Kedoshim Tihyu: The Holiness of Interpersonal Perfection
Bein Adam Le-chavero: Ethics of Interpersonal Conduct
By Rav
Binyamin Zimmerman
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Shiur #21: Kedoshim Tihyu The Holiness of
Interpersonal Perfection
Kedoshim Tihyu
Many of the explicit legal directives regarding
interpersonal behavior, from positive commandments such as loving ones neighbor
to negative commandments such as the prohibition of taking revenge, appear in
Chapter 19 of Vayikra, the first half of Parashat Kedoshim,
although we do find ritual mitzvot interspersed with the social ones.
Parashat Kedoshim begins with a very general and at the same time enigmatic
opener, which seems to present a common theme for the various mitzvot
mentioned there. The introductory
verses state:
God spoke to Moshe, saying: Speak to the entire
assembly of the Israelites and say to them, You shall be holy (kedoshim
tihyu), for holy am I, Lord your God. (Vayikra
19:1-2)
Rashi (ad loc.) quotes the
Sifra, noting that the Torah speaks
here to the entire assembly of the Israelites because of the importance of
this section:
This teaches that this chapter was delivered in full
assembly (i.e. in the presence of all of Israel).
Why was this so? This is because a
majority of the Torahs essential laws are contained therein.
Rashis comment is rather intriguing, especially
after a perusal of the various mitzvot
introduced by this statement. The
chapter seems to discuss assorted commandments, with a large
concentration of interpersonal directives.
There seems to be no clear connection or order; therefore, one may
wonder: what makes this section so special?
Secondly, what is the intended meaning of holiness and the directive to
be kedoshim?
Throughout
Tanakh, the term kadosh (the singular of kedoshim) has many
diverse intentions; at times, it refers to bodily cleanliness, purification,
abstaining, separating, etc. In
general, kedusha (holiness) is associated with a specific act; however,
in this introductory verse at the beginning of Kedoshim, the directive
You shall be holy seems to stand alone.
What does it mean?
One who studies these verses is liable to get the
feeling that gathering the entire assembly to teach them the section of the
Torah dealing with so many essential laws serves to express a major underlying
concept of Judaism. Kedoshim
tihyu does not specifically refer to a unique act of kedusha; it
directs each Jew to a comprehensive life of kedusha. The question that then arises is the
following: what does such a life entail, and how do the various mitzvot
which are introduced with this imperative of Kedoshim tihyu lend
to that kedusha?
In fact, various commentators, differing on the specifics but presenting
the same general theme, understand this verse as expressing a fundamental tenet
of Jewish life.
The Rambam understands it as a general principle to
keep the entire Torah; consequently, he rules that it is not an individual
mitzva, but rather a universal commandment, a general exhortation to keep all
the commandments of the Torah and to be holy by complying with its precepts and
restrictions (Rambam, Sefer Ha-mitzvot, Shoresh 4).
Rashi, based on the Sifra, explains that this
verse is not introducing Chapter 19, but rather summarizing Chapter 18, which
deals with the forbidden sexual relationships.
The holiness which the verse describes is abstaining from forbidden
relations and from sin.
Other commentators accept Rashis application of
holiness to the self-control necessary for refraining from sensual
gratification, but they explain that this is to be viewed more as symptomatic of
the general overall quality of holiness that should be a mark of every Jews
personality. Notably among the
various commentators, the Ramban explains that this directive has far-reaching
ramifications and is meant to ensure that the spirit of the Torahs laws is to
be maintained even when legal loopholes exist.
The Rambans Stress on the Spirit of the Law
The Ramban (ad loc.) begins by citing Rashis
comment based on the Sifra, that one
must be restrained in his sensual relationships.
However, the Ramban notes, this actually appears in the
Sifra in more general terms: You
shall be removed. He goes on to
argue that the Sifra seems to indicate
that to be holy, it is insufficient to merely separate oneself from forbidden
relationships; one must exhibit overall abstemiousness, so as not to become a
degenerate with the sanction of the Torah.
The idea of this commandment is that the Torah
proscribes the forbidden sexual relationships and the forbidden foods, but it
permits correspondingly the cohabitation of a man with his wife and the
consumption of meat and wine.
Accordingly, the sensual man could find room within the law to be steeped in the
carnality of his wife or his many wives, to guzzle wine and to gorge himself on
meat and to speak as he pleases all vile things, for these things are not
explicitly prohibited in the Torah.
But if so, he will become a degenerate with the sanction of the Torah. Therefore, this verse, You shall be
holy, comes after the Torah details the forbidden relationships; it commands in
a general statement that we shall be removed from the excesses of permissible
acts.
