This week we read in the Torah a phrase that is simple, profound, and complicated. God instructs Moshe to speak to the Israelites and say to them, “Kedoshim Tihiyu - You shall be holy, for I, Adonai your God, am holy.” (Vayikra 19:2). This phrase - Kedoshim Tihiyu (You shall be holy) - can be confusing because it doesn't tell us how to be holy.
It’s important to note that the word Tihiyu (you shall be) is a future tense word in the plural form, and I think the use of this word does teach us something about achieving holiness. First, if the Torah is telling us that we will be holy, it means that we’re not there yet. It means that holiness is a pursuit that is about striving, about working towards something. If we ever think we’ve already achieved holiness, we’ve got more work to do.
Second, there’s something valuable about the plural nature of the word tihiyu. It’s as if the Torah is telling us that holiness is most operative in the collective. We have to open ourselves up to others, let them affect us, see how we can be in relationship together, in order for us to achieve holiness together.
This week I read the news articles about Germans participating in Kippah Marches to combat anti-Semitism. I was moved by the desire of others to join with Jews in solidarity. This collective action worked towards holiness.
This weekend at Beth Sholom, we’ll welcome a national group called the Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom. The Sisterhood, a group of Muslim and Jewish women, focuses on building bridges between their faiths and combating hatred and prejudice. In coming together, these women work towards holiness. We are honored to welcome them into our community and we hope you’ll join us tonight for Musical Kabbalat Shabbat (6PM) and Saturday evening for our interfaith program with their group (7PM).
By welcoming them into our synagogue, we as the Beth Sholom community commit ourselves to working together towards being a community of holiness.
