Kedoshim Tihyu II: The Role Model and Social Mindfulness
Bein Adam Le-chavero: Ethics of Interpersonal Conduct
By Rav
Binyamin Zimmerman
Shiur #22: “Kedoshim Tihyu” II: The Role
Model and Social Mindfulness
In last week’s lesson, we discussed the divine
imperative of “Kedoshim tihyu,” “You shall be holy” (Vayikra
19:2), directing man towards a life of emulating God in all that he does. Elements of kedusha (holiness)
may also be found in Judaism’s relationship to the social sphere. We noted last week a couple of unique
elements of the mitzva of “Kedoshim tihyu”: it is addressed to the entire
assembly of the Jewish people and it predicates the requirement to become
kedoshim on God’s being kadosh.
In order to further understand this significant
mitzva, we must define the nature of kedusha. In many contexts, it seems that
kedusha entails separateness (perishut), as explained by Rav Meir
Twersky, in his essay,
“You
Shall Be Holy”:
What, however, does a life of Kedusha entail?
Let us approach this question etymologically. Kedusha etymologically
denotes separateness (see commentary of Malbim to Vayikra 19:2).
Hence, HaKadosh baruch hu who is
transcendent and infinite is described as Kadosh. … Kedusha
etymologically also denotes consecration, designation… Now clearly the concepts
of separateness and consecration are interrelated, and, in reality, Kedusha
has but one etymology. Consecration pre-supposes separateness. …
To repeat our original question: what does a life of
Kedusha entail? A focused, consecrated life. But focus and consecration
perforce assume separateness. Separating oneself from pursuit of pleasure,
separateness from careerism, and the like. In a word, separating oneself from
the mundane as an end unto itself and all forms of egotism. Such separateness
facilitates and fosters consecration. Consecrating oneself - one's ambitions,
energies, talents, and above all, time - to Hashem Yisborach.
Viewing kedusha as consecrated separateness
can be understood as the sole drive of the Jew who wants to fulfill the
directive of “Kedoshim tihyu.”
Thus, the Talmud (Taanit 11a) reports of the nazirite:
R. Elazar
says: “He is termed holy, as it is said, ‘He shall be holy, he shall let the
locks of the hair of his head grow long’ (Bamidbar 6:5). If this man, who
denied himself wine, only is termed holy, how much more so he who denies himself
the enjoyment of many things!”
If a nazirite is called “kadosh” because he
separates from the world and from bodily pleasures, this, to some degree, must
be the main purpose of aspiring to kedusha.
While one cannot deny the importance of separating
oneself in order to achieve kedusha, a number of commentators explain
certain elements of the kedusha imperative in such a way as to limit
one’s perishut. They state
unequivocally that it is clear that when we speak of separateness, this concept
is expressed in terms of mingling with others and positively expressing Jewish
character in society.
A life of kedusha is a life that will bring
about kiddush Ha-shem, a sanctification of God’s name, in all of man’s
endeavors. This starts first and
foremost with developing one’s character, which we began to discuss in last
week’s lesson. “Kedoshim tihyu”
requires modeling oneself after God and thereby inculcating His ways. It also includes living in society as
a holy individual rather than separating from it.
A Life of Kedusha
Jewish holiness is a holiness of life. We do not view martyrdom as the goal
of every child; we do not worship the shaheed.
Rather, we place on a pedestal the
principle “You shall live by them” (Vayikra 18:5), that one
must survive by the mitzvot. As the Talmud (Sanhedrin 74a)
teaches, “‘You shall live by them’ — not die by them.” This imperative, which is only
overridden under the most extreme conditions, also has a positive implication:
to live through the mitzvot.
This idea of living through the mitzvot is
further explored in the teachings of the Kotzker Rebbe. According to him, one must sanctify
oneself within society, while realizing that one cannot be an angel. He explains the verse “And holy
people you shall be for Me” (Shemot 22:30) as a directive to be “heilige
mentschen,” Yiddish for sanctified human beings.
The Ketav Sofer (Vayikra 19:1) spells out the
meaning of being holy like God. On
the one hand, God is completely separate from this world, truly holy, as He is
incomprehensible in the definitive terms of our universe. Yet while God is above the world, He
also fills the world, as the entire universe is full of His glory (Yeshayahu
6:3).
As Seforno notes, man is created in God’s image;
this allows him to create kedusha as well, by limitations and
separations. The Seforno explains
that all the commandments mentioned in the previous chapters, detailing the
forbidden foods etc., are not goals in their own right.