The Ramban seems to indicate that this admonition, Kedoshim
tihyu, implies that beyond the explicit norms, there is a wealth of
unwritten requirements, in order to ensure that one lives a life of holiness. He continues:
Hence the specified total prohibitions are followed
by a general exhortation of restraint, even in things permitted: limiting
intercourse
to the fulfillment of the precept of reproduction; refraining from
excessive wine-drinking indeed the nazirite is called holy by the Torah
and pondering the ills of drunkenness, as exemplified by the stories of Noach
and Lot
One must also shun gluttony and
unseemly talk, as the verse states, And every mouth speaks obscenity (Yeshayahu
9:16), in order to attain purity
The Ramban concludes his remarks on this verse by indicating that this is
not the only place in the Torah where, after mentioning a series of laws, the
Torah issues a general statement to ensure that not only the letter of the law
is fulfilled, but the spirit as well.
One example he brings is Devarim 6:18, the requirement to do the
right and the good.
We have seen in previous lessons how this verse
directs one to ensure that all of his interpersonal actions maintain the spirit
of Gods desire for upright behavior.
Evidently, the requirement of Kedoshim tihyu reflects ones
responsibility to maintain the spirit of ritual laws and mitzvot bein adam
le-atzmo, laws between man and himself.
In order for an individual to maintain control over his desires and to
succeed in his ritual requirements, he must develop a sanctified personality. It is this personality that will
enable him to regulate his behavior and not to be tempted to ignore the spirit
while maintaining the letter of the law.
This is how the Ramban interprets the dictum (Yevamot 20a)
Sanctify yourself by that which is permitted to you.
The Ramban explains that man can develop a
sanctified personality by modeling his character after Gods holiness. Sanctity is restricted to those who
use the physical world but are not owned by it.
The world has purpose that the Torah allows one to unlock, but only if
the spirit of its teaching is maintained.
Inculcating a Holy Character
With the Rambans comments in mind, it is not
surprising that a number of commentators introduce another element to the
imperative of Kedoshim tihyu which is very pertinent to the
interpersonal realm. In fact, both
the Rambam and the Ramban cite Kedoshim tihyu as an imperative in line
with the all-important directive (Devarim 28:9) of following the ways of
God (see lesson #06). Indeed, this
idea already appears in Midrashic sources, and it is the simple explanation of
the verse: one must be holy, for God is holy.
The Rishonim list kedusha as one of Gods
attributes that man must emulate in God: Just as I am holy, so too you should
be holy. A number of Midrashic
sources even refer to Kedoshim tihyu as an explicit requirement to
emulate Gods holiness, similar to the general directive to walk in the ways of
God (see Moreh Ha-nvukhim I, 54,
Schwartz edition, fn. 35).
In one chapter in his
Moreh Ha-nvukhim, the Rambam seems to understand Kedoshim tihyu
as the basis for the directive to walk in the way of God and to emulate Gods
mercy and compassion.
For the chief aim of man
should be to make himself, as far as possible, similar to God: that is to say,
to make his acts similar to the acts of God, or as our Sages (Shabbat
133b) expressed it in explaining the verse Kedoshim tihyu:
just as He is gracious, so be you also
gracious; just as He is merciful, so be you also merciful.
(Moreh Ha-nvukhim I, 54)
The Rambam seems to view walking in the ways of God
and being holy like Him as expressing two sides of the same coin. The ways of God are inherently ideal,
and modeling ourselves after Him serves to sanctify ourselves and our actions.
This idea may appear in
the Rambans writings as well. In
his Iggeret Ha-Kodesh, Kedoshim tihyu is used as a
directive to be a shining example for the nations of the world.
It is known that servants act based upon the way
they observe their masters, and He, our master, is kadosh with an
incomparable holiness. As our Sages
zl explained on the verse, And you will follow His ways just as He
is holy, so should you be holy; just as He is compassionate, so should you be
compassionate (Sifrei Ekev 49).
Thus, all the Jewish peoples actions are modeled after the unification
of Gods names, and therefore, they model their actions after Gods, as it says
(Vayikra 11:44) And you shall sanctify yourselves, and you will be Holy,
for I, God, am holy. Since all our
actions are similar to the actions of God, it turns out that any time we do the
right and the good, we sanctify His great name as it says (Devarim 4:8) And which is a great nation that has righteous
decrees and precepts, such as this entire Torah that I place before you today? for through them we model ourselves after
God. Conversely, if we do not act
properly, we defile the name of God, as expressed in Yoma 86a
Here the Ramban turns our attention to the fact that
following the laws of the Torah, and walking in the ways of God are the means to
achieving a life of holiness.
