Holiness and Purity
R. Yaakov Bieler
Parashiot Acharei Mot-Kedoshim, 5770
Parashat Kedoshim begins with one of the most profound meta-concepts[1] in Judaism.
VaYikra 19:2
…You shall be holy because I am Holy, the Lord your God.
While it is clear that holiness is a key concept in Judaism,[2] it is nevertheless an esoteric, abstract idea that is in need of explanation. Two classical interpretations for how to understand holiness within the context of day-to-day behavior are provided by RaShI and RaMBaN on 19:2.
RaShI claims that holiness entails separation from sin in general and sexual transgressions in particular. He reaches this conclusion by employing the hermeneutic principle, Semichut HaParshiot (the juxtaposition of sections of the Tora.) Since 19:2 comes on the heels of a long list of prohibited sexual relationships,[3] the call to be holy is understood by RaShI as describing the spiritual state of an individual who is careful to avoid failings and iniquities prohibited by God. From a theological perspective, if HaShem has Commanded that man should/should not do certain things, then man manifests his “Godliness,” and therefore “holiness,”[4] by complying with the Directives that he has received.
RaMBaN, on the other hand, imagines holiness to constitute a way of looking at the world and ultimately behaving in a manner that the Tora had neither previously discussed nor is a simple function of compliance with Commandments. This commentator suggests that rather than the term in question reflecting the state of an individual who avoids prohibitions, holiness is in fact a function of how s/he deals with areas of activity which are permitted. If someone is a drunkard while drinking only the most Kosher of wines, a glutton by eating only the most Kosher of foods, and/or engages to an inordinate extent or in an improper, immodest manner in intimate relations with his/her spouse, then rather than acting in accordance with the dictates of holiness, such an individual is designated as a “Naval B’Reshut HaTora” (an abominable [the abject opposite of someone who is holy] person within the precincts of what the Tora permits.) RaMBaN therefore posits that holiness is a type of “Lifnim MiShurat HaDin” (beyond the letter of the law), i.e., it is the quality that is only observable when an individual is not overtly involved in carrying out specific Positive Commandments or avoiding Negative Commandments, but rather acting in accord with the values that he has extrapolated from the corpus of Mitzvot in general.
From a purely philosophical point of view, i.e., considering the symbolic, ideational dimension of holiness, in contrast to its practical manifestations, Allen Grossman, in his short essay, “Holiness,”[5] states the following:
…Holiness is the abstract term taught man by God (in verses like VaYikra 19:2, “be holy because I am Holy”) to mark God’s Difference and the nature of everything that comes to be included …within His Difference…[6]
More generally the supreme human work (man’s service and creativity) is the voluntary performance of the transactions of holiness, which reciprocate and complete God’s Creation of the world by restoring it day by day, fact by scattered fact, to His Nature.[7] The specification of such work as in the 613 Mitzvot or Commandments, defines a culture of holiness, a system of transactions by which through the mediation of holiness, man and God come to be included within the precinct of the same term…
Holiness therefore specifies the coincidence of the wills of man and God, and defines the freedom of both. That freedom expresses itself as the voluntary, continuous, cooperative maintenance of the world—sanctification, Kedusha.[8]
Not only does man have the capacity and mandate to bring the things with which he comes into contact[9] closer to God and thereby invest them with ever-greater sanctity, but his actions also serve to transform himself into a person that is more and more holy. That is the sense of the Blessing that precedes every Mitzva performance: Blessed Are You, Lord, our God, King of the Universe, Who Sanctified us by means of His Commandments…
If we imagine a continuum where at one end there is the ultimate manifestation of holiness, i.e., God Himself, and at the other, the most extreme non-holy, or as R. Kook, Z”L, put it more positively and optimistically, “the not-yet holy,” with man nudging various entities, including himself, towards ever-increasing holiness, the concept of Angel represents entities endowed with the sort of holiness that positions them far closer to God than man, at least at the beginning of each person’s life’s journey.[10]
From our liturgy, we see that one of the tasks that Angels are designated to fulfill is to offer explicit praises to God. The Shacharit (morning) prayers contain three separate depictions of how these Angelic Praises are offered in Heaven on a daily basis:
The blessings of Sh’ma for weekdays:[11]
May Your Name be praised forever, our King, Creator of the ministering Angels,[12] all of whom stand in the universe’s heights, proclaiming together, in awe, aloud, the Words of the Living God, the eternal King.
