Edited by B. Silberstein
The second of this week's two Parshiyot, Kedoshim, begins with the exhortation “Be holy!" This is a term frequently invoked in religious life, yet its precise meaning remains elusive. What does it imply in Judaism?
“Mitzvah" is another central concept in our religion. Observant Jews regard themselves as bound by the Taryag (613) commandments which govern virtually every area of personal and social life.
The Limits of Quantifying Righteousness
Jews tend to gauge their spiritual level in accordance with how diligently they adhere to or deviate from the Mitzvot. The Rambam provides a deceptively simple-sounding formula for evaluating one’s status in religious terms. He states that one whose merits outweigh his sins is immediately judged for life; and on the other hand one whose sins are more numerous than his good deeds receives a negative decree.
However, the matter is far more complex in practice, for there is a qualitative dimension that must be considered. Not all Mitzvot have the same level of significance and complexity. Nor are all sins alike in terms of the moral corruption they express.
A purely subjective element must also be brought into play. Each person has his or her own unique struggles and moral challenges. What seems like an easy ethical choice for some can require gargantuan efforts by others.
Only Hashem can look into the soul of a man or woman and determine his or her true spiritual status. Only He has knowledge of the full range of factors that determine whether a person is guilty or innocent. We, therefore, have no way of ascertaining where we stand in the scale of G-d’s judgment. No one may rightfully regard himself or anyone else as righteous or wicked.
If so, how should we view ourselves? The Rambam advises that each person should regard himself as a Beinoni, i.e., as someone who is exactly balanced so that one good deed will tilt the balance toward righteousness, thereby saving him and all of mankind. Such is the power of a single good deed.
The Inadequacy of Mitzvah Observance Alone
What then is the meaning of the commandment “To be holy?" Put a different way: Is it not enough to be scrupulous in our performance of Mitzvot? What additional element is implied in the holiness imperative?
The Rambam teaches that we must say a blessing before we eat any food or enjoy pleasant aromas. He then states:
“And just as we must bless before enjoyments, so too must we likewise bless prior to performing each and every Mitzvah." (Hilchot Berachot 1:3)
Rabbi Yosef Dov Soloveitchik explains that the words employed by Rambam “just as," are intended to compare blessings over Mitzvot to those over foods.
Beracha as Permission
How so? The blessing over food has the effect of soliciting permission from the Creator to eat from foods that He has created and which, as it were, belong to Him. We have no right to take what is not ours until we recognize and bless its owner, the Master of the Universe. It is on the condition that we live a life based on our cognizance that we are beings created in the Divine image that we may take of the Creator’s bounty.
The Rav explains that by using the words “just as", the Rambam asserts that the same is true for Mitzvot; the blessing we recite over them has the function of granting us permission to perform them.
This is a very original and challenging insight. I can understand why the very instinctual activity of eating requires that we offer praise to our Creator but performing a commandment itself, already entails recognition of and obedience to Hashem. So why is special permission required to allow us to do what G-d has instructed us to do?
Mitzvot as Instruments of Transformation
I am not aware that Rav Soloveitchik gave any further explanation, so I would like to offer my own. I believe the formulation of the Rambam reveals a profound insight into the nature of the Torah system. Specifically, it reveals that mere performance of the Mitzvot does not, in and of itself, produce perfection.
The Mitzvot contain the most profound ethical and moral teachings but only if one is aware of them and seeks to implement them in one’s life does one become elevated. In fact, it is possible that strict performance of Mitzvot can have a detrimental spiritual effect.
That is because some religious people develop a sense of superiority to others and complacency about their own need to improve. They perform Mitzvot in a mechanical, perfunctory manner without working on their actual flaws and shortcomings. Their meticulous fulfillment of technical religious obligations can shield them from taking an honest look in the mirror.
I believe this is why the Rambam requires a blessing before Mitzvot to acquire permission to perform them. The words of the blessing are instructive: “Blessed are You, Hashem our G-d, King of the Universe, Who has sanctified us and commanded us…" The essence of the blessing lies in the recognition that the Mitzvah is not an end in itself but an instrument of our sanctification.
The holiness referred to in the blessing comes about by molding our personalities in accordance with the lifestyle and value system incorporated in the Mitzvot. We do not have the right to utilize the Divine Commandments for the gratification of our personal, spiritual, and egotistical desires. The blessing reminds us that the Mitzvah is a unique tool devised by Hashem to facilitate our elevation to a higher state of holiness.
We should regard the Mitzvot as a special gift from the Creator designed to bring about human perfection and the redemption of mankind.
May we all merit to witness it.
Shabbat Shalom.