What does it mean to be holy?
Table for Five: Pekudei
In partnership with the Jewish Journal of Los Angeles
Edited by Nina Litvak & Salvador Litvak, the Accidental Talmudist
And out of the blue, purple, and crimson wool they made the meshwork garments to serve in the Holy, and they made Aaron’s holy garments, as the Lord had commanded Moses. – Ex. 39:1
Rabbi Shmuel Reichman, Bestselling Author, International Speaker, and Business Coach
When we hear the word “holy,” what image rises up within our mind? As Jews, we are told by Hashem the following famous words: “kedoshim tihiyu — you shall be holy.” However, what does this mean? What does it mean to be holy?
This is not a call to be transcendent, angelic beings — lofty and perfect, completely beyond the struggle innate to the human condition. This is not permission to deny our humanity and restrict our sense of self. This is a calling to be human, to be the ultimate human, to bring transcendence and spirituality into this world. We don’t aim to escape this world; we aim to transform it. Kedushah is not transcendence or escapism; it is the meeting between the transcendent and the immanent.
And the same is true for our spiritual leaders. We don’t seek leaders who transcend human struggle and temptation, who sit on mountaintops meditating on their navels. Our leaders are individuals who embrace the physical, uplift it, and connect it to the infinite. Each of us are leaders in our own way; each of us has a unique mission in this world. May we be inspired to build something powerful, sensational, and transformative within ourselves, and then seek to impact the lives of others with our unique talents, helping to build connection, oneness, and kedushah in this world.
Rebbetzin Miriam Yerushalmi, CEO, SANE; author, Reaching New Heights series
There is a Chasidic concept that “each Jew is a Kohen in his own home.” Just as Aaron wore special garments for his Temple service, so too do we don special garments in our G-dly service, our Avodas Hashem. Tanya teaches that our thoughts, speech, and actions are the “garments” of our soul. Like garments, they can be donned or shed at will; as garments beautify and protect our bodies, so too do these protect and beautify our souls. We have the ability to control these “garments,” and thereby to elevate them infinitely, by using them to serve the will of Hashem through Torah and mitzvos. Every mitzvah we do adds infinitely more beauty, strength, and kedushah to our spiritual garments.
When we realize and appreciate the holiness of our soul–no matter what level it currently is at–we allow our natural love for our true selves to grow. This gives us that extra strength to further elevate our soul and accomplish even more. Unproductive thoughts that weigh heavy in our hearts, leading us to low self-esteem, sadness, and even to depression, G-d forbid, can be totally discarded because we now know where we stand and what to expect of ourselves. Take a moment here and make a conscious decision to set yourself free from any unhealthy spiritual guilt. Free yourself from unrealistic expectations–allow yourself the freedom to grow.
These concepts are explored more deeply in my new book, The Temple Within, published by Mosaica Press and distributed by Feldheim Publishers.
Rabbi Avraham Greenstein, AJRCA Professor of Hebrew
Rashi and other commentaries explain that the first part of this verse is referring to the garments of the Tabernacle, i.e. the coverings for its instruments, whereas the second part of the verse is referring to Aaron’s garments, i.e. the vestments of the High Priest. The fact that these two types of garments are mentioned in the same verse creates an equivalency between them, and it can perhaps teach us something.
When we clothe something in a garment, it is always an expression of a certain care we are taking with it. Whether we are trying to protect it from the elements, or trying to present it in a special light, or even if we are trying to conceal it, we are invariably going out of our way to recognize the needs of the thing (person, object, body part, etc.) we are clothing.
We clothe the instruments of the Tabernacle because they are holy, and we clothe the High Priest as a reflection of his elevated role as mediator between us and the Divine. The imperative to do so reminds us of the care we must take with both the inanimate and the animate, the insensible and the sensible. Everything in the world around us is a potential instrument of holy activity, and every person is a potential minister to the Divine. To be conscientious of the holy possibility that surrounds us is to tend to its needs. It is our job to facilitate meaning and holiness in our interactions.
Gavriel Aryeh Sanders, International Spokesman, Be A Mensch Foundation
Twice in our passage, the word “holy” appears—referring to a holy place and holy garments. While today we lack an equivalent sacred space or attire in Jewish liturgical life, the concept of holiness endures. For some, “holy” carries a saccharine connotation, but years ago, someone helped me decode it in simple terms: “set apart for special purposes”—like Passover dishes, reserved for a specific time and elevated beyond the ordinary.
In Jewish life, holiness takes many forms:
• Kiddushin in marriage formalizes the sanctity of the union, setting it apart.
• Kiddush on Shabbat marks the sanctity of time, a pause to reflect, realign, and recharge.
• The Hif’il causative verb (l’haqdish) means “to dedicate, consecrate, or devote”—whether time, space, or resources.
Though we presently do not experience the ancient Temple’s holiness, we can cultivate sanctity—in our homes, our clothing, our interactions, and even in the way we speak. To be “a holy people” is to live with intention, shaping our daily habits to reflect something beyond the mundane.
Leviticus will soon remind us: “You shall be holy.” This is one of Judaism’s secrets to collective self-esteem, but it can also be a challenge. The pull to assimilate is strong.
Israeli singer Yehoram Gaon once framed it this way: “We want to be a people like all the peoples. But the moment we become such, we cease to be.” The solution to Jewish preservation? Embrace holiness—first as a mindset, then as a way of life.
Rabbi Gershon Schusterman, Author, “Why God Why?”
Our verse is the last of nine verses accounting for the donations given for the building of the Mishkan and its accoutrements. Betzalel and Ohaliav were audited by Moshe Rabbeinu. Governmental oversight and efficiency go back a long way.
Rashi tells us that the first garments were covers for the Mishkan’s vessels. They were used whenever the Mishkan was transported. But if they were used only when the vessels were not in use, how did they “serve in the Holy?”
We’ll answer this question with a question. Why are they called “garments” instead of “covers”? Because the vessels of the Mishkan were not objets d’art. They were sacred not only in function but in themselves as well. They had, as it were, a soul. The light of that soul was too powerful for a non-kohen to view. To protect him from being overwhelmed, the light needed to be clothed. On the flip side, the light also needed protection. Certain types of sacred light are so fragile and can be irreversibly damaged if viewed with insufficient reverence. So for their own sake, the vessels needed to be clothed.
Aharon’s garments were on a higher plane and, therefore, are called “holy.” Reason number one for their holiness is that they were made to be used by a human being. Additionally, the garments enhanced the kohen’s inborn holiness. The kohen’s service in the Mishkan was invalid unless he was wearing the garments. Literally an example of “clothes make the man.”
With thanks to Rabbi Shmuel Reichman, Rebbetzin Miriam Yerushalmi, Rabbi Avraham Greenstein, Gavriel Aryeh Sanders, Rabbi Gershon Schusterman.
Image: Kohen Gadol (detail), Ballymote Ireland
🤗 Get the best of Accidental Talmudist in your inbox: sign up for our weekly newsletter.
📱NEW! ‘Accidental Talmudist’ App now available for Apple and Android!
🤣 Learn more about Salvador, AT, & Let My People Laugh: linktr.ee/salvadorlitvak