They are all beloved, all pure, all mighty, and all perform in awe and reverence the Will of their Maker. All open their mouths in holiness and purity, with song and psalm, and bless, praise, glorify, revere, sanctify and declare the sovereignty of—the Name of the great, mighty and awesome God and King, Holy is He,
All accept on themselves, one from another, the yoke of the Kingdom of Heaven, granting permission to one another to sanctify the One Who Formed them, in serene spirit, pure speech and sweet melody.
All as one, proclaim His Holiness, saying in awe: קדוש, קדוש, קדוש, ה' צבקות, מלא כל הארץ כבודו (Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of Hosts; the whole world is filled with His Glory.)
Then the Ophanim and Holy Chayot, with a roar of noise, raise themselves toward the Seraphim and, facing them, give praise, saying: ברוך שם כבוד מלכותו לעולם ועד (Blessed be the Lord’s Glory from His Place.)[13]
“Kedusha,” part of the leader’s repetition of the Silent Devotion:
(Cong. followed by leader) We will sanctify Your Name on earth, as they sanctify It in the highest Heavens, as is written by Your Prophet, “And they (the Angels) call to one another saying,”
(Cong. followed by leader) “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of Hosts, the whole world is filled with His Glory.”[14] Those facing them say, “Blessed.”
(Cong. followed by leader) “Blessed is the Lord’s Glory from His Place.”[15] And in Your Holy Writings[16] it is written as follows:
(Cong. followed by leader) “The Lord
shall Reign forever. He is your God,
(Leader) From generation to generation we will declare Your Greatness, and we will proclaim Your Holiness for evermore. Your Praise, our God, will never leave our mouth, for You God are a Great and Holy King. Blessed are You God, the Holy God. [18]
Conclusion of Shacharit (“U’Va
LeTziyon Go’el”)
...You are the Holy One,
Enthroned on the praises of
Then a wind lifted me up and I heard behind me the sound of a great noise, saying, “Blessed is the Lord’s Glory from His Place.” (The following passage is taken from Targum Yonatan and is an Aramaic restatement of the previous biblical citation:) Then a wind lifted me up and I heard behind me the sound of a great tempest of those who uttered praise, saying, “Blessed is the Lord’s Glory from the place of the home of His Presence.”
“The Lord shall Reign forever and all time.”[19] (The following passage is taken from Targum Onkelos and is an Aramaic restatement of the previous biblical citation:) “The Lord’s Kingdom is established forever and for all time.[20]
Although the subject matter of these three portions of the morning prayers is similar, differences in the manner in which they are recited as well as subtle changes in the words themselves reflect the construct that whereas the first and third passages constitute descriptions of how the Angels offer praise to the Divine (they are recited while seated; the third instance is said responsively, but not to the same extent as the second;[21] no mention is made of how man will sanctify God in the same manner as the Angels do,) the second passage is a reenactment of that very activity (it is recited while standing with one’s feet together, an emulation of the Angels that are described in Yechezkel 1:7 as having a “single foot;” it is deliberately said in a responsive fashion, fulfilling, “And they (the Angels) call to one another saying,”; the introductory phrase reads, “We will sanctify Your Name on earth, as they sanctify It in the highest Heavens.”)
While man emulating Angels is hardly a foreign concept to us in light of the symbolism that many commentators attribute to some of the practices customary on Yom HaKippurim,[22] the idea that each day, on multiple occasions,[23] we assume the role of Angels at least with respect to praising God, is evocative. And while we articulate such an aspiration explicitly in terms of the “Kedusha,” the manner in which we stand with regard to not only “Kedusha,” but the entire Silent Devotion is an additional indicator of our aspiration to become, at least temporarily, Angels on earth:
Shulchan Aruch, Orech Chayim,
Hilchot Tefilla 95:1
One should deliberately line up his feet one next to the other, as if they are only a single one, in order to emulate Angels, about whom it is written (Yechezkel 1:7) “And their feet were a straight foot,” i.e., their feet appeared as if they were a single foot. [24]
Reflecting upon the conceit that we should strive to be like Angels, if not in terms of denying our freedom of choice,[25] then at least with respect to overall sanctity and closeness to God, causes a phrase from the “Kedusha” of the Blessings of Shema to leap out at us:
“וכולם פותחים את פיהם בקדושה ובטהרה” (And all open their mouths in holiness and purity)
Just as we can now explain why Angels are designated as particularly holy (they are extremely close to God with respect to the continuum that ranges from the not-yet holy to the holiest of holies), one could also say that an Angel’s purity is intrinsic to his very nature and exaltedness, since the Angel is above the fray and not subject to the temptations that often sully a human being’s character and personality. Yet a Jewish mystical source is cited by commentators on prayer that indicate a different interpretive approach:
Shomea Tefilla[26]
...Paying attention to what the ShL”aH writes in his Siddur in the name of the Pirkei Heicholot: There are Angels that are tasked with performing acts in the world, and when the time arrives for them to sing God’s Praises,[27] they arise to the firmament. And due to their contamination because of their exposure to man who is a source of ritual impurity, they immerse themselves in fire…until they regain the state of being holy and pure…
Eitz Yosef[28]
…And in Sefer Heicholot it states, “when the time comes for singing, the Serving Angels gather together, and they immerse themselves seven times in the river of fire.”
