07 May Parashat Kedoshim – Kedusha is for Everyone

Parashat Kedoshim begins with the commandment of “Kedoshim Tiheyhu” – “You shall be holy.” When God issues this command to Moshe, He emphasizes that Moshe must convey it to “Kol Adat Benei Yisrael” – “the entire assembly of the Israelite people.” The Mitzva to live a life of Kedusha, sanctity, is not restricted to the great Torah sages in Jerusalem and Bnei-Brak, or to the thirty-six hidden Tzadikim in the world. It applies to “the entire assembly of the Israelite people,” to each and every Jew, regardless of his background or current stature.

This Mitzva serves as a powerful expression of how much the Almighty thinks of each and every individual, how He believes in every Jew’s potential for greatness. People often look back in despair at their past mistakes and improper behavior. They think to themselves, “Holiness can’t be for me; anyone who knows the things I did would never expect me to become ‘Kadosh’.” But the Torah tells us that nothing can be further from the truth. “Kedoshim Tiheyu” is an obligation that the Torah casts upon each and every one of us, irrespective of what we have done in the past.

In fact, the Talmud teaches that “the place where Ba’alei Teshuva [repentant sinners] stand – completely righteous people cannot stand there.” People with a history of sin face a much greater challenge than those who have been sheltered and protected from sin their entire lives. Having already enjoyed the forbidden pleasures of the world, it is far more difficult for them to withdraw and commit themselves to a life of observance. In a certain sense, then, their potential for “Kedusha” is even greater than that of perfect Tzadikim!

The story is told of a lecturer who spoke to an audience and took from his pocket a $100 bill. “Who wants this bill?” he asked. Naturally, everybody in the audience emphatically exclaimed that they would want the bill. The speaker then crumpled the bill and opened it again, so that it appeared wrinkled. He repeated his original question: “Who wants this bill?” Once again, the entire room shouted to express their desire to have the money. The speaker then placed the bill on the floor and trampled on it. When he finished, he lifted it and showed the audience how dirty and dusty it looked. For the third time, he asked, “Who wants this bill?” Of course, the question elicited the same response that it had on the previous two occasions.

The lecturer then explained the meaning behind this exercise. No matter what a person does to a $100 bill, it remains valuable, it does not lose its worth, and everybody is as eager to own it as they were when it was clean and fresh. The same is true about God’s feelings towards every individual. As we grow through life, there are times when we become “crumpled” or “dirty,” when we act inappropriately and make mistakes. But even when this happens, we are still as valuable in God’s eyes as we were initially. He believes in our potential for Kedusha regardless of our past, and we should therefore believe in ourselves and strive for holiness, without being discouraged by our past mistakes.