He now says that the purpose of all these warnings
is that [the people] be holy. This
is in order that they may imitate their Creator as much as possible, as was the
original intent when man was created, as it says “Let us make man in our image,
after our likeness” (Bereishit 1:26)...
And it is fitting that you be like Me, as much as possible, in mind and
deed… (Seforno Vayikra 19:2)
The Chatam Sofer explains similarly, noting the fact
that the laws here were taught during a general assembly. He explains that, as Rashi notes,
“Kedoshim tihyu” involves perishut.
He explains that though separation from the material world is necessary
for kedusha, there is more to the story:
One should not conclude that the Torah advocates
complete isolation from one’s environment.
On the contrary, the Torah’s ideal is to interact with one’s
contemporaries and thereby bring them closer to Torah. As a result of being so immersed in
disseminating Torah, it is entirely possible that one’s own spiritual growth may
suffer. Nonetheless, a truly holy
person persists in transmitting Torah among the masses, regardless of the
spiritual sacrifice involved… The fact
that Parashat Kedoshim was said in a public assembly indicates that
kedusha requires a commitment to make an impact on others.
For a Torah nation to exist, the Chatam Sofer
explains, it must have a physical existence, a body, even though it is the soul
which is the source of all potential. This requires a great deal of immersion
into general affairs, teaching and disseminating Torah, until the nation
achieves its ideal of creating a “kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Shemot
19:6).
In the Hebrew edition of his commentary, Torat
Moshe, his son, Rav Shimon Sofer, is quoted in a letter explaining that the
proper model for a life of kedusha is perishut in private and a
public posture that is more compatible with society’s expectations of engagement
with the world.
Along the lines of the recommendation found in
Chovot Ha-levavot, that one should observe “mourning in private and present
a happy countenance in public,” the Chatam Sofer himself privately
separated himself from worldly desire; internally, he shunned the physical.
Nevertheless, the outside world could not
detect his unique stature, for he did not advertise his inner feelings.
This fulfills the directive of being kadosh
like God. God towers above the
universe, but He is involved through His Providence. Similarly, we may endeavor to leave
an impact on our peers while maintaining distance from the materialism of the
world.
The Chatam Sofer, in his commentary on Parashat
Kedoshim, further develops this idea by explaining that this lies at the
heart of the distinction between the lives of Chanokh, the great-grandfather of
Noach, and his descendant, our patriarch Avraham.
The life of Chanokh is a classic example of the
sheer impossibility of human beings trying to emulate God by living in
isolation. Chanokh, who in his own
personal life attained a level of great religious devotion, was so removed from
this world that we may deduce that he turned a blind eye to the many faults of
his contemporaries, and eventually he left this world in the guise of an angel.
On the other hand, if we are looking for a role
model of kedusha whom we can emulate, let us turn to Avraham Avinu. Despite his exalted status, he
mingled with his contemporaries and had a great impact on them. It is this aspect of kedusha,
concern for the spiritual welfare of others (while maintaining high personal
standards), that is the essence of “Kedoshim tihyu.”
Applicable to All
The verse states: “Speak to the entire assembly
of the Israelites and say to them, ‘You shall be holy, for holy am I, Lord
your God.’” The Torah assures us
that every one of us is capable of achieving kedusha "for holy am I, Lord
your God." Kedusha is
attainable for all; it is not restricted to the gifted or popular, but the
heritage of all Jews.
The Or Ha-chayim, who interestingly enough is also
referred to as “Ha-kadosh,” comments that the verses imply that
everyone was gathered together for the directive of “Kedoshim tihyu”
because kedusha is for everyone; it exists not only in action, but in
thought as well:
…This is the meaning of our verse: if you are
presented with an opportunity to commit a sin and you refrain from taking
advantage of that opportunity, you have fulfilled the commandment to be or to
become holy. The reason God
commanded Moshe to tell this commandment directly to the whole congregation of
Israel was to inform them directly of this and to show them how easy it was to
be counted amongst the people described as holy.
The Chatam Sofer says similarly that kedusha
applies equally to men and women; there are different approaches, but the same
message of attaining a life of kedusha.
If kedusha is applicable to all, this also seems to imply that one
should not have to separate himself totally from the world or from the Jewish
people in order to become kadosh.
Certainly, at some points, solitude might be called for, but the pursuit
of kedusha can be a public, even national activity.
This is the paradox of the Jewish people in general,
who on the one hand are separated from the rest of the world, as a nation which
dwells separately (Bamidbar 23:9) which nevertheless is meant to affect
the world as a “light unto the nations.” (Yeshayahu 42:6) Similarly, the entire tribe of Levi
was separated from the rest of the Jewish people, but they were their teachers
as well (Rambam, Hilkhot Shemitta Ve-yovel 13:12).
