I often think that religion offers us pathways to be holy, not just pathways to be good. There are many pathways to be a good person in this world that have nothing to do with holiness. But one of Judaisms central projects is to shape a life not only of goodness, but of kedushah - holiness.
This week, the Torah sets a striking aspiration: “You shall be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy.” It sounds lofty, even daunting. And we might assume the path to such holiness is paved with ritual: prayer, study, keeping kosher, observing Shabbat. These practices certainly enrich Jewish life and ground us in meaning. But they are not the Torah’s primary focus when it comes to holiness.
Instead, the Torah highlights a different category of mitzvot: those bein adam l’chaveiro, between one human being and another. Leave the corners of your field for the poor. Pay workers fairly and promptly. Don’t stand idly by when someone is in danger. Honor the elderly. Welcome the stranger. Let go of grudges. These are not just ethical directives, they are sacred obligations. They are the Torah’s blueprint for a holy life.
Holiness, in this vision, is not found in isolation or spiritual retreat. It is found in relationship, in community, in our daily choices to act with compassion and justice. To be holy, the Torah teaches, is to build a world where dignity, generosity, and care are woven into the fabric of our society.
We are reminded that kedushah, holiness, is not distant or unattainable. Perhaps, it is not as lofty as we may have thought. It lives in how we show up for one another, in the quiet, daily choices that shape a community. Holiness is not only something we nurture within ourselves; it is something that comes alive when we reach outward, extending our soul to another. May we strive to be holy, as God is holy. And may we remember that the path to holiness runs through the ways we care for each other.
