Parashat Kedoshim: The Pathway to Holiness

For even casual readers of the weekly parasha, Parashat Kedoshim is widely known as the section of the Torah where holiness is placed at the center of God’s agenda for the Israelites, as the Torah links God command to the Israelites that, “You shall be holy, for I, the Lord Your God, am holy” (Vayikra 19:2) with a diverse and extensive series of mitzvot.   In Taking Hold of Torah, Chancellor Arnold Eisen writes that our parasha implies that the possibility of holiness should be the motivation for the Israelites to dutifully follow God’s mitzvot:

“That is the point of the text’s constant reminder to do this or do that, or avoid this or that, to make discrimination without end, “because I the Lord your God am holy.”  The concluding phrase does not provide authority so much as motive.   Leviticus’ God has created human beings with the intention of surrounding them, from birth to death, with meaning so palpable and rich that even the volatility of sex and the terror of death can undermine it.  The order must be constructed in and through the things we do and do not eat, the people we do and do not sleep with, the forgiveness we extend to one another every day for the pain that we inflict every day.  God can suggest this order but only we can construct it.  Nor does God need it.  We do” (Arnold M. Eisen, Taking Hold of Torah, 80).

According to Eisen, we need mitzvot to pursue holiness, and Parashat Kedoshim, and much of Sefer Vayikra, lays out a roadmap for how we can pursue a life of holiness.   However, the question remains as to how the mitzvot of our parasha provide a pathway to holiness, and we will need to turn to the world of midrash to find two different answers for this question.

Early midrashim are divided into two primary categories: Midrashei Halakhah, which use verses from the Tanakh to explain the origins and context of individual mitzvot in the Torah, and Midrashei Aggadah, which provide homiletical explanations for individual passages in the Torah.  Turning to our parasha, midrashim from these two textual categories provided different windows into the question of how mitzvot represent the pathway to holiness.    In the Sifra, a work of midrash halakhah, we are told that all mitzvot in this section are for the larger purpose of sanctifying God, hence the statement of our parasha that “You shall be holy.”  The midrash states:

““You shall be holy” – you shall set yourselves apart.  “For I, the Lord your God, am holy” – meaning that if you make yourselves holy, I shall credit you as if you had sanctified Me, but if you do not make yourselves holy, I shall view you as if you have not sanctified Me.  Or, perhaps it is to say none other than if you make Me holy, then I am sanctified, and if not, then I am not sanctified?  The text says, “for I am holy.”  In My sanctity I exist, whether or not others sanctify Me” (Sifra on Vayikra 19:2).

In this midrash, all of the individual mitzvot mentioned in Parashat Kedoshim are in service of a single, all-encompassing mitzvah, the mitzvah to be holy.   When the Israelites perform each individual mitzvah, they simultaneously sanctify God’s presence through their everyday actions, thereby making the individual mitzvot the roadmap by which they pursue a kind of “super-mitzvah” to be holy.

Taking a different approach, in Vayikra Rabbah, a work of midrash aggadah, our rabbis argue that the mitzvot of the Holiness Code parallel the precepts mentioned in the Aseret Ha-Devarim (Ten Commandments), making this passage in Parashat Kedoshim a parallel of the ultimate act of revealed Torah.    The midrash states:

“A teaching was brought in the name of Rabbi Hiyya: This section was said with all the people gathered because most Torah essentials are based on it.   Rabbi Levi said because the Ten Commandments are included in it. “Anochi Hashem Elokekha” [the first Commandment] – and here it says, “Ani Hashem Elokeikhem” (Shemot 19:2). “You should not have [other gods]” [the second Commandment] – and here it says, “Do not make a graven image for yourselves” (Vayikra 19:4). '”Lo tisa” – and here it says, “Do not take an oath with My name” (19:12). “Zakhor” – and here it says, “And you shall guard My Shabbat” (19:3). “Honor your father and mother” – and here it says, “A person should fear his mother and father” (19:3). “Do not murder” – and here it says, “Do not stand on the blood of your fellow” (19:16). “Lo tinaf” – and here it says, “The adulterer and the adulteress should die” (20:10). “Do not steal” – and here it says, “Do not steal” (19:11). “Do not give false testimony” – and here it says, “Lo telech rachil be-amecha” (20:16). “Lo tachmod” –and here it says, “And you should love your friend like yourself” (20:18)” (Vayikra Rabba 24:5, Translation from Yeshivat Har Etzion).

