A Reasonable Request (2)

“You shall be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy.”  Leviticus 19:2b  JPS

Be holy – Levine’s excursus in the JPS commentary on Leviticus provides an important qualification about the term qādôš (holy):

The biblical term for holiness is kodesh.  Though the noun is abstract, it is likely that the perception of holiness was not thoroughly abstract.  In fact, kodesh had several meanings, including “sacred place, sanctuary, sacred offering.”  In Addition, in certain syntactic positions, Hebrew nouns function as adjectives.  Hebrew shem kodsho, for example, does not mean “the names of His holiness” but, rather, “His holy name.”  This leads to the conclusion that in the biblical conception holiness is not so much an idea as it is a quality, identified both with what is real and perceptible on earth and with God. . .  The overall content of chapter 19, with its diverse categories of laws and commandments, outlines what the Israelites must do in order to become a holy people.  It includes many matters of religious concern, as we understand the term: proper worship, observance of the Sabbath, and also the avoidance of actions that are taboo . . . What is less expected in ritual legislation is the emphasis on human relations: respect for parents, concern for the poor and the stranger, prompt payment of wages, justice in all dealings, and honest conduct of business.  Even proper attitudes toward others are commanded. . . Holiness, an essentially cultic concept, could not be achieved through purity and proper worship alone, it had an important place in the realm of social experience.[1]

Take this to heart.  Purity and proper worship isn’t enough.  God’s view of holiness must extend itself into the ordinary world of human interaction.  It’s not possible to become holy by joining a monastery or convent.  You won’t discover holiness as a monk in the mountains.  Holiness manifests itself in the work world, in social involvement, on the street, at school, in the car.  If it doesn’t show up there, no amount of religious observance will meet the standard.

For those of us who are stuck on the middle of the bridge, halfway between our past Western world religious affiliations and halfway toward in new Hebraic paradigm, this insight is extremely important.  If we thought that conversion, continuing across the bridge to one side or the other, would somehow make us holy before the Lord, then we haven’t understood the essential practical exhibition of qādôš.  In fact, no matter what religious community we adopt, without the manifestation of qādôš in our daily interactions, we are still far from God.  We might be so bold as to say that unless qādôš is the foundation of our human interactions, religious participation makes no difference.  What this means is that even though we are somewhere in the middle, we can still experience holiness—without religious conversion.  We can practice proper worship, in some community, and exhibit proper behavior and attitudes, wherever we happen to be.  Holiness is not going to be found in heaven.  It’s going to be found here.  You don’t have to wait.

Topical Index: holiness, qādôš, Levine, Leviticus 19:2a