Because this holiness is Godly, it will be apparent to all, and the nations of
the world will be able to observe our actions, observe a unique sublimity, and
thereby notice a unique Godly connection.
Mans holiness involves inculcating Gods attributes through following
His will, a process through which mans character is purified. The Chinnukh (Mitzva 611) explains
the rationale of what he entitles The Precept to Emulate the Right and Good
Ways of Blessed God in a similar vein.
Our Sages of blessed memory have said, Just as He
is called merciful, so should you be merciful; just as He is called
gracious, so should you be gracious; just as He is called righteous, so
should you be righteous; just as He is called holy, so should you be holy. The theme here is entirely to convey
that we should educate our spirit to behave with good actions such as these and
the noble qualities by which He, Blessed be He, is described by way of metaphor,
to signify that He relates toward His human beings with these good
characteristics
The Chinnukh goes on to explain that though we
cannot achieve his tremendously exalted status, we can attempt to inculcate
within ourselves the holy traits that express our understanding of Gods pure
actions.
Kedoshim Tihyu
in the Interpersonal Realm:
Kedoshim tihyu does not only require developing a holy
character. As we may see in this line as
well as the directives that follow, the Torah focuses our understanding on the
realms wherein the holiness imperative is most apparent. As we noted above, the directive Kedoshim
tihyu introduces numerous laws, many of them interpersonal requirements.
Rav S. R. Hirsch (Vayikra 19:1) analyzes the
order of the portions and laws, explaining how Parashat Kedoshim relates
to the preceding portion, Parashat Acharei Mot:
Parashat Kedoshim
follows the chapter on sexual immorality, and it outlines, in succinct
principles, the character of a holy Jewish life.
These are the principles of the mishpatim of a society built on
the basis of Gods justice
This is why
the chapter begins with honoring ones parents, the cornerstone of all morality
This is also why the social commandments
introduced in this chapter enjoin mandate traits of character. They train a person to be sincere and
upright, brotherly and forgiving, and they base the life of the society on love
of ones fellow.
These virtues cannot be enforced by state power. Failure to practice them will not be
penalized by any human court. Their
prevalence in a society depends solely on the character of its members.
In his commentary to the next verse, Rav Hirsch goes
one step further in defining the nature of the law of Kedoshim tihyu:
The mitzva of Kedoshim tihyu is a command
to strive for the highest degree of human moral perfection
Every person is summoned to attain
the highest level
He continues to explain how this can be achieved:
Kedusha means to be
ready and willing to perform all that is good; a person cannot attain this
virtue unless his whole being is so steeped in morality that the opposite of
good, i.e. the inclination to evil, no longer has a place within his being
Indeed, much work is required of anyone seeking to
attain the heights of kedusha.
Kedusha is attained through mastery over all of ones powers and
faculties and over all the temptations and inclinations associated with them; in
all things, one must be ready and willing to do Gods will.
How may this be accomplished? He goes on to explain
that it requires practice:
As with any other art, virtuosity in this, the
highest morality, can be attained only through practice training ones moral
willpower to master the inclinations of the heart
Rav Hirsch thereby highlights this idea of bringing
kedusha into one's life through the positive effects of self-mastery and
middot.
Rav Moshe Feinstein (Derash Moshe vol. I, p.
196) explains that the use of the word kedoshim in the interpersonal
context comes to teach us that even the commandments that deal with obligations
between man and his fellow, such as honoring ones parents and refraining from
theft and robbery, must be observed because they are Gods command and not
because they are improper, as the non-Jews understand them. He explains that the role of the
mitzvot are not only to teach man how
to act, but to allow him to change his nature and his ways in order that his
body and his thoughts are transformed.
The Torah then proceeds to enumerate the
mitzvot which one cannot observe
unless he is holy, e.g. to understand the mitzva of fearing ones father and
mother, even if he is superior to them.
One must also realize that the charity due the poor is not a gift, but
rightfully theirs, and if one does not give, he is robbing the poor of what is
rightfully theirs. These
mitzvot can be understood properly only if one is holy.
Understanding of Kedoshim Tihyu:
One cannot conclude any discussion on the topic of
Kedoshim tihyu without making mention of Rav Shimon Shkops fascinating
introduction to his masterwork, Shaarei Yosher.
Rav Shimon Shkop explains how
Kedoshim tihyu is a fundamental tenet of the Torahs outlook on
interpersonal relations. He begins
by explaining that by Gods creating man be-tzelem Elokim, in His
image, He implanted within man the desire to do good for others.