This midrash implies that the series of mitzvot from our parasha represent kind of a second revelation of God’s Torah to the Israelites, as the core principles revealed to the Israelites in Parashat Yitro are echoed in similar mitzvot commanded in this week’s parasha.  As a result, God’s command that the Israelites should be holy is a second opportunity for the Israelites to accept Torah, for the pursuit of individual mitzvot lead to individual and collective holiness, thereby demonstrating that the Israelites are taking God’s charge seriously.  Rather than assume that mitzvot are commanded multiple times for no purpose, this midrash implies that this section from our parasha has the same cosmic significance as the ultimate covenant-forming moment in the relationship between God and the Israelites.

While each of the above midrashim take different approaches to why our parasha links countless individual mitzvot with the command to be holy, both of midrashim recognize that Parashat Kedoshim outlines individual mitzvot to present a roadmap for emulating God in a life of holiness.   Today, we have the same educational challenge before us at Schechter, for helping our students understand how ordinary, everyday acts are ultimately what define whether or not we will be able to call ourselves a holy people, a holy community, and a holy school.   May each of us embrace a life of mitzvot, the method and motivation to pursue holiness, for embracing that pathway allows each of us to bring the divine into every aspect of our lives.

Shabbat Shalom!

Parashat Aharei-Mot: Elevate Your Life

Jon Levenson writes in Sinai and Zion that the mitzvot in the Torah aim to foster a loving and personal relationship between God and the Israelites, as each mitzvah provides a means by which an individual Israelite can acknowledge the divine presence inherent in every human act.  Levenson writes:

“...the canonical Pentateuch has made laws into personal commandments, and it has made the secular into a matter of the greatest sacral concern.  The Mosaic Torah is thus anything but a stern and impersonal taskmaster.  It is a means of communion with a loving and personal God.   The energy and spiritual power of Torah flows in no small measure from its insistence on holding these two dimensions, the outer and the inner, the legal and the affective, in a tight unity, refusing to sacrifice the one on the altar of the other” (Jon D. Levenson, Sinai and Zion: An Entry into the Jewish Bible, 50).

Levenson’s notion that all mitzvot in the Torah aim to strengthen the relationship between God and the Israelites is epitomized in Parashat Aharei-Mot, which, among other things, famously outlines a list of prohibited relationships for the Israelite people.   Prior to outlining the prohibited relations, the Torah curiously states that, “And the doings of the land of Egypt, in which you dwelt, you shall not do, and after the doings of the land of Canaan, into which I bring you, you shall not do, neither shall you walk in their practices” (Vayikra 18:3).   Our rabbinic commentaries asked why the Torah specifically states that the Israelites should not follow the ways of the Egyptians and Canaanites, and the answers of our rabbis captures the essence of what it means to commune the outer and the inner, and encourage each Jew to elevate his or her life.

In an early midrash halakhah, the Sifra argues that God’s command is a purely practical one for the Israelites, specifically mentioning those nations whose practices are most deplorable in God’s eyes, and therefore must be avoided at all costs. The midrash states:

“Whence that the conduct of no other nation was more abominable than that of the Egyptians?  It is stated, “after the doings of the land of Egypt you shall not do…”  Whence that the location where Israel dwelt was the most depraved of all?  It is stated, “in which you dwelt…”  Whence that no nation was more corrupt than the Canaanites?  It is stated, “after the doings of Canaan..you shall not do.”  And whence that the locations and conquered by Israel were the most depraved?  It is stated, “into which I bring you”” (Sifra 131).

This midrash implies that God wants to emphasize the heights to which he wants the Israelites to climb by specifically calling out those peoples whose actions degrade holiness.   Because the Canaanites and Egyptians represented the antithesis of God’s vision for the Israelites, the Torah-text makes that perspective crystal clear by specifically naming those two peoples.