Kedusha involves
separating oneself in deed from the masses, but being an active member of
society, a role model. Any
separation and isolation in the process is designed only to allow one to have a
greater impact on society upon one’s return.
Why does a Jew not have to escape the world to
embrace kedusha? For the Jew,
there is no sense of despair and hatred towards the world. We understand that the world created
by God is very good (Bereishit 1:31), one must nevertheless learn to
control the physical and not be controlled by it.
Kedusha entails the ability to use the world for its holy causes. Indeed, according to Kabbalistic
teachings, this allows one to reveal the divine sparks that abound in every
creation.
On this issue, Judaism distinguishes itself in its
directive to be holy. Holiness is
not to be defined as running away from the world and the physical; holiness
requires being a part of society — to allow holiness into everyday life and to
uncover the holiness inherent in it.
Rav Yonatan Eybeschütz (Tiferet Yonatan, Parashat
Kedoshim) writes that the directive of “Kedoshim tihyu” does not
meant to withdraw from society and live as a hermit, abstaining from all worldly
enterprise; on the contrary, this lesson was taught in front of the whole
assembly to clarify that holiness must be in consonance with society.
The Sages denounced such behavior (abstinence). Indeed, those who worship God
perfectly must in their conduct please both God and their fellow beings, rather
than renouncing the accepted social and civic norms. Indeed, widespread withdrawal
undermines the natural order, ruins civilizations and destroys the fabric of our
nation.
This is the meaning of the rabbinic dictum (Avot
2:2): “Well-founded is the Torah in conjunction with worldly occupation.” Hence, all individual abstention must
accord with the capacity of the entire nation.
On the other hand, any regimen restricted to the individual, which
overburdens the nation as a whole, actually contradicts perfection.
Rav Joseph B. Soloveitchik zt”l explains how
the halakhic expressions of kedusha teach us that even though it might
seem that the easiest way to achieve holiness is by running away from an
imperfect society and living in isolation, holiness is in fact only expressed in
the presence of an assembly.
This principle totally denies the mystics’
assumption that ecstasy is possible only in a state of absolute withdrawal. On the contrary, Judaism states that
God joins with the individual only in the merit of the community which is loyal
to Him and seeks Him. If man
separates himself from the community, he is not worthy of cleaving to God. The prayers exalting God’s holiness
may not be uttered unless ten men are present- “And I will be sanctified among
the children of Israel” (Vayikra 22:32).
Judaism has grasped the importance and influence of the environment… ("U-vikkashtem
Mi-sham,” p. 89)
Kiddush Ha-shem — Leading an
Exemplary Life:
This concept of being kadosh has tremendous
relevance for the way an individual acts as well.
The name of God is desecrated when a person who
studies Torah fails to relate to other people in a fitting manner. The
sanctification of His name is just the opposite: when the name of Heaven becomes
beloved through man’s personal example, this is kiddush Ha-shem.
As it was taught [in a
beraita]: "’You shall love the Lord your God’ (Devarim 6:5) — this
means that the name of Heaven should become beloved through you.
“[This means that] one
should read [Scripture], study [Mishna] and serve Torah scholars, and his
dealings with people should be conducted in a pleasant manner. What should
people say about him? "Fortunate is his father who taught him Torah; fortunate
is his teacher who taught him Torah. Woe unto people who do not learn Torah.
This person who learned Torah — see how pleasant are his ways, how refined are
his deeds!" Regarding him Scripture says: ‘[God] said to me, “You are My
servant, Israel, through whom I am glorified”’ (Yeshayahu 49:3).” (Yoma
86a)
However, the opposite is
also true. The same way one can engender kedusha, they can also desecrate
the name of God by creating the impression that adherents to the Torah are
immoral.
“As for one who learns
[Scripture], studies [Mishna] and serves Torah scholars, but his business
transactions are not conducted faithfully, and whose manner of speaking with
people is not pleasant — what do people say about him?
"Woe unto his father who taught him
Torah; woe unto his teacher who taught him Torah. See how perverse are his deeds
and how ugly are his ways!" Regarding him, Scripture says: ‘[They came among the
nations… and they profaned My holy name] when it was said of them, “These are
the people of the Lord, but they departed His land"’ (Yechezkel 36:20).”
Clearly, a special obligation falls upon those who study Torah to make
the name of Heaven beloved to other people; one who strives to live a life of
kedusha should do so in a way that others may view positively.
