Parasha Thoughts
By Rabbi Yitzchak Ariel
The first commandment in Parshat Kedoshim is “Kedoshim Tih’yu†loosely translated as “be holy.†What does it mean to be holy? How does one fulfil this commandment? The commentaries point out that the word Kadosh really means separate. The Ramban writes that until now the Torah has told us what relationships we may not have, what food we may not eat, and so on. However there is room for one to technically not transgress any Torah violation and still live like a gluttonous person by overindulging in what the Torah does allow.
In many cases the Torah does not limit quantity. For example, there are limitations on who a person can marry but not on how many wives a person is permitted to have. There are limitations on what a person may eat or drink but not on how much. A person can still be within all the strict boundaries of the Torah while still overindulging in food, becoming intoxicated daily, and using foul language; obviously not something that Hashem wants!
This commandment of “Kedoshim Tih’yu,†explains the Ramban, is commanding us to separate ourselves from this attitude of being a glutton within the parameters of the strict Torah law. Many times we may catch ourselves trying to get away with whatever we can in the technicalities of the Torah while overlooking the bigger picture. Sometimes we need to stop and ask ourselves if what we are doing is really the right thing even though it may not technically be wrong, and through that may we merit to be Kedoshim – holy.