Voices of WRJ: Parashat K'doshim

by Lizabeth McOsker Years ago, when I taught 7th and eighth grades in my congregation’s religious school, I wanted my students to know that in Judaism, God cares at least as much about how we humans treat each other and the world around us as God cares about our relationship with God. The text I used was the reading from Yom Kippur’s afternoon service, which is drawn from this week’s Torah portion, K’doshim. I was discussing this with one of my colleagues who told me that this portion is physically located in the exact center of the Torah scroll and as a parashah of the week, falls roughly midway between one Yom Kippur and the next. So, because nothing is without significance, the physical and temporal location of this portion must mean that there are important thoughts here. K’doshim begins with the statement, “The Eternal One spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to the whole Israelite community and say to them: You shall be holy, for I, the Eternal your God, am holy (Lev. 19:1).” It is significant that Moses is instructed to speak to the Israelites as a community, rather than as a people, since much of the Torah is about the transition that the people make from a disorganized group of former slaves into a nation that will settle in the Land and establish our religious culture that has evolved into modern Judaism. We can infer that some level of collective maturity has been reached and that the people are ready for this message. Now we can consider the second part of this sentence, “You shall be holy, for I, the Eternal your God, am holy.” This commandment is then fleshed out in the rest of the portion. There are familiar laws: The commandment to leave corners of fields and gleanings for the poor and the stranger, to be honest in business dealings, the famous saying of “You shall not insult the deaf, or place a stumbling block before the blind,” sexual taboos, and the prohibitions of witchcraft, human sacrifice, and the mixing of species are all here. There are also commandments regarding sacrifices (worship), but there are many fewer of these.  We see that “holiness” is defined by daily actions and interactions, thoughts and intentions. Truly, holiness is how we treat each other and the world around us. Towards the end of this portion, the people are told “You shall not follow the practices of the nation that I am driving out before you” (Lev. 20:23). The interpretation of this passage in The Torah: A Women’s Commentary is that the entire Land of Israel is God’s sanctuary (p.714-715). Extending this thinking, everything that occurs in the Land pertains to God and is part of the Covenantal relationship between the People and God. However, this portion is also one of several throughout the Torah that instruct us to make no distinction in our behavior towards the strangers who are our neighbors. We, Women of Reform Judaism, are a holy community, inspired to live by the ideals expressed in this week’s Torah portion. We have always been concerned with the well-being of each other, Jews and non-Jews alike. Our Constitution requires that we “serve Jewish and humanitarian causes....” and “continue to develop special relationships, concerns, and interests on behalf of ... national and international issues.” It also states that WRJ “shall cooperate with the Union for Reform Judaism’s various programs and projects ... to strengthen ... social advocacy, inter-religious activities, and concern for Israel.” To fulfill these words, the delegates to each biennial assembly as well as the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee adopt resolutions and statements grounded in Torah and Jewish values, which are the foundation of our actions. These can be found on the Advocacy section of the WRJ website. In addition, we support the Religious Action Center and have observer status at the United Nations. Through the YES Fund and our work with progressive Jewish organizations worldwide, our reach is global. Lizabeth McOsker is a member of the WRJ Executive Committee and a member of Isaac M. Wise Temple in Cincinnati, OH.