Kedoshim
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Torah Portion -
Kedoshim
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Written by Rabbi Dr Raymond Apple
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“Love your neighbor as yourself”, says the Torah (Lev. 19:18). What sort of neighbor?
Rabbi Yisrael Salanter had a straightforward answer: “Every sort of neighbor!”
He derives this message from the Torah text. The opening verse, “Be holy”, tells us to revere those who are able to attain the highest standards. The second verse, “Respect your father and mother and keep my Sabbaths”, symbolises the intermediate category of people who have not (yet!) reached the really high levels. The third verse, “Do not turn to idols”, represents the residual category of those who have neither reached high spirituality nor engaged in a basic degree of ethical and religious life, but nonetheless never crosses the line to real idolatry.
Some people are too fussy about whom they love. Others who do not share their commitments or opinions are immediately suspect and not really deserving of tolerance and respect. The Torah, as Rabbi Yisrael sees it, writes off nobody.
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Torah Portion -
Kedoshim
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Written by Yitzchak M Goodman
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On the famous verse (19:18), "Love your neighbor like yourself, I am Gd" - the Baal Shem Tov is reported to have connected "like yourself" to "I am Gd" - i.e., just as you do for your neighbor [loving him unconditionally even if it is not deserved]. I, your Gd, will in love you unconditionally even if you are undeserving of it. This is also reflected in the phrase in Tehillim (121:5), "Gd is your shadow." A shadow copies precisely every movement of the body - so too HaShem will copy your every loving act.
[recorded in Great Torah Lights [5 volumes on Chumash in English - Devorah Publications.]
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Torah Portion -
Kedoshim
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Written by d fine
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One of the many mitzvos we find in our sedra is the mitzvah of orlah (see 19:23). The basic idea is that fruit that grows in the first three years is biblically forbidden to eat. The fruit of the fourth year are taken to Yerushalayim and eaten there. What’s the idea behind this mitzvah of orlah? There are several ideas found amongst the Rishonim. The Ibn Ezra and Ramban write that the fruit of the first three years is physically deficient - it does not have the complete nutrients, smell, and taste - and actually can cause damage to the body. The Ramban adds that there is a certain comparison between orlah and bikurim in that we want to offer our produce to HaShem before we enjoy them; it’s a form of gratitude to HaShem for giving us such a yield. However, since the fruit of the first three years is deficient, we wait until the fourth year so we can offer the real, healthy fruits to HaShem. Another angel is provided by the Rambam (Moreh Nevuchim 3:37). The Rambam writes that back in the day, magicians used to think they had ways of making trees yield fruit quicker, and they used to offer these fruits to their idols. Thus, to avoid and dispel such notions, the Torah tells us to stay away from such fruit during the first three years of yield. The Sefer Hachinuch (mitzvah 247) shines some new light on this mitzvah - specifically focussing on the mass convergence upon Yerushalayim in the fruits’ fourth year. The fact that we must go to the Mikdash - the place of Torah - to have an opportunity to learn Torah there. Furthermore, we receive a certain degree of blessing there in the place of the source of blessing.
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Torah Portion -
Kedoshim
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Written by d fine
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There is a hugely fundamental piece of Ramban at the start of Kedoshim. When the pasuk commands us ‘you shall be holy,’ the Ramban explains that this is referring to an umbrella mitzvah. Let’s explain. One can technically be following every mitzvah in the Torah but can still miss the boat. One can be meticulous in eating strictly kosher food, not speak lashon hara, and learn Torah day and night, but one can still fail to connect to HaShem and be walking on a spiritual path. If one does these mitzvos without following the spirit of the law, then one will hardly be changed by the mitzvos; they will remain acts of religious ritual as opposed to means of becoming close to HaShem and refining one’s character. The example the Ramban gives is someone who over-indulges in the physical world; if one eats to no end and indulges in other physical pleasures (which are all technically permitted) then one has made themselves into a materialistic person and has not lived a spiritually-centred life. Thus, the commandment of ‘you shall be holy’ tells us to take special care to observe the underlying spirit of the law. Indeed, the Rambam (hilchos Shabbos 24:12) writes that one of the reasons for the institution of muktzeh on Shabbos was because without such a prohibition one could spend their entire day moving things round etc. to the extent that they miss the whole spirit of Shabbos - to rest. The theme? To realise, recognise, and respect the spirit and the underlying principles behind the mitzvos are very important!
