TRUE HOLINESS COMES THROUGH UNITY
UNITY OF TORAH DEPENDENT UPON UNITY OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE
Page 84a
[The majority of Mitzvos are included in Parshas Kedoshim. The Parsha begins by instructing us to ‘Be Holy.’ Parshas Kedoshim includes commandments which directly parallel the 10 commandments. Although the actual 10 commandments are instructed in the singular grammatical form towards the Jewish people, Parshas Kedoshim says these same commandments in plural grammatical form. There is an important reason for this. The Zohar, in this Parsha, points out that the plural instruction relates to the Jewish people being separated from each other. It is only through uniting and removing baseless hatred that true holiness can result.]
It is stated in the Midrash (Vayikra Rabba 24:5), “Rabbi Chiya taught, this Parsha was said at “Hakhel” [every 7 years, following the Shemita year, the Torah was read publicly in the Temple by the king] – because the majority of the body of the Torah is dependent upon it. Rabbi Levi said because the 10 commandments are included in it…”
And this is what he said, that here the verse comes to warn Israel with the 10 Commandments like at first at the Giving of the Torah. For as it is written “I am the Lord your G-d” (Shemos 20) corresponds to what is written here, “I am the Lord your G-d.” And as it written here, “Do not turn towards foreign gods,” corresponds to what is written in the 10 Commandments, “You shall not recognize any other gods before my Presence.” And as it written here “And gods of molten you shall not make for yourselves,” corresponds to what is written, “You shall not make for yourselves a carved image.” And as is written here, “Every man, his mother and his father, you shall fear,” corresponds to what is written, “Honor your father and your mother.”
And as is written here, “And my Sabbaths you shall guard,” corresponds to, “Remember the Sabbath day to sanctify it.” And as is written here, “Do not swear falsely in My Name,” corresponds to what is written, “Do not take the name of Hashem your G-d in vain.” And as is written here, “Do not steal,” corresponds to what is written, “Do not steal.” And as is written here, “And do not deny falsely and you shall not lie to one another,” corresponds to what is written, “Do not bear false witness against your fellow.” And as is written here, “The adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death,” corresponds to what is written, “Do not commit adultery.” And as is written here, “Do not stand by the blood of your fellow,” corresponds to what is written, “Do not murder.” (The matter of not coveting is not mentioned here,) [although it is mentioned in the Midrash Vayikra Rabbah 24:5 “You shall not covet” and as it is written here in our Parsha, “And you shall love your fellow man as yourself.”]
And already our Sages explained that the 10 commandments are hinted to here. And upon this our Sages said that the whole of the entire Torah is included in this Parsha, and this means the 10 Commandments which include all the Torah, since everything is hinted to in the 10 Commandments. But in this Parsha, not all the commandments are hinted to.
Rabbi Chiya said, in the beginning of the 10 commandments it is written, “I am the Lord your G-d – א-להיך. Remember – זכור the Sabbath day. Do not take – לא תשא the [Name of G-d] in vain. Do not murder – לא תרצח. Do not commit adultery – לא תנאף. Do not steal – לא תגנוב. All these are written in the SINGULAR language. [The Hebrew language expresses itself differently when addressing a command to the individual to addressing a group. In the 10 commandments proper, all the commandments are written in a way that addresses the individual.]
And here is written, “I am the Lord your [plural] G-d – א-להיכם. Every man, his father and his mother you [plural] shall fear – תיראו. Guard [plural] – תשמרו my Sabbaths. Do not turn [plural] – תפנו towards foreign gods.” [All these are in] a language [addressed in a] plural [manner]. And the reason for this thing is: But rather come and see, from the day when Israel were to be found in the world, there was not to be found in front of the Holy One Blessed be He, with one heart and with one will like on that day that they were standing on Mount Sinai. For then, their impurity was removed. And through this, baseless hatred was removed from amongst them. And everybody was like one man with one heart. And therefore everything was said to them in the individual form [of Hebrew grammar,] that shows the unity of Israel [the Jewish people.] But afterwards when they had worshipped the [Golden] Calf everything is written in the plural form [of Hebrew grammar.] Since they [the Jewish people] weren’t to be found so much with one will as [they were] with the Giving of the Torah, for once again the Evil Inclination ruled over them, and its beginning was because of baseless hatred and division of hearts which is equivalent to all sins in the Torah. And therefore when the Holy One Blessed be He repeated the 10 Commandments in this Parsha, He said them in the plural language form, which shows the plurality of minds [and opinions] and the division of hearts.
This means to say that the Torah is planted in the hearts of the Children of Israel. And when they are unified, then the Torah is likewise in unity with them. For it is known that the entire Torah is the Name of the Holy One Blessed be He. And every Jew is required to unify and to connect the Name of the Blessed One, for every Jew owns one letter in the Torah. And when the Children of Israel are united in one unity with one heart, then the Torah and the Name of the Blessed One are joined and connected. But if they are separated, then they separate the letters of the Torah and cause separation in the Name of the Blessed One. And this is the reason of the strictness and the blemish of the sin of baseless hatred. And to this the Torah comes here in the plural language to teach regarding this blemish. (Ramak and commentaries.)
NOTES TO SIGNS USED IN FORMATTING:
Bold print: Original Zohar
Ordinary text: Matok Midvash
[Square brackets]: Eliyahu Ben Pinchas
(Round brackets): Either the source being quoted e.g. Proverbs etc., or alternatively used to quote the kabbalistic language as discussed in Matok Midvash. The Matok Midvash formats the Nigleh side of things in an ordinary print, and the Nistar terminology in Rashi script. I’ve therefore put the Rashi script – the Nistar terminology in round brackets.
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