Parshas Kedoshim (5760)

Parshas Kedoshim (5760)
By Mordechai Dolinsky

The word Kadosh has always seemed to me to be in a cloud of mystery, unclear, vague and confusing.  The Parsha this week brings to us the urgency to delve into and try to understand the meaning of the word.  It’s an important word to understand since it is one of the most outstanding praises of HaShem.  It is also used to describe one of the great qualities of Klal Yisroel and something we must aspire to attain.  It is also probably the most important word we ever utter in our communication with another human being on this earth.  Under the Chupa we say “Harei At Mikudeshes Li” to create the most significant bind with another person.

The most popular understanding of the word is “holy”, a connotation of some higher kind of existence that is pure and spiritual.  On the other hand, there is an understanding of this term that describes abstaining from indulgence in materialism and lust as in the opening of our Parsha.  To complete the triangle we find the word used in a third way—to designate, as the Rishonim explain is the connotation in the marriage ceremony.  We also find strangely enough the word Kedaisha which is basically the same concept as Rashi explains, she is set aside and specifically designated, in this case, to znus.

I found a Chazal brought in a Medrash which is in itself tremendously puzzling but surprisingly enough might shed light on our confusion about the clear meaning of Kadosh.   “Kadosh Kadosh Kadosh Hashem Tzavakos etc.” as likewise we say Elokai Avraham, Yitzchok V’Yaakov”.

Avraham Avinu being the pillar of Chesed, understood HaShem in His role of chesed.  HaShem’s specific devotion to the world was in the form of chesed.  Yitzchok Avinu the pillar of Avoda understood  HaShem in His role of holiness, spirituality.  HaShem is the world and fills the world yet He removes himself from the world.  This is one of the most difficult concepts to grasp and it is only through the depths of theTorah that we can approach this aspect of HaShem.  This is the area of the greatness of Yaakov Avinu.  So here we have all three concepts in the comprehension of Kadosh.  All seem to be correct and must be applied accordingly.  They encompass all three foundations of Torah. Avoda and Gemilas Chasadim.  It is interesting to note that the three places where we quote “Kadosh Kadosh” are firstly in Birkas Krias Shema saluting the chesed of HaShem, secondly in the kedusah of Shmone Esrai which is the avoda, and thirdly in Uva Letzion whose theme is Torah.

We should merit to earn and deserve, through the appropriate and proper fulfillment of the Torah, to become and be called Kedoshim–the very title and crown that Hashem takes as His own pride and glory.