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Torah Portion -
Kedoshim
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Written by Rabbi Andrew Savage
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At the beginning of this weeks double parsha, Hashem places a serious restraint on Aarons’ access to the innermost and by definition most spiritually intense, point of the Mishkan. The reason given for this restraining order of sorts is that Hashems’ Presence will reside permanently at this innermost point and it is, therefore, imperative that access to this area be limited[1]. This is however somewhat troubling; the whole purpose of the Mishkan (and Mikdash) was to create a point of fusion between spirituality and physicality thereby allowing G-d’s Presence to be felt in a very tangible way. Aaron had been chosen above everyone else, including his revered brother and teacher Moshe, as the person most suitable to represent the Jewish people and experience the Divine Presence at the centre point of the Mishkan. With this is mind, what rationale can possibly explain G-d limiting Aarons’ access to the Mishkan specifically because His Presence was to be experienced there permanently. This seems totally counter-intuitive?! When the Beis Hamikdash (Temple) was standing there was a mysterious halacha governing peoples’ visits during Festivals; it was forbidden
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Torah Portion -
Kedoshim
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Written by Administrator
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Torah Portion -
Kedoshim
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Written by Benjamin A Rose
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Ohr Hachaim says that when one is overcome by impure thoughts and his Yetzer HaRa (Evil impulse) threatens to entice him to sin, there is one powerful preventive device. the Ohr HaChaim says that one should project a mental image of his parents because when one sees his parents stood before him, the forces of sancitty and holiness are within him and he will find it within himself to overcome such a temptation. We see in the story of Potiphar's wife and Yosef where She almost succeeded in seducing Yosef until the moment the image of Yaakov came before him to help him overcome his passion.
This explains the ordering of the verses of the Torah.
In Vayikra 19:2 we are told "kedoshim tihyu - be holy!" And immediately after comes
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Torah Portion -
Kedoshim
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Written by D Fine
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Kedoshim; Prisha:
The opening 2nd pasuk of this week’s sedra goes a bit like “…you shall be holy (kedoshim) for I, HaShem your God Am Holy.” (19;2). A basic question that almost everyone asks on the spot - why does it need to say ’be holy because HaShem is holy,’ why not merely ’be holy.’ In other words what does the ’coz I am holy’ add?
Let’s start with the Ramban who comments (there) that ‘kedoshim’ refers to separating ourselves. But not from sins (that is true but not what the posuk is saying here), but rather from things which are perfectly ’muttar’ (OK) to us, i.e. don’t base one’s life around eating, or around material pleasures, rather be ‘prushim’ i.e. step back from such things.
There is a stark contrast between this and something that the Beis HaLevi says right at the start of Bereishis referring to the sin of Adam and it’s consequences. Maybe it is from this contrast that the end of the above pasuk can be brought out into light.
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Torah Portion -
Kedoshim
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Written by d fine
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There is a fascinating and dazzling midrash on the second pasuk of our sedra. The pasuk relates HaShem’s command to Moshe to tell the Bnei Yisrael that ‘they should be holy, because I HaShem Your G-D am holy’ (19;2). Why does the pasuk speak about HaShem’s holiness here? Rav Henoch Leibowitz quotes a midrash on this verse (vayikra rabbah 249;9) which explains “you might think that you can be as holy as I (G-D) am, therefore the Torah says ‘because I am holy;’ My holiness is superior to yours.” Rav Leibowitz points out the potent question here; the midrash has said that HaShem said ‘for I am holy’ in order that we should not make the mistake of thinking that we can equal HaShem’s holiness - but would any human really feel that they can be on par with HaShem’s holiness? Answers Rav Leibowitz that yes, indeed, if one were truly aware of their potential and ability to express and live in sync with their neshama, then indeed such a thought is possible. And to support this he quotes another midrash which notes that the angels initially thought that Adam HaRishon was G-D, and wanted to pay him homage until Adam pointed out their error. Finally, he cites that the Alter of Slabodka would say that it is within human capacity and capability to reach the pre-sin level of Adam HaRishon, as did occur when the Jews accepted the Torah by saying naaseh venishma. (Chidushei HaLev 87; I saw Rav Henoch quoted in ‘Angels Don’t Leave Footprints’ by Rabbi Twerski, page 47) In short
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Torah Portion -
Kedoshim
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Written by Moshe Kormornick
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“And you shall love your neighbour as you love yourself, I am HaShem”
There are so many questions we can ask on this line in Parshas Kedoshim but I’d like to focus on one.
Why does the verse end with “I am HaShem” - It seems a bit out of place?!
In order to answer this I’d like to loosely quote Medrash I heard by Rav Noach Weinberg zt"l:
The year is 471 AD. Two Jewish businessmen are best friends and trade goods to each other. One lives in Rome and the other in Syria. One day the man from Syria was stopped at the Roman port and accused of spying. There was no trial and although he was innocent he was sentence to be hanged. The man asked that he be set free in order to travel back to Syria to say goodbye to his wife and to tell her who owed him money and where, so that she could continue to support the family. Of course the Roman judge said no for fear that he would not return. However the man insisted that he had a very good friend that would stay in jail in his place and even be killed if he didn’t return. Because this was such a strange request, it was put before the Emperor who was so intrigued by what would happen.
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Torah Portion -
Kedoshim
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Written by d fine
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Our sedra sees the Torah forbidding the wearing of a garment which has a mixture of wool and linen (19;19). The midrash gives an interesting hint/reason for the root of this prohibition. The first machlokes in the world was that of kayin and hevel (sons of Adam & Chavah). When Hevel's sacrifice was accepted by HaShem and that of Kayin was not, Kayin killed Hevel. The midrash notes that of these two sacrifices, one was partly from linen and the other had wool. And this machlokes resulted in a quarter of the world being killed then (there were only 4 people in the world)! Therefore, as a rememberance to avoid such machlokes, the Torah forbade the mixing of wool and linen in the prohibition of shatnez
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