This week’s Torah portion, Kedoshim, teaches us that we as individuals and as a people are commanded to be holy. Through a series of dictated commandments, we are told to be holy because, “I-God am holy.” Our portion describes in detail different ways in which we can be holy. There are quite a few relevant messages that we can derive from these verses.
Describing how we can be holy; we are told to honor our parents, to teach our children, to help the poor, and to live lives that are honest and generous. Finally, and I hope this rings a bell to many if not all of us, we are commanded to “Love your neighbor as yourself: Veahavta Leareacha Kamocha.”
It is no coincidence that this week’s parsha coincides with this Shabbat’s Pride Shabbat festivities. The portion tells us that we are ALL holy. Nowhere does it say that we are all the same – it says that we are ALL made in the image of God. When we talk about loving our neighbor and attributes of being honest and generous, we must focus on ALL of humankind. We need to stand up and be there for everyone. This means showing up as allies on Pride Shabbat, and it means being there beyond times when we hold events and programs. I am proud of our community and our congregation for all that we do towards inclusion and know that there is always more that can be done.
We also need to go out of our way to be kind to others, especially in difficult times. Loving your neighbor as yourself can be difficult when we live in a time where we may not always be capable of loving ourselves. Today, mental health issues are continuously rising among people of all ages. Sadly, it may be even easier now to put ourselves in the places of others, because so many of us are going through similar challenges. This gives us even more opportunity to remember that we are ALL holy. There are so many ways that we can lift others around us every day. Let us commit to trying to take time every week to do something kind for those around us. Think about how our words and our actions can have amazing positive impacts in the lives of many.
This Shabbat, let’s all take time to reflect on how to be our best selves. Do not underestimate the power of a smile and a wave, even to a stranger. Let’s commit to doing small acts of kindness; do random anonymous things like paying for the Starbucks of the car behind you (or Dunkin’ Donuts, Danny Glassman’s favorite). No action is too small, when the intentions are to make someone’s day. Finally, when times are tough and life may not always be smooth, stop and remember that we are Holy…..every single one of us.
Shabbat Shalom.