By the Grace of Heaven
In a powerful and moving gathering at our holy yeshiva in Ashdod, we were privileged to delve into the depths of the Torah as we marked a significant day of memorial for Rabbi Eliyahu ben Ruchama, of blessed memory—the father of our beloved and virtuous friend, Rabbi Michael Dahan.
As we began our nighttime study of the inner teachings of the Torah, we explored a fundamental question that sits at the heart of our identity as Jews: What does it truly mean to be holy?
“You Shall Be Holy” – A Command or a Reality?
In this week’s Torah portion, Acharei Mot-Kedoshim, the Almighty commands us: “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
We must ask: What kind of commandment is this? We understand the mitzvot of Shabbat or Tefillin—these are actions. But how can a human being, made of flesh and blood, be commanded to “be holy” simply because God is holy?
The Ramban (Rabbi Moshe ben Nachman) teaches that this is one of the 613 mitzvot. It is an active requirement for every Jew to make a supreme effort to sanctify themselves. But to understand how we reach this level, we must look at the difference between the two stages of our redemption from Egypt: The Exodus and the Splitting of the Red Sea.
Silver and Gold: Two Levels of Divine Light
Our Sages tell us that when the Children of Israel left Egypt, they took spoils of silver. However, at the Splitting of the Red Sea, they took spoils of gold. In the Torah, every detail is precise. Why the change?
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Silver represents Chesed (Kindness): The Exodus from Egypt was a pure gift from God. We had no merits; we were at the 49th level of impurity. Like “money” given to a beggar, God redeemed us out of pure mercy, requiring nothing from us.
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Gold represents Gevurah (Judgment/Justice): The Splitting of the Red Sea was different. There, the ministering angel of Egypt argued, “These are idol worshippers and those are idol worshippers!” Why didn’t he argue this during the ten plagues? Because the Exodus was a gift. But the Sea required partnership.
The Power of the First Step
At the Red Sea, God told Moses: “Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward!”
God was teaching us a profound lesson for life: To receive the “Gold”—the higher level of light—we must be partners with the Almighty. Nachshon ben Aminadav had to jump into the water until it reached his nose before the miracle occurred.
When we receive something for free, it is “bread of shame.” But when we put in the effort, when we open an opening “the size of a needle’s eye,” God opens for us an opening as wide as a Great Hall. This is the secret of the Jewish soul.
You are Called “Adam”
The soul of a Jew is a “portion of God from above.” We are called Adam. While all of creation has a soul, the Jewish soul is uniquely elevated, tasked with the mission of restoring the world to the level of Adam before the sin.
Because our soul is so high, the demands on us are greater. We cannot be content with just “getting by.” We are commanded to be holy because we have the internal equipment—the Divine Spark—to achieve it.
A Message of Success
As we move forward in our Torah study, let us remember: Providence follows effort. As the Maharal of Prague teaches, the moment we find the strength to act and see success, it is a sign from Heaven that the “oaths” of exile are weakening.
May the merit of our Torah study and our efforts to sanctify ourselves serve as an elevation for the soul of Rabbi Eliyahu ben Ruchama. May his soul be bound in the bond of life, and may the Holy One, blessed be He, grant us all the strength to walk in holiness, to be partners with the Divine, and to witness the final redemption, speedily in our days.
Amen.
