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What is holiness?
We know that there are holy times, such as Shabbos (Sabbath) and Yom Tov (religious festivals).
We know that there are holy places, such as the Land of Israel, or the land on which Moses stood as he faced the burning bush.
Holiness of time and place, important though they are, do not rise to the demand of "You shall be holy." (Leviticus 20:26) Personally.
Intrinsic holiness is demanded.
Something beyond observance of a holy time or residence in a holy place.
Nachmanides (d. 1270), in an oft-quoted, pungent comment, defines personal holiness by defining its opposite. In a biting phrase, the anti-holy person is a naval birshus ha-Torah, variously translated:
• "A knave within the bounds of the Torah" (Z. H. Weinreb).
• "An ugly voluptuary even as he complies with Torah law" (J. B. Soloveitchik).
• "A degenerate with the permission of the Torah" (N. Scherman).
• Someone who is "despicable within the bounds of Torah law" (S. Himelstein).
In my view the best translation, capturing the pungency and concision of the original, is that of Aharon Lichtenstein: "A scoundrel with a Torah license."
What makes this scoundrel unholy? Then, by virtue of his opposite, what makes a person holy?
The scoundrel with a Torah license observes the law. He is not the proverbial drunk on ritual who is dead on ethics - the person who prays but is dishonest in business. No, he observes the ethical as well as the ritual law.
But within his observance he finds ways to become a knave, a voluptuary, a degenerate, a scoundrel.
Classic examples given by Nachmanides and Rashi (d. 1105): the person who is faithful to his or her spouse, but, in intimacy, is inappropriate with the spouse; or, the person who only eats kosher food, but is steeped in gluttony. Another example: the person who is scrupulously honest in business, but disgustingly ostentatious.
By virtue of the scoundrel's opposite, Nachmanides defines holiness as moderation in physical desire and modesty in social relations. Nachmanides is saying: Let the practices of the Torah penetrate your entire being, not just your specific performance. Holiness, in other words, is a mood, a style, an overall demeanor. Nachmanides' point is that personal holiness is not something out there, something objective, something G-d-given, like holiness of time and place.
Personal holiness is subjective. It is a human effort, a human creation - up to a point.
Holiness is that which the human being fills in between the lines; holiness is placed within the framework and intention of the mitzvos, the commandments, the injunctions of the Torah. Religious duties delineate required behavior. For example: Be honest. Observe the Sabbath. But in delineating specific behavior, mitzvos convey a larger point.
Honesty, for example, is a form of restraint. One may not simply take that which is possible to take. One must limit one's acquisitions to those honesty acquired. The larger point is modesty. It is up to the individual observer of the mitzvah of honesty to define and color his life with restraint.
The "ugly voluptuary, compliant with Torah law," restrains his acquisitional drives by being honest, but does not restrain his pride. He shows off that which he has acquired. He lords his wealth over others. He makes a big deal out of opulent clothing and living space, and freedom to skip work whenever he wants. He is a scoundrel with a Torah license. Sabbath is a different form of restraint. One may not engage in 39 types of work. The larger point is closeness to G-d and family. It is up to the individual Sabbath observer to shape his life differently on Shabbos from his weekly style and mindset.
The ugly voluptuary refrains from the 39 types of work, but does not reshape his life, mind or mood. His conversation on Sabbath is steeped in work-related matters or the aggravations of the week prior. He catches up on the Wall Street Journal rather than the Torah portion of the week. He is a scoundrel with a Torah license.
There are other forms of intrinsic, personal holiness, both ritual and ethical.
Ritually, the observance of the kosher laws confer holiness. Amidst the delineation of these laws, the Torah offers this justification for them: "You shall therefore sanctify yourselves and you shall be holy, for I am holy" (Leviticus 11:44).
Ethically, Leviticus 19:18 writes, "And you shall love your neighbor as yourself." Rashi takes the Hebrew word for neighbor, re'a, to refer to G-d as well as humanity (Shabbos 31a). To love one's "neighbor" is not only an interpersonal relationship, it is a relationship with G-d.
Ari D. Kahn points out, "[The] inclusion of G-d in this principle is not at all forced or far-fetched once we recall that the biblical verse does not end with the words 'as yourself'; rather, the conclusion of the verse is 'I am G-d.' G-d is part of the equation. G-d is involved in the man-to-man relationship. G-d is manifest when neighbors and friends get along, when people treat one another with mutual respect and caring. . . . This is the path to holiness; indeed, loving your friend as yourself becomes the epitome of holiness."*
Personal holiness may be subjective, not given to rigorous definition, but though it is rare, it is clearly recognizable when a person embodies it.
*See Kahn's Echoes of Eden, Leviticus (2013), Acharei Mot-Kedoshim, second essay, on which this last segment of this column is based.
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Rabbi Hillel Goldberg is executive editor of the Intermountain Jewish News, where this first appeared, and the author of several books on biblical and Judaic themes. His writings have appeared in JWR since its inception.