The image of the necessity of a purging purification effected by fire for those Angels who have been exposed to the likes of people strongly indicates that in order for human beings themselves to try to be like Angels, we are all the more in need of purification before engaging in holy activities. While “Libun” (turning metal white-hot in order to Kasher it) is appropriate for a metal pot or silverware that has lost its Kosher status or is being readied for use on Pesach, human beings obviously are too fragile for this type of purification process. The other form of “Kashering,” i.e., “HaGala” where boiling water is poured over the object, is also obviously too injurious for people. However water at another temperature, within the context of a Mikva or alternatively a lake or the sea, from serving as the ideal medium by which purification is achieved for mankind today.
What might immersion in a Mikva or natural body of water in order to seek purification represent on a spiritual level? On the one hand, such an activity could be viewed as the means provided by God for an individual’s demonstrating his desire to be “Ma’alin BaKodesh” (reach new higher levels of holiness.) While the prophet presents a very anthropomorphic image for the purification process,
Yechezkel 36:25-6
And I will Throw upon you purified water, and you will be purified from all of your ritual impurity and from all idolatry I will Purify you. And I will Give you a new heart and a new spirit will I Place in your midst, and I will Remove the heart of stone from your flesh and I will Give to you a heart of flesh.
suggesting that all that a person has to do is await God’s Intervention and Acts of purification, the process by which a person must pick himself up and seek out a Mikva in which to immerse himself, makes the entire activity one which requires the individual seeking purification to be significantly pro-active. However, once s/he immerses, it is as if God has Embraced him/her and assisted in welcoming the individual back among the holy and the pure.
A second powerful symbolic understanding of ritual immersion in a Mikva is offered by R. Aryeh Kaplan.[29] He notes that in the description of the Creation recorded in Beraishit 2,[30] it is recorded that bodies of water flow out of the Garden of Eden:
Beraishit 2:10-14
And a river goes out of
R. Kaplan wonders what the purpose of mentioning this fact might be, since the rivers do not figure in the subsequent subject matter that is discussed in Beraishit. He suggests that the following Talmudic passage holds the key to understanding these curious verses:
Bechorot 55a
Said R. Yehuda in Rav’s name: All
rivers (in the world) derive from these three (Pishon, Gichon and Chidekel) and
these three derive from the Euphrates (implying that the
He then writes:
The Talmud tells us that all the water
in the world ultimately has its root in the river that emerged from
In effect, a person re-experiences a more pristine time of human purity and innocence when s/he immerses in a Halachically defined body of water. We are metaphysically connected to the point of humanity’s origins, an amazing symbol of renewal and even rebirth.[31]
A final symbolic theme associated with immersion in a Mikva arises from language utilized by RaMBaM at the end of his presentation of the laws of ritual purity:
RaMBaM, Mishna Tora, Hilchot Mikvaot 11:12
…Immersion due to ritual impurity is subsumed under the (laws categorized as) Chukim, because ritual impurity is not like mortar or excrement that can be removed by water, but rather it is a biblical decree, and the matter is dependent upon the intention in the heart. Therefore the Rabbis said, “One who immerses and was not mindful, it is as if he did not immerse.” And even so there is a hint: just as one who directs his heart to become purified, once he immerses, he is ritually pure despite the fact that nothing has changed vis-à-vis his body, so too a person who directs his heart to purify his soul from the impurity of souls, which are thoughts of transgression and bad attitudes, once he decides in his heart to separate from those (evil) ideas and he brings his soul to “Mei HaDa’at HaTahor” (the waters of the Pure Intellect), “And I will Throw upon you purified water, and you will be purified from all of your ritual impurity and from all idolatry I will Purify you,” HaShem in His Great Mercy, will Purify us from all sins, transgressions and iniquities. Amen.
