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Parshat Kedoshim
2005
Great Expectations
Parshat Kedoshim begins by outlining one of the most important tasks in the Torah without specifically defining what it is. The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: "Speak to the whole Israelite community and say to them: You shall be holy (Kedoshim), for I, the Lord your God, am holy (Kadosh)." (Leviticus 19:1-2)
Although one could infer that to follow all of the commandments of the Torah would be considered holy, God makes a point to specifically mention that man should live his life as God would. What does this mean? What are God's expectations when he commands such a vague, yet powerful law? The answer lies in our everyday lives and our commitment to the Jewish people.
God was demanding that we live our lives as He would, to do everything, even the small things, correctly. This is even more evident by the notion that we are created in God's image, b'tzelem Elokim. We are given the freedom to make our own decisions, and because of this, we should live our lives in exemplary ways. To be holy, one does not need to simply follow the commandments of the Torah; rather, one must lead his or her life as though he or she is setting an example for everyone else to follow. It is our responsibility to set this example for future Jewish generations to follow, giving them a core of values to build their own lives on. This is what God meant when he spoke of being holy as He is holy.
Kedusha (holiness) can really only be achieved through self-control, especially during times when the temptation to forget the small things is at its greatest. Such is the temptation in our lives where we work with new generations of students on our campuses to help inspire them to pursue their own Jewish journeys of kedusha and righteousness. Our focus as Hillel professionals must include the small things, including what it takes to help our students understand that it's OK to stand up and proclaim "I am Jewish," even when the easy thing to do is turn the other cheek.
We must lead by example. We must show our students that being Jewish is more than merely following all of the commandments of the Torah - it is a feeling, a pride, a sense of urgency to do right even when no one is watching. We must teach these students to understand the importance of maintaining a Jewish identity, so that we help ensure the future of the Jewish people.
It is our responsibility and our challenge to help students understand the importance of being holy as God is holy. As Jewish professionals, we follow God's commandment every day in the work we do and the lives we inspire. Doing campus work is holy, preserving a faith is holy, and making a choice to be Jewish when the temptation is to turn the other way certainly is holy.
Prepared by Jeffrey Lazor, program director, Michigan State University Hillel.
Learn More
Additional commentaries and text studies on Kedoshim at MyJewishLearning.com.
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