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I can see this scene play out when I close my eyes. It's that familiar. "He distracted me." "She told me to do it." When I reflect this language back to my students, I remind them that no matter what, they are in charge of their own actions. They always have a choice. Reading this week's double parshiot, Acharei Mot and Kedoshim, I see this theme prominently.
Before presenting scenarios where we have choice, we are instructed what to do as the result of choosing poorly. The dictum to observe Yom Kippur (and the steps for doing so) are the introduction to this parsha.
Beyond that, we are presented with the challenge of kedusha. The pasuk in Vayikra 19:2 says:
קְדשִׁ֣ים תִּֽהְי֑וּ כִּ֣י קָד֔וֹשׁ אֲנִ֖י יְהוָֹ֥ה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶֽם
On this topic, Rabbeinu Bachya writes, "This is an exhortation to the entire Jewish people to be chaste, to practice noble character traits and to impress upon one’s children the importance of these virtues." This becomes an opportunity for the Jewish nation to consider, what do we value? Who are we and who do we want to be? Kedoshim tihiyu is the prompt to examine and re-examine the answers to these questions in every generation.
While the values of our surrounding culture may shift or change altogether, Jewish values stand the tests of time and exile. Above all, we value kedusha — sanctity, holiness, and separateness — which helps us decide what and who we choose to elevate. We elevate time, like the holiness of Shabbat over other days (Vayikra 19:3). We elevate the first fruits of the tree, not just any fruit (Vayikra 19:23-24). We elevate people too: parents, elders, Torah scholars (Vayikra 19:3, 32) — just as we take time this week to honor mothers and teachers.
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