This, Rav Shimon Shkop maintains, stands
at the heart of Kedoshim tihyu.
Blessed shall be the Creator, and exalted shall be
the Maker, Who created us in His image and in the likeness of His structure and
planted eternal life within us, so that our greatest desire should be to do good
to others, to individuals and to the masses, now and in the future, in imitation
of the Creator (as it were). For everything He created and formed was according
to His Will, Blessed be He, [that is] only to be good to the creations. So too
His Will is that we walk in His ways, as it says And you will follow His ways.
This means that we, the select of what He made, must constantly hold as our
purpose the sanctification of our physical and spiritual powers for the good of
the many, according to our abilities. In my opinion, this whole concept is
included in Gods mitzva Be holy, [for I am Holy].
He makes reference to the aforementioned explanation
of the Ramban:
The Midrash (Vayikra Rabba
24:9) explains Gods thoughts behind this verse: Can you [truly] be like Me? This is why I continue, For I am
holy, to teach you that My Sanctity is above yours.
After all, the foundation of the
mitzva of sanctity, as explained in Torat Kohanim, is You shall be holy
you shall be removed. The Ramban,
in his commentary on the Torah, explains at length this notion of separation as
alluded to in this mitzva; it is separation from excessive comfort and
pleasure even if these delectations are not prohibited to us. In one
illustrative statement, he writes that it is possible for a person to become a
degenerate with the sanction of the Torah; see his holy words there.
However, he wonders how, according to the Rambans explanation, the
Midrash can compare Gods holiness to man, as they seem to be unconnected.
This explanation is incumbent upon us to understand.
In truth, the holiness He expects of us
bears some similarity to His, except that His Holiness is more general and
inclusive. Still, if we say that the essential idea of the holiness He demands
of us (in this mitzva of Kedoshim tihyu) is to distance
ourselves from the permissible, how does this kind of holiness have anything to
do with Him?
After asking this question, he explains the meaning
of this verse somewhat differently, though still using an element of the
Rambans idea:
And so, it appears, in my limited understanding,
that this mitzva includes the entire foundation and root of the purpose
of our lives. All of our work and effort should constantly be sanctified by
doing good for the community. We should not commit any act or movement, nor
receive any benefit or enjoyment, that does not have in it some element of
helping another. As understood, holiness is essentially being set apart for an
honorable purpose namely, that a person straightens his path and strives
constantly to make his lifestyle dedicated to the community. Then, by anything
he does, even for himself, for the health of his body and soul, he may also
fulfill the mitzva of being holy, for through this he can also do good for the
masses. Through the good he does for himself, he can do good for the many who
rely on him. However, if he derives
benefit from some kind of permissible thing that is not needed for the health of
his body or soul, this benefit is in opposition to holiness.
In this act, he is benefiting himself
(for that moment, as it seems to him), but no one else
Consequently, this holiness is comparable to the
Holiness of the Creator, to some small degree.
The actions of the Holy One in all of Creation, the fact that in each and
every moment He continues to cause the universe to exist these acts are
sanctified for the good of others. So
too, it is He wills that our actions be constantly sanctified for the good of
the community, and not for our personal benefit.[1]
Conclusion
The mitzva Kedoshim tihyu is clearly a fitting directive to
introduce the various requirements of interpersonal behavior. To be kadosh, one must not
only master his outward behavior but also control himself; one must transform
his character to a Godly level. All
too often, people think that Jews who attend to their spiritual duties neglect
their moral responsibilities. The
sources which we quoted indicate quite the opposite. It is only one who bases his life on
Gods characteristics who sanctifies his life, and his ethical behavior reaches
perfection as well.
In the next few weeks, before discussing particular
mitzvot, we will focus on the character development that Kedoshim
tihyu requires, the way we may shape our actions in order to live a life of
holiness.
[1] However, he continues with a caveat that will be addressed
in an upcoming lesson. The principle
remains that one cannot be fully holy like God, so that everything one does is
directed only for the good of others; at some level one must take care of ones
own needs, which is not necessary for God.
Therefore, He desires only to bestow good upon His
creations, but what He wants from us is different; as Rabbi Akiva teaches us,
Your life comes first (Bava Metzia 62a).
[Our Sages] left us a hint of it when they interpret the verse You
shall love your fellow as yourself (Vayikra 19:18) in a negative sense:
That which is hateful to you, do not do to your peers (Shabbat 31a).
In terms of obligation, it is fitting for
a person to place his own good first.
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