Cong. Sons of Israel, Leonia, Conservative

Who among us is unfamiliar with the tune "You’ve gotta have heart," from "Damn Yankees"? Whether it be in music, in musicals, or in medicine, the heart is at the center; it is a commodity without which we cannot proceed. Therefore, it would seem to be more than sheer coincidence that this week’s Torah reading, Parshat Kedoshim, is found almost precisely at the heart of the Torah.

The directive to the people is expressed in the very opening of this week’s parsha. "Speak to the whole Israelite community and say to them: You shall be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy." What God wants of us seems perfectly clear. The challenge and question that we face is, "How do we go about satisfying God’s instruction?" One could choose to live a life in seclusion, observe the mitzvot of the Torah, and thus live a life of holiness. Yet our tradition frowns on this. In the Mishnaic tractate Pirkei Avot the sage Hillel warns, "Al tifrosh min ha-tzibbur" — "Do not separate one’s self from the community." In more recent times, the 19th-century Kesav Sofer wrote, "The person who separates himself from other people, perfects his own soul, and does not deal with others … is not what God desires. What God wants is that one should always try to be of benefit to others and to guide them in how to serve Him. "

In order for us to be holy, we must not live life in a vacuum; rather, we must live our lives as Jews as part of the greater whole. Our community can be proud in how it has come together so often this year to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the birth of Israel: In the heat of Overpeck Park to the sun-bathed faux Ben Yehuda of Teaneck, Jews of different stripes and different persuasions all came together to celebrate the seminal moment in modern Jewish history. Certainly these are not the only examples of collaboration within the Jewish community. There are others, and each event should be lauded for its effort and achievement. Events as simple as two local synagogues coming together in celebration, as we do on a regular basis here in Leonia or the entire Jewish community coming together at Y, JCC, and federation-sponsored events or the general Jewish community celebration of Yom Ha’Atzmaut in New York City.

These are but a few examples of the cooperation among Jews that is so necessary for us to do to infuse holiness into our people. It is important to note that when God instructs Moses to speak to the Israelites to share this command, the Torah does not use the familiar phrase "speak to the children of Israel." Instead, God’s wish is that Moses speak "to the entire community of Israel." The holiness to which this week’s portion addresses itself — to respect and honor one’s parents and show compassion and respect for laborers and for the infirm — must necessarily be addressed to all segments of the community. The Midrash teaches that the life of holiness to which we must aspire is incumbent upon young and old, male and female. Individually and collectively, we must do all that we can to live in a world that treats each person with dignity and respect, as each of God’s children and creations deserve.

The song’s lyrics continue, "You can open any door/There’s nothin’ to it, but to do it." Let’s do it, and make the world in which we live one that fulfills Isaiah’s challenge and hope.