קדושים

Parasha “Kedoshim” (Qedoshim)

Wayyiqra (Leviticus) 19:1-20:27

And YaHuWaH spoke to Mushah, saying, “Speak to all the congregation of the children of Yashar’al (Yisrael), and say to them, ‘Be set-apart, for I YaHuWaH your Elohim am set-apart.– Wayyiqra (Leviticus) 19:1-2

YaHuWaH has commanded that we be “Qedoshim” (Kedoshim), which literally translates as “set apart ones.” YaHuWaH is called HaQodesh throughout scripture, which has been translated “the holy one.’   However as we have already discovered the word “holy” has pagan roots etymologicaly .  Therefore YaHuWaH is the Set Apart One, the Pure One!   The word “holy” is a bit vague also, as it has been used in so many ways and there are so many opinions as to what exactly a life of “holiness” consists of. The life of Qodeshah however is described clearly by the Qodesh One himself.

Wayyiqra (Leviticus) 19: 2“Speak to all the congregation of the children of Yashar’al (Yisrael), and say to them, ‘Be set-apart (Qedoshim), for I YaHuWaH your Elohim am set-apart (Qedosh).3 ‘Each one of you should fear his mother and his father, and guard My Sabbaths. I am YaHuWaH your Aluahym (Elohim). 4 ‘Do not turn to idols, and do not makefor yourselves moulded mighty ones. I am YaHUWaH your Aluahym..

According to the Qodesh one himself, in whom there is no debate, there is no change or shadow of turning, being Qodesh involves honoring the Mother and Father, guarding Shabbathoth (Sabbaths) and remaining pure from idol worship. Let us examine some of the attributes of being Qodesh from YaHuWaH’s own word.

Honesty and Intergrity

 Waayyiqra (Leviticus) 19:11 ‘Do not steal, do not lie, do not deceive one another.12 ‘And do not swear falsely by My Name and so profane the Name of your Elohim. I am YaHuWaH.13 ‘Do not oppress your neighbour or rob him. The wages of him who is hired is not to remain with you all night until morning.

We must reflect our Creator by being honest and maintaining integrity at all times.  By being honest and living Qodesh we give honor to the Name of YaHuWaH!

 Providing substance for the poor and stranger

Wayyiqra (Leviticus) 19:9 ‘And when you reap the harvest of your land, do not completely reap the corners of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest.10‘And do not glean your vineyard or gather every grape of your vineyard, leave them for the poor and the stranger. I am YaHuWaH your Elohim.

YaHuWaH requires us to provide to those who are in need within his Kingdom.

Equity in judgment

 Wayyiqra (Leviticus) 19:14‘Do not curse the deaf or put a stumbling-block before the blind, but fear your Elohim. I am YaHuWaH.15 ‘Do no unrighteousness in right-ruling. Do not be partial to the poor or favour the face of the great, but rightly rule your neighbour in righteousness.16 ‘Do not go slandering among your people. Do not stand against the blood of your neighbour. I am YaHuWaH.

YaHuWaH declares his name here to declare that he is the righteous judge and we do these principles to reflect his ways.  YaHuWaH does not show partiality and expects us to consider the ailments of others and relieve them of their troubles when and if we can.

 Wayyiqra (Leviticus) 19:35 ‘Do no unrighteousness in right-ruling, in measurement of length, in weight, or in measuring liquids.36 ‘Have right scales, right weights, a right Ephah, and a right hin. I am YaHuWaH your Elohim, who brought you out of the land of Mitsrayim.

We are required to reflect the righteousness of YaHuWaH.  We must live a life of fairness and be a help to those in need.  We are to be truthful with our weights and measures because our Elohim is likewise truthful and weighs all matters in righteousness.

This Torah Portion teaches us how we should live as Qedoshim. We are commanded not to “stand by your brother’s blood” which means you are to defend the life of your brother. We are commanded to rebuke our fellow whom has done wrong, however YaHuWaH demands that we do not hate our brother in our heart forbidding us from slander, gossip and vengeance against our brother.

In accumulation to the “mitswot between man and man,” there are “mitzwot between man and YahuWaH.” We are commanded not to allow our animals of different types to mate with one another, or cross plant various plant species in the same field. Likewise we are not to make hybrid blends of material such as wool and linen. YaHuWaH who separated the light from the darkness is calling us out of darkness into his wonderful light. We are to be separated from the things of this world so that we may be set apart vessels of YaHuWaH our Elohim .