This idea
underlies the laws regarding the dress of a Torah scholar (Hilkhot Deot,
ch. 5). A Torah scholar must be
presentable so that people do not view his scholarship as an impediment to
socially-accepted norms of cleanliness.
However, action is obviously more important than
dress, specifically in the moral realm.
In order for one to have a positive impact on others, he must perfect his
character and develop exemplary middot.
Nevertheless, even that is insufficient; one must constantly be on guard
not to allow even his permitted activity to be misinterpreted in a way that
would shed negative light on the Torah.
Regarding the mitzva of kiddush Ha-shem, the Rambam (Sefer
Ha-mitzvot, Positive 9) writes:
The idea of this mitzva is that we are commanded to
publicize this true faith and to fear no one in doing so…
The Rambam goes on to describe that this includes
the willingness to give one’s life in the face of a tyrant who orders a Jew to
abandon his religion by worshiping idols, upon pain of death. However, in the description of the
prohibition of desecrating the name of God, the Rambam is more explicit. The Rambam begins by noting that the
prohibition has three parts, the third pertaining to particular individuals:
If a man known for his saintliness and uprightness
does something which appears to be a transgression to the general populace —
something which is unbecoming to him, though it may be [technically] permitted —
he has desecrated the name [of God]… (Sefer Ha-mitzvot, Negative 63)
This is the “Kedoshim tihyu”
imperative of “Sanctify yourself with what is permissible to you.”
If any act can be misinterpreted by
others as reflecting moral deficiency, then it must be carefully avoided.
Rav Yehuda Amital (Jewish Values in a Changing
World, pp. 150-151) notes that the highest form of education is the one in
which the teacher is not consciously instructing, nor is the student consciously
learning. We may see it as similar
to the Rambam’s hierarchy of charity (Hilkhot Mattenot Aniyim, ch. 10),
in which the giver and recipient being unaware of each other’s identities is
preferable. Rav Amital explains:
Every educational
institution, by its very nature, has a built-in problem: the student knows who
is teaching him, and the teacher knows who he is teaching. This situation -
direct education of which both sides are fully conscious - frequently arouses
internal opposition on the part of the student against accepting the teacher's
world outlook and moral admonitions. This situation is liable to hurt the
teacher as well, who, knowing that he is serving as a role model, may conduct
himself in an unnatural manner. The greatest educational impact is achieved when
the teacher is unaware that he is teaching and the student is unaware that he is
learning. This is the meaning of "that the name of Heaven shall become beloved
through you" - that a person through his ordinary conduct should bring about a
sanctification of God's name, without even being aware that he is influencing
others through his behavior.
Rav Kook’s Stress on
Imparting the Moral Teachings of the Torah
Rav Kook stresses in his
writing the importance of expressing the Moral perfection of the Torah. According to Rav Kook, the denial of
God always begins with the immoral conduct of people who claim to represent the
faith. He points out that those who deny God almost always begin not through
criticism of God, but with criticism of the conduct of those who claim to
believe in Him. It is such criticism that causes the loss of faith. Rav Kook therefore explains that the
remedy for dealing with denial of God is the sanctification of His name:
There should be no place
whatsoever for this fraudulent denial to spread in the world… But it comes with
moral objections raised against unfit conduct seen among people of Torah and
faith…
The basic cause for all
the confusion, which brings evil into the world by way of evil ideas, is the sin
of desecrating God's name. Corresponding to it is the great power of the
sanctification of God's name, which issues forth from a Torah scholar who
conducts his business dealings in a pleasant manner and speaks gently to others…
For good and moral conduct, in the form of good actions and good traits
practiced by righteous and God-fearing Torah scholars, constitutes the best way
to remove the mistaken foundation of moral denial. (Eder Ha-yakar, p. 43)
In a similar vein, in the recently revealed work of
Rav Kook, Li-nvukhei Ha-dor (ch. 3), he writes that we must look at the
Torah with an understanding of the moral perfection of its teachings. By doing so, Rav Kook writes, we will
succeed in understanding the Torah properly. This
will enable us to live a life filled with proper devotion.
“Kedoshim tihyu” is a directive
aimed at the entire congregation, because holiness is attainable by all.
Though Kedusha entails separateness, and one might assume that the
easiest way to achieve holiness is through isolating oneself from the world and
society in general, it also mandates involvement. A real life of
kedusha is one which can be appreciated by others in society. Those who have come to a greater
understanding of God must act more morally than others, as they are constant
ambassadors, representing prominently a life of holiness. This is the
trademark of “a holy nation” which, through its distinction and separation, has
the capacity to impact positively on all of mankind.
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