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You shall not render your souls abominable through such animals and birds…Which I have set apart for you to render unclean. You shall be holy for Me…And I have separated you from the Peoples to be Mine. (20:25,26)

  Separation and differentiation are words which are synonymous with Judaism. Indeed, they define the religion. Hashem has set us apart from the nations of the world to be His. From the very beginning His master-plan was that we should be distinct. We are to distinguish ourselves by our observance of the Divine laws, as well as our overall demeanor and virtue. It is evident that the underlying purpose of the Jewish dietary laws is to separate us from the nations. We are elevated from the rest of the world by the food that we eat, the special food that…

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You shall not curse the deaf; and you shall not place a stumbling block before a blind man. (19:14)

The Torah concerns itself with our attitude towards the individuals who are unknowing. Although one who is deaf cannot hear our curse, it does not mitigate its evil. We are the ones that are affected by the curse, since we sink to the level of cursing people. We must realize that people are only vehicles. The evil they perpetrate is meant for us to sustain. We would do well to introspect our own deeds and correct them.   Rashi explains that while only a degenerate person would place a stumbling block before the blind, this pasuk also has a metaphorical…

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Every man, his father and mother shall you revere and My Sabbaths shall you observe. (19:3)

One might think that the respect one owes his parents overrides the observance of Shabbos. The Torah teaches us that the mitzvah of Shabbos or, in other words, listening to the command of Hashem takes precedence. We may suggest a novel idea. The Torah tells us that to desecrate Shabbos in order to fulfill a parent’s request does not really constitute respect. The definition of respect for one’s parents is the performance of activity that is in accordance with the will of Hashem. An action that runs counter to Hashem’s Torah, albeit upon instruction from one’s parents, is not considered…

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Be holy! For I, your G-d, am holy. (19:2)

The Torah’s exhortation to “Be holy” is more than good advice; it constitutes the cornerstone of Judaism. This mitzvah defines the Jews’ ultimate goal. We strive not simply to attain holiness for ourselves; rather, we strive to be Holy – because Hashem is holy. Hashem is not simply to be worshipped; He is to be emulated! Everything we do, every endeavor in which we are involved, must mirror Hashem’s ways. We must strive to be like Him. The Torah details the prescription for G-d-like living: Follow the mitzvos! Parashas Kedoshim provides a sampling of the Torah’s code. It focuses on…

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Be holy, for I your G-d am holy. (19:2)

Hashem commands us to be holy because He is holy. This is enigmatic. How can we compare ourselves to Hashem? Just because He is holy, does that mean that it is so easy for us to become holy? Imagine a poor man standing in front of a bank begging for alms from the people that come out of the bank. A wealthy man comes along and asks him, “Why don’t you go inside the bank and withdraw a few thousand dollars to tide you over?” The poor man looks back at him incredulously and says, “From what should I make…

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