“Kdoshim tihiyu ki kadosh Ani Adonai elohechem. You shall be holy for I, your God, am holy.”
To whom is God speaking?
Not to any specific person, but to the entire people. Both “kdoshim” and “tihiyu” are in the plural;
“kadosh” and “ani” are singular.
How does a group of people become holy? Together.
Parshat Kdoshim
outlines rules of interpersonal ethics and sexual morality. It describes ways we are meant to treat each
other and be with each other, even though we don’t agree with or conform to all
of them today. When we connect with each
other respectfully and thoughtfully, we become greater than our own, isolated
selves. When individuals connect in
service of the good, we become holy.
Holiness can be found in the flow of the many into one, from
the plural to the singular. Just as God
has many names that describe a Single entity, just as light is comprised of many
colors that merge into pure white, so too can disparate people become a unified
community. We do this through mundane
acts like breaking bread and extraordinary acts like honoring survivors and
liberators. We become a K’hillah Kdoshah
– a holy community - by supporting each other and celebrating with each other.
Our Temple Emanuel community gathers together this weekend
at a series of special events. We’ll
break bread, eat dessert, sing songs, drink, laugh, and cry together. Strangers will meet, kids will lead a service
for very the first time, and babies will toddle on the grass. We’ll laugh a lot, and cry a bit. We’ll let our hair down. None of these is particularly noteworthy on
its own. Together, however, they are
holy. Together we become holy.
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