Last week a bunch of us climbed the Grouse Grind. As we finally got to the top and enjoyed the view, I shared thoughts about the month of Elul, and we launched Schara Tzedeck’s Elul Challenge.
Another name for Rosh Hashana is Yom Hadin – the day of judgement. We are judged for our behaviour during the previous year, and at the same time our upcoming year is inscribed by Hashem on this awesome day. So much rests on Rosh Hashana, and Elul gives us time to prepare ourselves for this judgement. The idea of the Elul Challenge is to help us grow in two different areas – Kedusha (holiness) and Kavod (respect for others), making us better people, and then we can come to Shul on Rosh Hashana with a little more confidence and a bounce in our stride.
Kedusha is often viewed with a negative perception, that it is reserved for pious Jews of old with long coats and white beards, Jews who spend hours meditating in forests and are mindful of every action they do. While this is certainly one form of Kedusha, I would argue that Kedusha isn’t limited to any sect of Jew. The Torah commands us all ‘Kedoshim Tihiyu’ – ‘You shall be holy’ (Vayikra 19:2). According to many commentators this is one of the 613 commandments. Just as we are told by the Torah to blow the Shofar on Rosh Hashana, eat Matzah on Pesach and place a Mezuza on our doorposts, we are all charged with this mission to become holy.
But what does Kedusha even mean for us in 2026, in a world that seeks to unburden itself from values, ethics and wisdom of old? Is there space for holiness?
Ramban offers a brilliant explanation. As Jews there are hundreds of laws that govern the way we live, from how we wake up in the morning to what we can and can’t speak about.
However, there are ways to live that don’t technically break any of these laws, yet still fall short of the best life we could be living. For example, drinking wine is permitted in Judaism. There is no Halacha that forbids this. Therefore, a person could drink and become inebriated daily whilst having committed no sins at all. The wine was kosher after all. Yet Ramban calls such a person a ‘Menuval Birshut Hatorah’ – one who is a scoundrel within the parameters of the law.
The Torah commands us to rise above this and become holy through what is permitted. By limiting our behaviour even when something is technically permissible, we learn that holiness is not simply about avoiding what is forbidden. It is about exercising self-control and choosing not merely what we can do, but what we should do. Kedusha means recognising that just because something isn’t prohibited it does not mean it is good for us.
There are so many examples of this in our daily lives. There may not be anything Halachically wrong with staying home all Sunday on the couch and bingeing hours of TV shows and live sports whilst eating unhealthy foods. You will not find a prohibition against this in Shulchan Aruch. Yet Kedusha asks us to make the positive choice for ourselves. When we do, we have entered the world of holiness, as we are doing the right thing even when the alternative act wasn’t a sin.
Following October 7th, and during the wars with Iran that followed, most foreign airlines stopped flying to Israel. (Because of the lack of airline tickets, as a family we left Israel to spend Pesach with family through Egypt, which was a very unusual experience.) EL AL continued flying becoming a lifeline for those needing to get in or out of Israel. According to some news reports, during 2024 over 90% passengers on flights between Israel and North America flew with EL AL. A staggering market share.
As competition in the skies disappeared, EL AL’s prices rose sharply. The airline argued that the limited supply of seats, coupled with the huge demand and enormous number of last-minute bookings, gave them the liberty to set whatever prices they chose. Many Israelis were angered by EL AL’s behaviour feeling that they were taking advantage of the situation, especially when the rest of the country was pulling together to be there for each other. Either way, EL AL made a huge amount of money and net profit went up from 430 million shekels in 2023 to over 2 billion shekels in 2024!
I believe EL AL got it wrong. Yes, business is business, but Ramban reminds us that although something may not be wrong it doesn’t mean it is right. They were given the chance to become holy, and they didn’t take it.
Contrast this with a very moving video I saw this week of former Hamas hostage Rom Braslavski undergoing painful treatment to remove his tattoo. In the video he thanked Hashem for allowing him to survive 738 days in captivity and reach this milestone. Although the Torah prohibits getting a tattoo, if one already has one there is no obligation to remove it. Rom wanted to become more Kadosh, more holy and elevated so he got it removed. He chose to act when he didn’t have to and through that act sanctified himself and set a positive example to others.
That is what Kedusha really means. Sometimes holiness is saying, I could, but I choose not to. And sometimes holiness is saying, I don’t have to, but I choose to. Kedusha lives in that space beyond obligation, when we choose not merely what is permitted or required, but what is right.
Kedusha begins where obligation ends.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Garson