Looking at this verse from God’s perspective, the Be’er Yitzhak argues that God did not take the Israelites out of Egypt so that they might emulate the Egyptians, nor is God taking the Israelites to inherit the land of Canaan so that they might emulate the Canaanites, and this verse attempts to clearly distinguish between whose identity will reign supreme in God’s eyes.   The commentary states:

“The reason for mentioning Egypt and Canaan is simple: If you imitate the Egyptians--then why did I take you out of Egypt?   And if you behavior like the Canaanites--why should expel them before you?  It was on condition that you will not do so that I took you out of Egypt and that I shall expel the Canaanites” (Be’er Yitzhak on Vayikra 18:3).

In this commentary, the Be’er Yitzhak appears to argue that God’s in this parasha simply reflects what God wanted for the Israelites all along, a clear, distinct adherence to God’s Torah.   By following these prohibitions, the Israelites will take one huge step towards making their lives distinct from all others.

Finally, taking a personal approach that can serve as a guide for our everyday lives, the Sefat Emet argues that because the actions of the Egyptians and Canaanites were of a superficial nature, God wants the Israelites to pursue holiness by way of pursuing actions that reflect the inner meaning of all human actions.  He writes:

“...the intent is that in all in our deeds we not do things as they are done in Egypt and Canaan.  Every deed has an inner and an outer side; the [inner] root of all things is surely in holiness, since all was created in God’s glory. This innermost point has been given to Israel.  That is the meaning of [the verse]: “Let all your deeds be for the sake of heaven.”  That is why the deeds of the other nations are referred to as “statutes,” as in “you shall not follow their statutes.”  They have no relationship to the inner meaning of all things, and cleave to mere externals” (Sefat Emet on Vayikra 18:3, 180).

In this final commentary, not following the ways of Egypt and Canaan is a command that does not exclusively apply to the prohibitions mentioned in our parasha, but rather encompasses an overarching vision for how the Israelites should live their lives.   If we choose to pursue holiness, then we must perform actions that actualize the inherent potentail of all human behaviors.   

Jewish tradition does not seek to elevate discrete aspects of our lives; Jewish tradition seeks to elevate our entire lives, epitomized by the way our commentaries approach even a nuanced introductory comment prior to the prohibitions outlined in this week’s parasha.   When we elevate our lives, every decision we make reflects the outer and inner meaning of all things.   As we go off on break for Pesah, think about what it would mean for each of us to elevate our Judaism, for distinguishing each act of the day enables us to bring God a little bit closer to our lives, and reshape a world that reflects God’s vision for humanity.

Shabbat Shalom, v’Hag Kasher V’Sameah!

Pesah 2014: Learning Never Stops

The Schechter School of Long Island is proud to distribute Pesah 2014: Learning Never Stops, a free supplement that can be used at your sedarim this Pesah.   The material in this supplement examines the section of the Haggadah where it states that even the wisest among us are obligated to tell the Pesah story.  The supplement contains traditional and modern commentaries for children, teenagers, and adults about how this text challenges each of us to see Talmud Torah as a lifelong obligation for the entire Jewish Community.    We deliberately chose a section of the Haggadah that typically does not receive much attention in other modern commentaries, and hope that this material will provide a new take on a fascinating section of the seder.

Wishing you and your families a Hag Kasher V'Sameah.

Parashat Metzora: Eradicating Emotional Contagions

Daniel Goleman argues that while they we may not be able to view them under a microscope, “emotional contagions" have the ability to affect our minds and bodies.   In Social Intelligence, Goleman urges us to look at emotions as similar to viruses, ones that can spread to others for both good and ill:

“The fact that we can trigger any emotion at all in someone else--or they in us--testifies to the powerful mechanism by which one person’s feelings spread to another.  Such contagions are the central transaction in the emotional economy, they give-and-take of feeling that accompanies every human encounter we have, no matter what the ostensible business at hand may be” (Daniel Goleman, Social Intelligence, 16).

Goleman’s definition of an emotional contagion is a fitting concept to think about in relation to Parashat Metzora, which outlines the procedure for dealing with one afflicted with tza’raat.  Beginning with early rabbinic texts, the Metzora is presumed to have committed some kind of interpersonal sin, with the Talmud listing seven possible crimes ranging from murder to envy (BT Arachin 16a), and with Rashi asserting that Miriam is afflicted with tza’raat in Parashat Ki Tetze because she spoke slander about Moses (Rashi on Devarim 24:8-9), a clear stance by our tradition that interpersonal sins have physical consequences for the sinner’s body.

