Parshat Acharei-Mot Kedoshim  12 Iyyar 5761, 5 May 2001

By Shlomo Riskin

Efrat, Israel - What does it mean, to be holy? First let us ask, what does it mean to be a Jew? Rav Yehezkel Abramsky, great Sage and Judge of London and Jerusalem, maintains that it means that you belong to a special nation, that you belong to a special religion, and that you belong to a sacred community. Each of these three unique aspects of our ethnicity is expressed in a prayer recited each morning after we fall prostrate before our G-d. (Tahanun)

The prayer opens: "Guardian of Israel, guard over the remnant of Israel, and do not destroy Israel, those who recite ‘Sh’ma Yisrael.'" The prayer speaks of Israel and not Jews, of our national heritage rather than of our religious faith. Israel is after all the name of our common grandfather Yisrael Sabba, it is the special term for our national homeland - and every family descendant responds to the familiar words Sh’ma Yisrael. We begin this prayer by entreating the Almighty to preserve even those Jews whose connection is merely an amorphous association with a family-state-nation, who have no real identification with a traditional code of conduct or a commitment to a particular faith or set of beliefs. It is enough that they are citizens of the State of Israel, or are even diaspora Jews who identify with the "Jewish family" in times of crisis. This is the covenant of Jewish peoplehood which G-d established with Abraham. After all, did not Hitler send even those “minimalistic” Jews into the gas chambers of Auschwitz and Treblinka?

The prayer continues: "Guardian of a unique people, guard over the remnant of a unique nation, and do not destroy a unique people, who declare Your Name one and unique, the Lord our G-d is one and unique". We are now seeking to preserve those who see themselves as Jews and not merely as Israelis, those who live a unique, traditional lifestyle of Sabbath, Festivals and Kashrut, those who are committed to faith in one G-d - ethical monotheism. These Jews express the covenant at Sinai, the special religious beliefs and way of life which make Jews a singular and unique people.

And the prayer concludes: "Guardian of a sacred people, guard over the remnant of a sacred nation, and do not destroy a sacred people, who triplicate with three sanctities before the Sacred One." Apparently this is the final and highest aspect of our ethnicity: in addition to our being a nation and a religion, Jews and Israelis, wound up together with a family-nation-state and committed to a system of traditions and beliefs, we must also strive to be sacred, holy. And indeed, that is the very first command of the second of double portion of this week’s Torah reading: "You shall be holy." But we must still query, what does it mean to be holy?

If you wish to understand the true meaning of holiness, ponder over the following incident told to me by Rav Feuer, which occurred several decades ago at the marriage of Rav Yechiel Perr to Shoshanna Nekritz, granddaughter of Rav Joffen Zt”l, Spiritual Dean of the Nevardok Yeshiva. You can imagine that the wedding was attended by numerous Torah personalities and sages - and hence there was more than a little “competition” for the honor of reciting one of the seven blessings under the nuptial canopy. Understandably Rav Joffen organized the proceedings - and all of the audience was amazed when an individual whom no one seemed to know, not even the bride or groom, was called upon for one of the honors. After all, the number of blessings to be apportioned out are limited, and some truly great parsonages were perforce overlooked. Rav Joffen himself later refused to explain his choice - and it was left for the Rebbetzen Joffen to clear up the mystery after her husband was summoned to his eternal reward.

A number of years before their granddaughter’s wedding, she explained, they received an invitation to a Rabbi’s daughter’s wedding - but as they neither knew the parents nor the young couple, they responded that they would not be attending. The rabbi called and entreated Rav Joffen with great intensity to grace his celebration - and so they agreed to come.

The ceremony was being held quite a distance from where they lived, but since they were not informed of any transportation arrangements, the elderly couple took two trains and a bus. When the rabbi-father of the bride saw Rav Joffen he greeted him warmly - but the Sage was neither publicly recognized nor given any honor during the ceremony. After the celebration, Rav Joffen and his Rebbetzin went home on the bus and two trains.

The Rebbetzen was approaching the end of her explanation. You see, she explained, the mussar (ethicist) movement, of which Rav Joffen was a leading devotee, teaches that one must repay a slight with a favor, a slap with a kiss (tahat hakpada, hatava) - instead of taking revenge, act with graciousness. Hence, when Rav Joffen’s own granddaughter was married, he invited the same unknown rabbi to attend - and bestowed upon him the honor of reciting a blessing under the nuptial canopy.

That’s what it means to be holy!

Shabbat Shalom.

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