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Positive Vision

Tuesday, 16 October 2018
Part 9/111 (to see other parts of the article, click on the pages at the bottom)

Day 6

Clinging to Hashem

Connection Through Kedushah

We have seen that the ultimate pleasure is attaching oneself to Hashem. The desire for this pleasure creates a force within ourselves that we live with each day.


Attaining kedushah is critical for this attachment for we find that Hashem generally defines Himself כביכול) ) as "Kadosh" - so much so, that we refer to Him as "HaKadosh, Baruch Hu." And the mitzvah for Klal Yisrael to be kadosh is repeatedly linked with Hashem's kedushah. For example:


וְהִתְקַדִּשְׁתֶּם וִהְיִיתֶם קְדשִׁים כִּי קָדוֹשׁ אָנִי , You are to sanctify yourselves and you shall be holy, for I am holy (Vayikra וִהְיִיתֶם קְדשִׁים כִּי קָדוֹשׁ אָנִי ;( 11:44 , You shall be holy, for I am holy (ibid. v. 45); ,קְדשִׁים תִּהְיוּ כִּי קָדוֹשׁ אֲנִי ה' אֱלקֵֹיכֶם You shall be holy, for holy am I, Hashem, your God (ibid. וִהְיִיתֶם לִי קְדשִׁים כִּי קָדוֹשׁ אֲנִי ;( 19:2 , You shall be holy for Me, for I Hashem am holy (ibid. 20:26).


Apparently, the obligation for Klal Yisrael to be holy is directly related to Hashem's kedushah. This point is made explicitly by the Tanna, Abba Shaul, who comments on the verse: ' קְדשִׁים תִּהְיוּ כִּי קָדוֹשׁ אֲנִי ה אֱלקֵֹיכםֶ : "The household attendants of the king, what is their duty? To emulate the king."


The Midrash explains the pasuk with a mashal:


A simple person was once on the road when he came upon the Kohen Gadol walking alone. Seizing the opportunity, the man approached the Kohen Gadol and asked for the honor of escorting him. The Kohen Gadol agreed but added, "Be aware that as a Kohen, I am quite restricted as to where I can go. I can only take roads that I know to be tahor and I cannot even

approach a graveyard or any place where there might be tumah. If you want to escort me, you must accept my standards."

If we wish to be with Hashem, to bask in His glory and reap this reward, we must live up to His standards. Hashem's environment is one of kedushah. We must learn to operate in His environment and live according to His rules, the rules of kedushah, in order to keep His company.

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