Arielle Bouhadana and Liraz Ohayon
קדושים תהיו כי קדוש אני אלוקיכם
Hashem says, “Be holy, because I am holy”.
Shabbat is not only a time to reflect on the previous week and to enjoy time with family and friends, but also a time to feel close to Hashem. But what exactly does this mean? How does not switching on a light or not planting flowers connect us to G-d?
Often, we think that closeness refers to proximity. Although we know we can’t physically be near G-d, we normally associate the word “close” with feeling some type of spiritual elevation. But in reality, closeness is not necessarily referring to proximity, rather to similarities and sharing things in common. Your closest friend is who you share common interests with, common point of views, and experience similar situations with. When you are in a healthy relationship with someone you appreciate, such as a spouse or close friend, you begin to emulate their positive character traits. For example, if you admire your mother’s patience, you will aspire to imitate that healthy habit and internalize it as your own.
On Shabbat, we remove the busyness of everyday life that limits us: like our phones, our cars and rushing to work. These everyday routines only hinder our ability to tap into our true potential and intentions, even on a smaller scale. When we step out of that reality, it allows us to truly accomplish what we desire most emotionally and spiritually. Hashem, on a higher scale obviously, is the same; limitless, focused on running the world the way He wants.
This is what it means to be close to Hashem - to be like Him. This week’s Parasha is Parashat Kedoshim, in which we are told קדושים תהיו״”, “Be holy”. It is natural to assume that this means to separate ourselves from secular society. While this is true, we now have added a new meaning to this Passuk. We now understand that we are meant to imitate Hashem. This is why we work for 6 days then rest on the 7th, the same way He did during creation. This is also why He created us in His image in the first place, making us all inherently קדוש, Holy to begin with. Shabbat is just the time to tap into that internal spark we all have. On this holy day, one of our main goals is to emulate Hashem’s unlimited goodness and release the physical barriers which hold us back from reaching new spiritual heights.
Shabbat Shalom :)
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