There are five books in the Torah. The last of these books is called, “Devarim.” This book is filled with the final words of the Nation of Israel’s leader, Moses. Some of Moses’ lessons were reviews of God’s laws that were previously given over in the Torah, while others were newly conveyed in Moses’ final speech.
However, it is important to note that Moses was a messenger, sharing the ideas and rules God created and spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai. Thus, this final speech is considered Holy lessons from God spoken through Moses.
Throughout the Torah, God explained laws as existing to imitate the behaviors of God. This concept is similar to the theological idea of “Imitatio Dei.” However, this theological concept differs from the Jewish practice, as the Jewish people were told to refrain from impersonating God, as many secular kings or leaders have done, and instead imitate God’s kindness, love, and other important attributes.
For example, it was written in the Torah that one should be kind to strangers like God, and rest on the seventh day of the week as God “rested” when creating the world.
There are many more examples of this idea in the Torah, but there is one example that wholeheartedly encapsulates the concept of acting in the way of God.
In Leviticus 19:1-2 it was written,“The LORD spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to the whole Israelite community and say to them: You shall be holy, for I, the LORD your God, am holy.”
Here God ambiguously commanded the Jewish people to “be holy,” as there was no explanation of what this would entail.
The biblical commentary, the Ramban, explained this holiness as sanctifying ordinary life. The commandment to “be holy” followed a long list of prohibitions. Thus, conveying the lesson that avoiding immoral practices would not be enough to “be holy.” Instead, the Jewish Nation must actively elevate the mundane practices of life. For example, saying a blessing on a food is a Jewish law that spiritually elevates the physical experience of eating.
Rav Menachem Leibtag, a Torah scholar and teacher in Israel, often says to his students when discussing this idea, “do not just say thank you, instead act thank you.” In order to reflect the actions of God, we must actively engage in positive behaviors, not simply respond to the actions of others.
In this week’s parsha, Ki Teitzei, Moses continued his final words in the book of Devarim. Moses specifically mentioned various laws that represent this idea.
Moses decreed, “If you see your fellow Israelite’s ass or ox fallen on the road, do not ignore it; you must raise it together.”
Later in the Parsha, following this law, Moses stated, “Remember what Amalek did to you on your journey, after you left Egypt, how, undeterred by fear of God, he surprised you on the march, when you were famished and weary, and cut down all the stragglers in your rear.”
Moses reminded the nation that not only should one refrain from taking advantage of others at their weakest and most vulnerable moments, like the ways of Amalek, but one should actively seek out ways to take care of those in need, even if it is inconvenient.
Growing up, I watched my mother, a full time nurse and mother of four, do acts of kindness on a daily basis. She would drop off food by people in need, administer shots and give medicine to patients in their homes, and other acts of kindness that were never part of her job description or done for recognition.
This is holiness.
Life is busy, and kindness is often inconvenient. However, my mother always says she tries to do one kind thing every day (she did many more).
In the current month of Elul, the beginning of the New Year, it is important to remember the final lesson Moses conveyed to the Jewish people that applies to the entirety of the Torah and our lives. We must actively elevate simple moments to meaningful experiences.
Every person is created with “tzelem elokim,” meaning “in the image of God.” Therefore, every person has the inherent ability to “be holy” like God. By actively seeking out acts of kindness to elevate the trivial activities of daily life, we can become our true selves, the kind and compassionate soul that is each of us.