RaMBaM suggests the idea that whatever the metaphysical effects of immersion with respect to ritual purity, the experience also relates to a person cleansing himself, i.e., repenting,[32] by means of God’s Assistance from past actions which he regrets and for which he wishes to atone.
In the end, however one relates to the Mitzva of immersing in a Mikva—a purging of impurity that comes about by means of association with those who are less than holy, a revisiting of the origins of human civilization to try to regain a sense of innocence and renewal or the granting to God of an opportunity to purify us from transgressions which we are deeply regretting—it is clear that the Mikva is a powerful and crucial institution for any traditional Jewish community. We are profoundly indebted to the many who have worked so hard, sacrificed so much and contributed so generously to the project that is rapidly coming to a close with the construction and opening of the community’s new central Mikva. May we continue to all go from Chayil to Chayil, strength to strength.
[1] Other examples of meta-concepts that help Jews identify the “forest for the trees”: (VaYikra 19:18) “…And you shall love your neighbor as yourself,” (Devarim 6:18) “And you will do the straight and the good in the Eyes of God…”(Mishlei 3:17) “Its ways are ways of pleasantness and all of its paths peace.” Commandments and overviews such as these can serve as litmus tests to determine whether an individual who is a practicing Jew is also internalizing the ideas and values that he is studying and carrying out and which underlie his ritual observance.
[2] The Bar Ilan CD ROM lists 374 occurrences of the root “K-D-Sh” throughout the Five Books of Moses.
[3] VaYikra 18.
[5] Contemporary
Jewish Religious Thought, ed. Arthur Cohen and Paul Mendes-Flohr, The Free
Press,
[6] Ibid. p. 389.
[7] The ancient Greek philosopher Lucretius posited that once something is created and effectively separated from its Creator, it constantly strives to return to its point of origin, yearning to come “full circle.”
[8] Ibid. p. 390.
[9] This included not only Cheftzai Mitzva (objects by means of which Commandments are fulfilled, e.g., the Four Species on Sukkot, the leather used to make Tefillin, the cloth and thread employed to fabricate Tzitziot,) but virtually anything. I can take pen and paper and choose to write frivolous things, or sanctify them by recording words of Tora; food can be a substance that I simply use to fortify myself, or I can eat within the context of a Seuda Shel Mitzva (a celebratory meal associated with Shabbat, Yom Tov, a circumcision, a wedding, etc.) or even with the intention that my keeping myself healthy enables me to devote that much more energy to serving God in various capacities, etc.
[10] A number of Rabbinic sources suggest that man at least potentially can surpass the Angels in holiness by virtue of his exercising free choice to act in a Godly fashion, whereas all other creatures, including those that inhabit the Heavens, act as they do because they are tasked to do so from without (Angels) or because of instinct (animals,) rather than making personal decisions for themselves.
[11] The liturgy for Shabbat and Yom Tov goes into even greater detail with regard to these descriptions. The relatively longer length of the prayers on Shabbat and Yom Tov reflects the recognition that one will have more time to pray since s/he is not engaging in his normal weekly work responsibilities.
[12] Maimonides lists ten categories of Angels:
Mishna Tora, Hilchot
Yesodei HaTora 2:7
The different names of the Angels is in accord with their different levels. Therefore some are called “Chayot HaKodesh”, and they are the most exalted of all. And “Ophanim,”, and “Areiliim,” and “Chashmalim,” and “Seraphim,” and “Malachim,” and “Elohim” (I did not substitute a “k” for the “h” since this is a reference to an Angel rather than to God,) and “Chruvim,” and “Ishim”, all of these ten names by which Angels are referred, reflects their ten levels, and there is nothing above them other than God, may He be Blessed…
[13] The Koren Siddur, intro., trans., comm.., R. Jonathan Sacks, Koren Publ., Jerusalem, 2009, p. 94.
[14] Yeshayahu 6:3.
[15] Yechezkel 3:12.
[16] The third part of “Ta-Na-Ch,” an acronym representing Tora, Nevi’im (Prophets) and Ketuvim (Writings). Since Tehillim, from which “The Lord shall Reign forever…” is taken, is part of Ketuvim, there is a reference in the “Kedusha” to “Holy Writings.”
[17] Tehillim 146:10.
[18] The Koren Siddur, p. 112.
[19] Shemot 15:18.
[20] The Koren Siddur, p. 172.
[21] The reader in mentions the words leading up to the congregational responses, eliciting from the congregation the recitation of the key verses, but the give-and-take is less clear-cut and structured than the “Kedusha.”