Also,

Wayyiqra (Leviticus) 19:23‘And when you come into the land, and have planted all kinds of trees for food, then you shall reckon their fruit as uncircumcised. For three years it is as uncircumcised to you, it is not eaten.24‘And in the fourth year all its fruit is set-apart – praises to YaHuWaH.25 ‘And in the fifth year you eat its fruit, so that it increases its yield to you. I am YaHUWaH your Elohim.

By choosing to life Qodesh (Set Apart) even the fruit of the trees will respond and yield their fruit to us.

And,

Wayyiqra (Leviticus) 19:27 ‘Do not round the corner of your head, nor destroy the corner of your beard.28 ‘And do not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor put tattoo marks on you. I am YaHuWaH.29‘Do not profane your daughter by making her a whore, so that the land does not whore, and the land becomes filled with wickedness.

This is a prohibition against tattooing and marking the flesh and even marring the corners of our heads and beards.  YaHuWaH is concerned with the way we present ourselves and makes mention of this with the aspect of adultery showing a link between loose behavior are physical presentation.

 Wayyiqra (Leviticus) 19: 32‘Rise up before the grey-headed. And you shall favour the face of an old man, and shall fear your Elohim. I am YaHuWaH. 33‘And when a stranger sojourns with you in your land, do not oppress him I am YaHuWaH your Elohim.34‘ Let the stranger who dwells among you be to you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself. For you were strangers in the land of Mitsrayim.

We are required to honor and respect our elders according to the word of YaHuWaH.  Todays western culture mocks and ridicules the elderly.  However in YaHuWaH’s reign the elderly person is to be highly esteemed.  We are also required to treat foreigners who are converted to YaHuWaH’s covenant as natives among us.

 Separation from idol worship

Wayyiqra (Leviticus) 19:31‘Do not turn to mediums, and do not seek after spiritists to be defiled by them. I am YaHuWaH your Elohim.

 Wayyiqra (Leviticus) 20:2 “Say to the children of Yashar’al (Yisrael), ‘Any man of the children of Yashar’al (Yisrael), or of the strangers who sojourn in Yashar’al (Yisrael), who gives any of his offspring to Molek, shall certainly be put to death. The people of the land shall stone him with stones.3 ‘And I, I shall set My face against that man, and shall cut him off from the midst of his people, because he has given of his offspring to Molek, so as to defile My set- apart place and to profane My set-apart Name.4 ‘And if the people of the land at all hide their eyes from the man, as he gives any of his offspring to Molek, and they do not kill him,5then I shall set My face against that man and against his clan, and shall cut him off – and all who go whoring after him, even go whoring after Mole¿k – from the midst of their people.6 ‘And the being who turns to mediums, and to spiritists, to go whoring after them, I shall set My face against that being and cut him off from the midst of his people.7‘And you shall set yourselves apart, and shall be set-apart, for I am YaHuWaH your Elohim,

Qedoshim concludes with a list of prohibitions against perverse sexual relations such as adultery, incestuous relationships ( sex with family members) homosexuality (sodomites), bestiality, and have relations with a menstruating woman. Worship is a picture of sexual intimacy. Being Qodesh means we are qodesh in what we eat, wear, live and in our sexual decisions. Marital relations are not sin, it is an amazing act that YaHuWaH made for Qodesh purposes.

Three times in this Torah Portion, YaHuWaH, the Qodesh One calls for us likewise to be qodesh:

‘Be Qodeshim, for I YaHuWaH your Elohim am Qadosh.”– Wayyiqra (Leviticus) 19:2

And you shall be Qedoshim, and shall be Qadosh, for I am YaHuWaH your Elohim, -Wayyiqra (Leviticus) 20:7

‘And you shall be Qodesh to Me, for I YaHuWaH am making you Qodeshim, and have separated you from the peoples to be Mine. – Wayyiqra (Leviticus) 20:26

Let us remember that man does not set the standard for being Qodesh. If one claims he has the Ruwach (Spirit/wind) HaQodesh (of the Set apart one) then they will want to fully adhere to all that YaHuWaH has said in relation to being Qodesh. YaHuWaH’s anointed King, Yahuwshuwa is Qadosh and we are called to walk as he walked. He did not eat unclean, break the Shabbath and disobey his parents, but rather he kept the Torah perfectly.  We should be Qodesh because YaHuWaH is Qodesh and because his Anointed One is Qodesh.  Many have become familiar with the verse “be qodesh for I YaHuWaH your Elohim am Qodesh” due to it being quoted in the Brit Chadasha (Renewed Covenant) yet many do not grasp the fullness of the revelation. Let us be Qodesh therefore since YaHuWaH our Elohim is Qodesh!  In this way we can be a great light to the nations.