“Holy” is not an easy word for the modern ear. It can sound distant, austere, even antiquated — a relic from another religious age. In our imagination, holiness belongs to saints, angels, or people who withdraw from the ordinary rhythms of life.

Yet the Torah places holiness — kedushah — at the very center of life.

The Torah presents a striking command:

קדושים תהיו כי קדוש אני ה׳ “You shall be holy, for I am Holy.” (Leviticus 11:44–45)

The Hebrew word קָדוֹשׁ (kadosh) does not primarily mean mystical or saintly. At its root, it means to be set apart — to draw a boundary between what is ordinary and what is not.

Rashi captures this idea succinctly in his famous comment:

קדושים תהיו — פרושים תהיו “You shall be sacred — you shall practice restraint.”

This is not a call to withdraw from life. It is the discipline of knowing where to draw the line.

When that line is not respected, the consequences become clear.

After days of preparation, on the eighth day — Shemini — the service of the Mishkan begins. Aharon offers the inaugural sacrifices, and........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)