[22]E.g., Bi’ur HaGRA on Shulchan Aruch, Orech Chayim 606 (concerning immersing in the Mikva on Erev Yom HaKippurim)
As is written in Midrash Tanchuma, Parashat VaEtchanan, “There is one nation in the earth that resemble the Serving Angels. Just as the Serving Angels are clean/pure…
RaMA on Ibid. 610:4
There are those who have written that the custom is to put on white clean garments on Yom HaKippurim, following the example of the Serving Angels, and therefore it is the custom to don a Kittel which is white and clean…
Bi’ur HaGRA on Ibid. 619:5 (concerning standing
all day on Yom HaKippurim)
In the Midrash that was mentioned above (Tanchuma,
VeEtchanan): Just like the Serving Angels do not have knees, so Israel
stands…and in Pirkei D’Rabbi Eliezer, Satan saw that there was no sin among the
Jews on Yom HaKippurim, and he said, “Master of the Universe, there is one
nation like the Serving Angels. Just like the Serving Angels go barefoot, so
too Israel goes barefoot on Yom HaKippurim (the prohibition against wearing
leather shoes,) just like the Serving Angels do not have knees, so Israel
stands on its feet on Yom HaKippurim, just like the Serving Angels do not eat
and drink, so Israel does not eat and drink on Yom HaKippurim, just as among
the Serving Angels there is peace and goodwill, so too among the Jews there is
peace and goodwill on Yom HaKippurim, just as among the Serving Angels there is
no sin, so too there is no sin among the Jews on Yom HaKippurim.
[23] Shacharit contains three instances of referencing the Angels praising God. On Shabbat and Yom Tov, an additional Kedusha is recited during Musaf. On Yom HaKippurim, in addition to Musaf, there is also a Ne’ila service with Kedusha. During Mincha, there is a Kedusha in the repetition of the Amida, and the Mincha service on Shabbat and Yom Tov also includes U’Va LeTziyon Go’el. Ma’ariv would be the only prayer service that does not contain a form of Kedusha, supporting the proposition that the praising of God takes place during daylight hours exclusively.
[24] Commentators explain that the “single foot” associated with Angels is another aspect of their lack of independence and freedom of choice. When one has a single foot, it becomes impossible to move in any other way than hopping, which severely limits mobility and freedom.
[25] Angels are specifically tasked to accomplish singular goals, as in the case of the visitors to Avraham—one was to inform Sara and her husband of the impending conception and birth of a child, another was to heal Avraham as well as save Lot, and a third’s assignment was to destroy Sodom and Amora. See RaShI on Beraishit 18:33. They are not able to refuse a mission or experience temptations to do things that they have not been ordered to do. See Shabbat 88b-89a. This is in contrast to man who is able to decide for himself whether or not to carry out a certain action. See RaMBaM, Mishna Tora, Hilchot Teshuva, Chapt. 5.
[26] R. Avraham Landau, Tzeluta D’Avraham, Vol. 1, Machon LeCheker HaTefilla U’Minhagim, Tel Aviv, 1963, p. 250.
[27] RaShI on Beraishit 32:27, quotes the Rabbinic position that views this individual as an Angel and therefore whene the morning comes, he begs to be released, explaining, “The morning has come and I need to say the songs of praise during the day.”
[28] Otzar HaTefillot, Vol. 1, p. 133a.
[29] Waters
of
[30] A well-known problem that triggered some higher Biblical criticism is the apparent redundancy of Chapters 1 and 2 in Beraishit. Two versions of the Creation story appear with inconsistencies and significant changes. R. Soloveitchik,ZaTzaL, in his essays, “Lonely Man of Faith” and “Confrontation,” creatively accounts for these differences while maintaining the integrity of the Bible and the ability to believe that it is the product of a single Revelation.
[31] I had always been struck by a comment
in Franz Kafka’s notebooks
to the effect that even though
man had been exiled from Eden, he can achieve a modicum of reentry by means of
embracing the law (Kafka was not religious; for him, law meant the organizing
structure for society overall.) And then he quotes Mishlei 3:18 “It is a tree
of life to all that take hold of it, and those who rely upon it are happy.”
Consequently, Kafka suggests, the Eitz Chayim from which man was deprived when
he was exiled can be regained vicariously by means of engagement with the law.
This concept is even more meaningful when one understands “law” as referring to
the various aspects of Tora. R. Kaplan now suggests an alternative approach,
i.e., not so much the study of and compliance with law, but rather the
immersion in water that calls to mind man’s original primordial state.
[32] Could the association with repentance explain the custom for men to specifically immerse in a Mikva prior to the Days of Awe?