Kedoshim: meanings

 

I struggle with the meaning of “kodesh,” even in its translation “holy.” Gd tells  Moshe to instruct the people to be holy, for I ( Gd) am holy

דַּבֵּ֞ר אֶל־כׇּל־עֲדַ֧ת בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל וְאָמַרְתָּ֥ אֲלֵהֶ֖ם קְדֹשִׁ֣ים תִּהְי֑וּ כִּ֣י קָד֔וֹשׁ אֲנִ֖י יְ

Speak to the whole Israelite community and say to them:

You shall be holy, for I, the LORD your God, am holy.

This, the year when large language models of artificial intelligence emerged into the public sphere, repeating words that I do not understand becomes much more of a problem.  Now, the meaning of this word, like every other word that is not reigned in by mathematical  level definition, becomes a product of the human collective and the loudest voices.  I was destined never to understand this word, kadosh, holy. Now I am fated to certainly misunderstand it.

 

I cannot place all the blame on large language models ( LLM; AI) for this. The meaning of words constantly evolves, and always has. LLM ossifies the interpretation. Preserving the original Hebrew ( lashon hakodesh) [ and acknowledging the language of the Torah as separate from modern spoken Hebrew] allows the mystery that surrounds the word [kodesh]  to continue  in the ambiguity it deserves.

 

The first sentence in this prescribed sanctification process demonstrates its confusing nature and its difficulty:

אִ֣ישׁ אִמּ֤וֹ וְאָבִיו֙ תִּירָ֔אוּ וְאֶת־שַׁבְּתֹתַ֖י תִּשְׁמֹ֑רוּ אֲנִ֖י יְ

You shall each revere his mother and his father, and keep My sabbaths: I the LORD am your God.

There are two instructions, and they may come into conflict. Becoming kadosh will involve choices. Sometimes, perhaps often, reverence for parents and Sabbath observance will harmonize. Holy, holy. If they do not, which sanctification do you choose? Either choice degrades  while it elevates and leads to a state of imbalance. The image of falling does  not evoke beatitude.

This introduction is appropriate. This kedusha, holiness, is what we make of our opportunities. The holy is lofty; we have  nothing loftier than our thoughts.

Does the recipe for sanctification begin at the beginning? The first use of kodesh is in reference to the Sabbath:

וַיְבָ֤רֶךְ אֱ

אֶת־י֣וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔י וַיְקַדֵּ֖שׁ אֹת֑וֹ כִּ֣י ב֤וֹ שָׁבַת֙ מִכָּל־מְלַאכְתּ֔וֹ אֲשֶׁר־בָּרָ֥א אֱ

לַעֲשֽׂוֹת׃ (פ)

And Gd blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because on it Gd ceased from all the work of creation that Gd had done.

What does kodesh mean here? It certainly means special. There is also an element of immutability: it is a fact that cannot be changed. The kodesh is favored, perhaps loved, by Heaven.  As a public declaration, it would seem to have an audience, others who would respect it.  Presumably humans are, at least part of, the observers of this special state of kadosh, holiness. Does the conflation of the Sabbath and reverence for parents relate  to how one becomes holy? Is respect for parents the instinctive source for the awe of kodesh

The lack of definition adds mystery to kodesh. It is an awe inspiring state, beyond comprehension. But not all awe is kodesh

The parsha later moves on to prohibited mixtures:

אֶֽת־חֻקֹּתַי֮ תִּשְׁמֹ֒רוּ֒ בְּהֶמְתְּךָ֙ לֹא־תַרְבִּ֣יעַ כִּלְאַ֔יִם שָׂדְךָ֖ לֹא־תִזְרַ֣ע כִּלְאָ֑יִם וּבֶ֤גֶד כִּלְאַ֙יִם֙ שַֽׁעַטְנֵ֔ז לֹ֥א יַעֲלֶ֖ה עָלֶֽיךָ׃

You shall observe My laws.

You shall not let your cattle mate with a different kind; you shall not sow your field with two kinds of seed; you shall not put on cloth from a mixture of two kinds of material.

These are strange laws that sit in the midst of rules that instruct kindness and consideration to other human beings.

They evoke another meaning of kodesh, consuming fire:

 

לֹא־תִזְרַ֥ע כַּרְמְךָ֖ כִּלְאָ֑יִם פֶּן־תִּקְדַּ֗שׁ הַֽמְלֵאָ֤ה הַזֶּ֙רַע֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר תִּזְרָ֔ע וּתְבוּאַ֖ת הַכָּֽרֶם׃ (ס)

You shall not sow your vineyard with a second kind of seed, else the crop—from the seed you have sown—and the yield of the vineyard may not be used.

The Talmud ( Chulin 115a) interprets  the word tikdash, become sanctified, as tokad aish, be burnt up:

(דברים כב, ט) פן תקדש פן תוקד אש

 

You shall not sow your vineyard with two kinds of seed; lest the growth of the seed that you will sow be forfeited [pen tikdash]” (Deuteronomy 22:9). The Sages read the phrase “be forfeited [pen tikdash]” as though it states: Lest it be burned [pen tukad esh], indicating that diverse kinds in a vineyard must be destroyed

 

The editors of the sermons, given by Rabbi Kalonymos Kalmish Shapira, as the Warsaw ghetto was besieged, tortured and liquidated, named the work: Aish Kodesh, Sacred fire. This is the week between Yom Hashoah, Holocaust [ the word means a sacrifice entirely consumed by fire] Day and Yom Hazikoron, Remeberance day ( for those who sacrificed their lives for the State of Israel).  It is kodesh in so many ways.

 

Kodesh can be sad.