Holiness – 2

Weekly Torah Lesson

Parsha:  Korach  “Corah”
Torah: B’midbar (Numbers) 16:1 – 18:32                                

**  When I reviewed last year’s Torah Lesson for this parsha, I realized that I had expanded my understanding of “Holiness” over this past year.  Here is a copy of what I recently wrote:

For I am Avinu who brings you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your Elohim. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy. (Le 11:45 )

** There are those who believe that we are inherently holy because of our ethnicity or because we have The Holy Spirit living in us. If we were inherently holy we wouldn’t have to be commanded to “be holy”.

For I am Avinu your Elohim. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy. Neither shall you defile yourselves with any creeping thing that creeps on the earth. (Le 11:44 )

** Notice that we are commanded to “consecrate yourselves”.  One who is consecrated has been raised into a “holy state”, where they are acting in a temporary role.  When the activity stops, the holiness within becomes dormant and the person returns to his normal existence.

Also notice that we are commanded not to defile ourselves. Are we “holy” when we are sinning?   

Preserve my life, for I am holy; You are Avinu; Save Your servant who trusts in You! (Ps 86:2 )

** We are “holy” when we are engaging in a “holy” activity.  The priests were holy when they put on the holy garments and performed the Temple service.  When they finished their “shift”, they took off the priestly clothing and left the Temple.  At this point, they were no longer holy.  They were like the rest of us.

** Physical space is holy when holy people are gathered within it’s limits and engaged in a holy activity.

Physical space is also holy if Avinu designates it as “holy”.

** Time is holy when Avinu designates it as being holy. We are holy when we participate in holy time. When holy time is finished, we return to our common routines and become dormant once again. If we choose not to participate in holy time, we are not “holy”. Depending what we choose to do, we could be sinning instead of being holy.

** Holy Activities allow us to be holy during our daily routines.  When we take time to pray, perform tzedaka or engage in an act of kindness for someone, we are holy because of the holiness of the activity that we are engaged in.

The way that we cut our hair, the type of clothing that we wear and even the words that we speak can raise our state of holiness or not.

**  Holy food – When we sanctify predesignated holy food with prayer we engage in a holy activity through the praying and consuming of that predesignated food. It becomes an act of worship and we are holy as we participate in it.     

The Torah defines all holiness.  If it is not defined in the Torah then it can’t help us to live a holy life. Any activity that we engage in that isn’t defined in the Torah can at best keep us dormant and at it’s worst can draw us into sin.

Always remember: “For I am Avinu who brings you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your Elohim. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.” (Le 11:45 )

Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. (2Ti 1:6)

Then He said, “Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.” (Ex 3:5)

** Think about your life.  How often are you “doing something Holy”?