Worlds of Expanding Scope

Seudah Shlishit – Shabbat Achrey Mot-Kedoshim, April 25, 2026 – Brookline

How does our service to Hashem/God affect us, those closest to us, and the larger Jewish community? In a very famous statement, Rabbi Akiva quotes the pasuk in Parashat Kedoshim (VaYiqra 19:18):

וְאָֽהַבְתָּ֥ לְרֵעֲךָ֖ כָּמֹ֑וךָ

“And you shall act with love towards your friend as you would like to be treated.”

He describes the phrase as “zeh klal gadol b’Torah (this is a great principle of the Torah).” In Toras Kohanim (also called the Sifra – a set of Rabbinic literature on the Book of Vayiqra), Ben Azzai adds that the verse (Bereishit 5: 1)

זֶ֣ה סֵ֔פֶר תֹּולְדֹ֖ת אָדָ֑ם

“This is the chronicle of the generations of humankind.”

Is a “klal gadol heymenu (an even greater principle than that of R. Akiva)”.

The Sfat Emet (Al HaTorah – Kedoshim – 1892) observes that:

“The fundamental fulfillment of Torah and Mitzvot within the Community of Israel is that it is within the Community that the people are sanctified.”

The Midrash Rabbah (VaYiqra 24:5) notes that the paragraphs of Kedoshim were publicly recited during the Hakhel ceremony/celebration.”

[The Hakhel traditionally took place once every seven years at the Bais HaMiqdash during the Chag of Sukkot in the year following the Shmittah/Sabbatical year. See Devarim 31:10-13)].

תָּנֵי רַבִּי חִיָּא פָּרָשָׁה זוֹ נֶאֶמְרָה בְּהַקְהֵל, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁרֹב גּוּפֵי תוֹרָה תְּלוּיִן בָּהּ, רַבִּי לֵוִי אָמַר מִפְּנֵי שֶׁעֲשֶׂרֶת הַדִּבְּרוֹת כְּלוּלִין בְּתוֹכָהּ

“R. Chiya taught: This section was recited during Hakhel because the majority of........

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