When I first learned these commentaries, I found them utterly simplistic, choosing to write an inspiring sermon about what we believe to be true as opposed to reading the parasha contextually to figure out what is actually true.   However, commentaries I only recently learned about this parasha helped me this view interpretation of tza’raat in a new way, and how this week’s parasha may be one of the most powerful lessons we can teach our children about how they ought to treat one another.  In his medieval commentary, the Ramban expands upon the rabbinic notion that tza’raat only occurs in the land of Israel by arguing that the affliction of tza’raat is more spiritual than physical in-nature, and that the disease only occurs in one tainted by a disconnect from God.  The Ramban states:

“This is a completely unnatural phenomenon that does not occur under ordinary circumstances.  The same is true of an “eruptive plague” in the house.  When the Jews are at one with the Lord, His spirit it always upon them, keeping their bodies, clothes, and homes in good appearance.  When one of them happens to sin, however, an ugliness appears in the flesh, his clothes, or his house, to show that God has departed from him” (Ramban on Vayikra 13:47).

When the Ramban makes the statement that if a person is afflicted with tza’raat, then the person must somehow be spiritually connected from God, the Ramban is making an explicit connection between how sins of the mind can affect the physical status of the body.   Literally, if a person is spiritually disconnected from God, then the entire community will be aware of this disconnect through the presence of tza’raat.

Drawing a connection between the meaning of tza’raat and the sins Jewish tradition associates with tza’raat, Rabbi Obadiah Seforno argues that the sins Jewish tradition associates with tza’raat are not merely an affront to one’s fellow human beings, but are an affront to God, as well.   He writes:

“the principal sins for which a person is afflicted nega tza’raat, are bad-mouthing people people and haughtiness, both of which are perceived by the sages as direct trespass against God’s holiness.   Even though badmouthing is generally perpetuated in secret, not affording the victim a chance to defend himself against the accusation and character assassination, the prophet Isaiah 29:15 views it as the perpetrators saying: “who sees us, who takes note of us?”  The prophet considers the “secrecy” as worse than the sin itself, as it suggests that God is unable to see it, and therefore represents a gross insult directed at God” (Seforno on Vayikra 14:12).

According to Seforno, because slander and gossip are actions usually performed without the knowledge of the one being wrong, our tradition argues that the person is sinning against God himself, for these sins assume that when no person is looking, no one is aware that the gossip and slander are taking place.   In this sense, tza’raat is brought to make the sinner aware that just because certain sins can be done in private does not mean that those sins do not have public consequences.

Finally, Rabbi Aharon Yaakov Greenberg wrote in his modern anthology Itturei Torah that tza’raat is ultimately brought to serve a spiritual purpose, and the attempts to marginalize and isolate the Metzora serves the purpose of teaching that person the consequences of divine disobedience.  Greenberg writes:

“The Metzora comes to realize that it is not his body that must be healed and corrected, but rather his behavior.  in spite of the fact that it is his body that is stricken, his humiliated position is due to spiritual circumstances.  He is unclean and contaminates everything that comes in contact with him.   He must be isolated from society, since he is socially destructive.  He is given time to think about his failings and repent” (Rabbi Aharon Yaakov Greenberg, Itturei Torah, Intro to Parashat Metzora).

Greenberg’s choice to say that the Metzora is “socially destructive” reflects our Jewish tradition’s perspective that the social destruction brought by the Metzora requires that he or she be punished socially.   If an individual Jew seeks to make life impossible for their fellow human beings, the plague of tza’raat intends to provide a measure-for-measure consequence for that decision.

Unfortunately, it is far too easy for us to dismiss the ordinary ways human beings degrade one another as simply the less-flattering aspects of how we interact with another.   In response to this unfortunate assumption, Jewish tradition implores us to see the deeper significance of all ordinary human interactions, and use the Metzora as an archetype of what can happen when human beings spread emotional contagions by even the most subtle ways of mistreatment, whether that includes gossip, bullying, or social exclusion.   This Shabbat, take time as a family to think about how we can see even these small acts are matters of cosmic importance; if we succeed in doing this, we will truly accept the timeless lessons we can learn from our parasha.  

Shabbat Shalom!