Acharei Mot-Kedoshim: True Holiness

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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

Shemini: The Day After?

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This week, Israelis (other than those up north) were asked to shift almost overnight – from 39 days of war marked by sirens, running to shelters, and sleepless nights – to a return to routine: work, school, and, hopefully, a full night’s sleep. How do we understand this “day after” in light of all we have just been through? Parshat Shemini offers a meaningful framework.

After seven days of miluim, preparing for the inauguration of the Mishkan, Aharon and his sons are called on the eighth day to bring offerings, and God’s Presence descends upon the Sanctuary. The commentaries ask: is this eighth day a continuation of the seven, or something entirely new? The number seven in Judaism represents the natural order, as in the story of creation, whereas eight points beyond it – to a higher level of holiness. The Kli Yakar understands this eighth day as wholly kodesh, distinct from the seven preparatory days that reflect the natural world. Even the opening word of the parsha – vayehi – echoes creation, suggesting a shift from chol to kodesh.

Yet the Lubavitcher Rebbe offers a reading that resonates deeply with our moment: the eighth day is not separate, but a completion of the seven days of human effort and dedication. So too with sefirat ha-omer – the Torah commands us to count fifty days, yet we actively count only forty-nine; the fiftieth day follows as a culmination of that process, sanctified by God.

We may not yet be finished counting the days of war. But Parshat Shemini reminds us that moments of kedusha do not stand alone, they grow out of what precedes them. If we carry forward what we have seen over the last 39 days – strength, pride, compassion, and faith – then this ongoing “fortieth day” can become not just a return to routine, but the beginning of something elevated and enduring. Shabbat Shalom -Karen Miller Jackson