Reb Ginsbourg: Kedoshim

Kedoshim: Be holy towards your fellow man

Keeping Mitzvot between man-and-fellow man means to look both at our fellow man and at ourselves correctly, in ways which are ‘opposite’.

Rav Chaim Friedlander brings the commentary of Rashi on the opening words of our Parasha:(19:1-2)’Hashem spoke to Moshe, saying:’Speak to the entire assembly of the Children of Israel and say to them: You shall be holy, for holy am I, Hashem your G-d’.

Comments the Rav:’It teaches us that this parasha was said to the whole assembly, because most of the fundamental teachings of the Torah are dependent on it.

‘In our Parasha we find allusions to the main Mitzvot of the Torah, our Sages noting that all of the Ten Commandments are included in it, and in them, as Rav Saadia Gaon teaches, are contained all of the Mitzvot.

‘This level of: :’You shall be holy’ is a very lofty level, yet it is the foundation to observing the Torah and the Mitzvot.

‘It requires - as the Ramban expounds:’to sanctify yourself even in permitted matters - and is not a level one attains as a result of observing the Mitzvot, but is the precondition to fully observing the Mitzvot.

‘Here we ask: can one not fulfill the Mitzvot without attaining this level? No, because to fulfill the Mitzvot properly, one needs to first to prepare the infrastructure - one who is in the hands of his desires and wishes, cannot properly observe the whole of the Shulchan Aruch properly.

‘To this end, comes the commandment to ‘be holy’: to rise above one’s natural ways, towards being ‘holy’.

‘We can readily understand the obligation to ‘be holy’, with regards to the five Mitzvot on the right Tablet - between Man and G-d - but our Parasha is mainly concerned with the five Mitzvot from the left side of the Luchot - those between man-and-man.

‘Therefore, we must say that this condition of ‘be holy’ is also required to properly perform these Mitzvot.

‘Thus, for example, with regard to the Mitzvah to rightfully judge your fellow man - being ‘holy’ requires you to judge him favorably : הוי דן את חברך לכף זכות.

‘How can the Torah command something which is a matter of the heart?

‘A further difficulty: as concerns to your own actions, the Torah does not have the same leniency - indeed, its requirement is the very opposite: one should always, with regards to his own avodat Hashem, feel that perhaps he has not performed them as completely as he might have!

‘To be able to fulfill these seemingly opposite obligations, Hashem demands that we change our nature - this, by being ‘holy’, to consider all in our world through the prism of our Avodat Hashem.

‘We are able to ascend to this level, to ‘be holy’, because - as the passuk continues - ‘For holy am i, Hashem your G-d’.

‘Just as I Hashem am totally פרוש: removed from mundane matters, so too man, as we are commanded ‘to go in His ways’.

‘This gives us the ability to rise above our physical natures, and to become ‘holy’ - and thereby come to properly fulfill the Torah and the Mitzvot.

‘This includes the Mitzvot between man-and-fellow man, to correctly look both at our fellow man and at ourselves, in ways which are ‘opposite’.

‘All this is only possible if we truly are ‘holy’, removed from and above our natures, and the nature of this physical world.

‘True, the level of ‘be holy’ is a very lofty one, but it is also an essential pre-condition to properly observe the Torah, and the greater our efforts to attain this lofty level, so too is the reward: to merit to observe the Torah and the Mitzvot בשלימות: in their fullness.’

Rav Ahron Kotler adds:’This Mitzvah - ‘be holy’ - was given to ‘the entire assembly of Bnei Israel’, so that ever individual is commanded: ‘be holy’, even though it is the loftiest level.

‘Since the Torah demands this from each person, it follows that each person has the ability to attain it.

’For holy am I, Hashem, your G-d’: our ability to ‘be holy’, is because of our connection to Hashem - ‘your G-d’.

‘Ask our Sages:’Like Me?’, that is why it says:’For I am holy’ - my holiness is higher than yours.

‘Might this require us to be totally removed from material matters?

‘This is not Hashem’s Will of us, as clearly we need to be also engaged in matters of this world.

‘Rather, His Will is that all that we do is to be לשם שמים: for the sake of heaven - so that our mundane activities should all be part of our avodat HaShem.

‘We learn from this, the lofty level of man who is given this mission, and whose holy soul is able to rise to unlimited heights.

‘Woe to him who does not utilize this wonderful power, but is satisfied with lesser matters, especially in spiritual matters!’.

Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz expounds:’The demand ‘be holy’ does not only obligate the lofty few, but obligates each Jew.

‘Further, without it, the person is at risk of descending to great depths, as we see from בן סורר ומורה: the rebellious son, whose unbridled gluttony leads to his terrible fate, because - as the Ramban comments - it is a negation of the Mitzvah: ‘be holy’.

The Ktav Sofer adds:’Hashem does not want us to isolate ourselves from other people, and only be concerned with our own spiritual growth.

‘Because of His desire to benefit us, His creations, Hashem gave us a large number of Mitzvot, so that each of us should also strive to guide others in their avodat Hashem.

‘Just as I - Hashem - am holy, yet am ‘your G-d’, because of my concern with each of you, so too is your holiness to be.’

His revered father, the Chatam Sofer sweetens this essential teaching, stating:’As far as Hashem’s holiness is concerned, it is the opposite of פרישות: separation - notwithstanding His holiness, He is concerned with us mortals, despite this being ‘beneath’ Him, and yet He remains ‘Holy’.

‘So too, our holiness requires us to ‘separate’ from material matters, and to cleave to spiritual ones, thereby coming closer to Hashem, and to ‘real’ life.’

The Kli Yakar proffers a different understanding than that of Rav Friedlander, expounding:’Just as before Matan Torah, it is written: ‘And you shall be to Me a kingdom of Kohanim, and a holy nation’, so too, in our Parasha, there are allusions to all Ten Commandments, preceding the Mitzvah of holiness, to endear the Mitzvot to Bnei Israel, to say that, by observing the Mtzvot, they would ‘be holy’.’

This, too is the plain meaning of the third paragraph of Kriat Sh’ma: ‘And you shall observe all My Mitzvot, and you shall be holy to Hashem, your G-d.’

A parting gem from the Ohr Hachaim Hakadosh:’’You shall be holy’, is expressed in the future tense, alluding to it being a never-ending Mitzvah, because every level that one attains in it, is but a gateway to the next level of holiness, there being no limit to those who seek to ascend in holiness.’