The book of Vayikra teaches about holiness – of place, through the Mishkan, and of time, through Shabbat and the festivals. Parshat Acharei Mot-Kedoshim introduces another powerful dimension: kedusha is accessible to every person. How?

The command “Kedoshim tihiyu” (“You shall be holy”) is followed by interpersonal mitzvot, teaching that holiness is achieved through how we relate to others. Rabbi Akiva famously taught that “love your neighbor as yourself” is the overarching principle of the Torah.

It is no coincidence that this teaching is associated with Rabbi Akiva, whose life underscored its importance. The Talmud explains that the mourning customs of sefirat ha’omer commemorate the deaths of his 24,000 students, who failed to treat one another with respect. The Midrash adds that they viewed each other with begrudgingness (ayin tzara). Rabbinic stories reflect how deeply Rabbi Akiva internalized the value of treating others with dignity. In the story of the ostracism of his teacher, Rabbi Eliezer, it is Rabbi Akiva alone who is able to visit him and gently convey the painful news. Moreover, the parsha contains a mitzvah to rebuke others (tochecha). On this, the Sifra cites Rabbi Tarfon, who says that among the Sages, only Rabbi Akiva truly knew how to receive rebuke with love, while others could not.

Each individual has the power to choose: to foster love rather than hate, to refuse to stand idly by in the face of bloodshed, and to treat others with dignity and respect. These ideals feel especially urgent today, as hate speech, violence, and distorted notions of altruism spread throughout the Western world. May we merit to internalize these values as Rabbi Akiva did, and make them the essence of a Torah life. Shabbat Shalom -Karen Miller Jackson