Torah Commentary - Kedoshim

*Commentary courtesy of Menahem Me-Zahav
 

Our Sidrah today is defined by its command in the 2nd Passuk: “You shall be Kedoshim - Holy, for I the Lord your God, I am Holy” (Leviticus 19:2). The Sidrah then elaborates on what it considers “Holy”. It lists many commands designed to preserve the holiness of the Jewish people.
 
Is Holiness actually achievable? Only the community as a whole, can attain holiness.  
Bible commentators offered a variety of opinions that tried to define what is Holiness and how can it be realized. They tried to answer some of the following questions: 
(a) Does Holiness have to do with some special rituals of purity? 
(b) Holiness is mentioned here amid quite few specific rituals regarding the Sanctuary, raising the 
      question whether our Sidrah intends to teach us qualifying requirements for entering the 
      Sanctuary. 
(c) Is this command, to be Holy, a practical command?  
(d) Is it a realistic expectation, that a Human becomes Holy as God? 
     Rabbi Chiya Bar Abba (Circa 3rd Century CE) tries to answer these questions by explaining that 
     achieving Holiness cannot be accomplished by a single person. Only the community as a    
     whole, can attain holiness. 

Commands designed for the preservation of Holiness. 
The following commands listed in our Sidrah seem to be designed for the preservation of Holiness: 
(a) Have respect for your parents and observe the Shabbat. “Revere your mother 
     and your father and do observe my Shabbat, I am the Lord your God” (Leviticus 19:3). These 
     two commands, were already given to the Jewish people as part of the Ten Commandments. 
     The repetition (in our Sidrah) stresses upon their importance. According to Rashi, there is 
     a distinct reason for linking these two commands together: It is important to have great 
     reverence for one’s parents. However, obeying God takes precedence.   
(b) Care for the poor and the needy. “When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap 
     all the way…You shall not pick your vineyard bare...You shall leave them for the poor and the 
     stranger I am the Lord your God” (Leviticus 19:9-10). Farming was the predominant 
     occupation. Every farm owner was required to leave behind, a small portion of the produce, so 
     that the disadvantaged, could collect some means of survival. There was great effort not to 
     cause public humiliation to the poor. Most of the time, the farmer did not even know, who 
     was collecting the food left in the field. The story of Ruth, is a prime example of the great 
     effect this command had on people’s lives. Ruth the Moabite, was among the poor, collecting 
     from Boaz’s land, in order to support herself, and her Jewish mother-in-law Naomi. 
     She later married Boaz (The owner of the field, where she was collecting from). They were 
     great grandparents to King David. 
(c) Honesty, fairness in business and high moral behavior. “You shall not steal, nor deal 
     deceitfully or falsely with one another…You cannot withhold wages of your (daily) 
     laborer, (even just) overnight…You should not insult the hard of hearing, nor put a stumbling 
     block, in front of the visually impaired. I am the Lord your God” (Leviticus 19:11-14). 
 
(d) “Ve’Ahavta Le’Reiacha Ca’mocha” 
      “You should love your fellow human as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18). This command is probably the 
      most celebrated Mitzvah in the Torah. There are numerous stories and opinions, written by 
      commentators regarding its importance. Hillel, a popular teacher (Circa 50 BCE) taught, that the 
       whole essence of Judaism, is compiled in these few words. Rabbi Akiva, one of the greatest 
       Talmudic scholars of all times (2nd century CE) named it, the most important Mitzvah in the Torah. 
       Maimonides (12th century CE) suggested that visiting the sick, comforting mourners, helping others 
       celebrate happy occasions and offering hospitality when needed, are real examples that one should 
       follow.  
 (e)  Respect the Stranger.
      “And if a stranger lives with you in your land, you shall not wrong him. As the home born among you, 
       shall be the stranger who lives with you. And you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in 
       the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God” (Leviticus 19:33-34).                                               

 In conclusion, the Torah seems to send us the following message:
                                      Holiness, should be the hallmark of the Jewish Community.  
  
           

Note: The 2 Sidrah’s Acharei Mot & Kedoshim are rarely separate, without falling on a Rosh    
          Chodesh or Machar Chodesh. Some communities chant then the following Haftarah (From 
          Amos) today and last week’s Haftarah is from Ezekiel, as our community did in past 
          years. Some Communities reverse the order. (See Etz Hayim pg. 705 the very top 7 lines).  

Haftarah: Amos  9:7-15, pg. 706
Amos was one of the 12 Prophets named “Trei-Assar” (“The Twelve”), whose prophecies were gathered into one Biblical book. He lived in the city of Samaria, the Capital of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, where he delivered most of his prophetic messages. Amos preached mainly against social injustice, and the way the rich were mistreating the very poor.                                                                                                                                        

Judgement of the sinful nations.
Our Haftarah opens with a speech, predicting a day of judgment, against all sinful nations. Amos warns that all wicked nations, will be wiped off the face of the earth. He considers the Israeli Kingdom to be a sinful nation, since it never distinguished itself from the evil nations surrounding her. It is a stark reminder to Israel’s unfulfilled commitment for ‘Holiness’ made at the time of the exodus, hence also the linkage to our Sidrah. 

Saving God’s chosen people – Re-constructing The Fallen Sukkah of David. 
God promises however, not to annihilate the nation He once rescued from Egypt. He will save a remnant of His chosen people. 
Amos who scolds the Jewish people at the beginning of our Haftarah, completely changes his tone towards its end: “On that day I (God) will raise up the Sukkah of David that is fallen, and I will close up their breaches, and I will lift their ruins, and I will build her (The Sukkah) as in the days of old“ (Amos 9:11).          
                
The first part of the above Passuk (where God promises to “Raise up the fallen Sukkah of David”), can be found in our Birkat Ha’Mazon during the Holiday of Sukkot (“HaRachaman Hu Yakim Lanu Et Sukkat David HaNofelet”).

Amos concludes with a promise “And I (God) will plant them (Israel) upon their land, and they shall never be driven off the land which I have given them” (Amos 9:15).