Be Holy! Huh?? How???

There are times when the Torah tells us things which seem beyond us. Yet, we are expected to follow the Torah’s precepts.

So when the Torah tells us to be holy,¹ we might be inclined to answer with a Bill Cosby-type answer, “Yeah, right. What’s holy?”²

How does one become holy? Is there a path to holiness? Rabbi Oshi Bloom quotes the great Chassidic sage, Maor Vashemesh, who somehow succeeds in explaining this concept without ever defining it. A person who notes the evils in society and runs away from them will continue to avoid bad influences and will succeed in not being drawn to negative behavior.³

Want to be holy? Be with the people.

Bloom

But to achieve something higher, a transcendental greatness, one needs to be involved with people – like-minded people who are searching to build a better life. One cannot achieve holiness unless involved with others.

This brings to mind the maxim of Dr. Viktor Frankl who describes three paths to meaning – one of which is doing an act for others. Fulfilling a task which makes the world a better place is a legitimate path to meaning.⁴

Holiness can be achieved. Self-transcendence is not just a motto. It is doable. By helping others we can achieve transcendence and holiness.

Image by NoName_13 from Pixabay

Footnotes

1. Vayikra 19:2
2. Here is a classic Cosby routine where God is telling Noah to build an ark - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3qwiTxxkA0
3. YU Torah Parshas Kedoshim 5785: Want To Be Holy? Go Be With The People. Rabbi Oshi Bloom
4. Frankl, Viktor E.. The Will to Meaning: Foundations and Applications of Logotherapy (p. 49). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

Have A Great Shabbat!

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