God who has set you apart from other peoples. . . . You must be holy to me, for I, the Lord, am holy, and I have set you apart from other peoples to be mine” (20:24, 26). Sandwiched between the two commands to be holy “for I, the Lord your God, am holy” in 19:2 and 20:26 are commands telling us what it means to be holy.
Some of these imperatives seem rather strange to us today, like the prohibition of wearing clothing made of a mixture of wool and linen (19:19). However, if we look closely, we can see how such commands can be applied to our lives now. Leviticus 19:19 also prohibits planting two different kinds of seeds in the same field and not crossbreeding two different animals. Rabbi Jonathan Sacks z’’l suggests that these commands can be fulfilled today by respecting and caring for the environment.[1] Not conforming to idolatry means resisting the idols of our age, time, and area, whatever that may be. Not harvesting the corners of our fields can be understood as treating the poor with dignity and respect, and sharing our blessings with others. We are told not to curse the deaf or put a stumbling block before the blind. These commands can be fulfilled in our days by not insulting others with our speech or actions and not taking advantage of someone, even if they do not know about it. It means doing justice, having honest business practices, and keeping Shabbat.
Being holy can be summed up in the command to love your neighbor and the alien (stranger, foreigner) as yourself (Lev 19:18, 34). We love our neighbor and the stranger living among us, by not lying, stealing, or deceiving others, not hating, bearing a grudge, spreading gossip or standing by silently when someone else’s life is in danger. It means having the strength of character to go to a person who has hurt us, discuss the incident with them, give them a chance to apologize, and then forgive them. Being holy means being set apart, being distinct. It means having the courage to be different than the world around us.
We are created in the image of God and called to act in his ways. Though it may seem preposterous or even impossible, we are to be, and can be, holy as Hashem is holy. Living a holy life as presented in the Holiness Code reminds us of the presence of Hashem in our own lives and in the life of the people of Israel. Such a life demonstrates our unique calling as his chosen people and testifies of Hashem’s presence to those around us. Peter reminds us to be holy in every area of life, “for it is written, “You must be holy, because I am holy” (1 Pet 1:6). May we all have the courage to be different, to be holy.
[1] This section was inspired by Rabbi Sacks’ commentary, “In Search of Jewish Identity” on Acharei Mot-Kedoshim from 5776. The entire commentary can be found at https://rabbisacks.org/search-jewish-identity-kedoshim-5776/.