Kedoshim
This weeks Parsha contains dozens of Mitzvot. To be precise 13 positive commandments and 38 negative prohibitions out of the total of 613 commandments.
These Mitzvot include: mandatory gifts to the poor, many interpersonal laws most famous being Love your neighbour as yourself, not to gossip, honesty in ones business dealings, sexual morality , to avoid idol worship and many more.
It is difficult to discern a pattern to why these specific Mitzvot are grouped here and in a particular order.
To understand this we must look at the opening verse of the Parsha
You shall be holy, for I, the Lord, your God, am holy (Vayikra 19:2)
There has been two basic approaches over the ages to this verse and whether it counts as an actual commandment.
Ramban (Nachmanides 13th Cent Rabbi,Kabbalist and commentator) explains this verse as an actual positive commandment to be Holy.
Rambam (Maimonides 12th Cent) did not count ~”to be Holy” as one of the 613 specific Mitzvot because he believed that there were “all encompassing none specific Mitzvot” that affected all of ones life every moment and “to be Holy was one of them”
Which ever approach we take one thing is certain- to be Holy is an extremely important aspect of Judaism.
Maimonides in his Mishneh Torah (his code covering ALL of Jewish law) explains that the Jewish approach to Holiness is very different to the rest of the world. Holiness does not mean total separation from society or physical pleasures. Judaism does not agree with extreme asceticism, profuse fasting and penitence. He goes on to prove this from the laws of the Nazir who vows a temporary abstention from wine who must bring a sin offering at the end of his Nazirite period. Surely the Nazir has increased his Holiness so why a sin offering? What is his sin?
The Nazir on the one hand felt unable to cope with life’s temptations and desires (with the secular atmosphere he is immersed in) and so he understandably in his desire to come close to God he makes this vow to inspire himself to protect his spiritual innocence.
Yet at the same time he has not taken the ideal path of Judaism which is to sanctify that which IS permitted (for example making Kiddish on wine elevates the wine to a higher purpose when he acknowledges God as creator!) So he must bring a sin offering.
Now we can understand why our sedra has so many seemingly different unrelated laws. Apart from Mitzvos in their own right they are also examples of how a Jew makes his life Holy.
Simply put the Torah teaches us that it is not enough to just be a good person. A Jew must strive for even higher to be Holy. If we are concerned that this is beyond us then the verse teaches
“You shall be holy, for I, the Lord, your God, am holy”
In other words we are able to achieve this because we have a Godly soul.
The ladder to Holiness maybe infinite like God Himself but to connect to Holiness we merely have to take one step up the ladder and God will do the rest for us as our sages teach
“one who comes to purify themselves is assisted by heaven”