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Holiness in Judaism, often referred to by theHebrew word for holiness,Kedushah (Hebrew:קְדֻשָּׁה), is frequently used inJudaism to describe God; worldly places and items that have holy status, such as aTorah, otherTorah literature, and Jewish ritual objects such as amenorah,tzitzit,tefillin, ormikveh; special days of the year; and people who are considered on a high spiritual level (atzadik or agadol).
The Hebrew wordקֹדֶשׁ, transliterated asqodesh, is used in theTorah to mean 'set-apartness' and 'separateness', as well as 'holiness' and 'sacredness'.[1] The Torah describes theAaronite priests and theLevites as being selected by God to perform the Temple services; they, as well, are called "holy."
According to RabbiAbraham Joshua Heschel:
"When history began, there was only one holiness the world, holiness in time. When at Sinai the word of God was about to be heard, a call for holiness inman was proclaimed .... It was only after the people had succumbed to the temptation of worshipping a thing ... that the erection of a Tabernacle, of holiness inspace, was commanded. The sanctity of time came first, the sanctity of man came second, and the sanctity of space last. Time was hallowed by God; space ... was consecrated by Moses ...."[2]
Likewise, theJewish holidays and theShabbat are considered to be holy in time; the Torah calls them "holy [days of] gathering". Work is not allowed on those days, and rabbinic tradition lists39 categories of activity that are specifically prohibited.[3]
Beyond the intrinsically holy, objects and space can become sacred throughconsecration.[2] Any personal possession may be dedicated to the Temple of God, after which its misappropriation is considered among the gravest of sins. The varioussacrifices are holy. Those that may be eaten have very specific rules concerning who may eat which of their parts, and time limits on when the consumption must be completed. Most sacrifices contain a part to be consumed by the priests – a portion of the holy to be consumed by God's holy devotees.
Holiness is not a single state, but contains a broad spectrum. TheMishnah lists concentric circles of holiness surrounding theTemple in Jerusalem:Holy of Holies, Temple Sanctuary, Temple Vestibule, Court of Priests, Court of Israelites, Court of Women,Temple Mount, the walled city ofJerusalem, all the walled cities of Israel, and the borders of theLand of Israel.[4] Distinctions are made as to who and what are permitted in each area.
The encounter with the holy is seen as eminently desirable, and at the same time fearful and awesome. For the strongest penalties are applied to one who transgresses in this area – one could in theory receive either the death penalty or the heavenly punishment ofkareth, spiritual excision, for mis-stepping in his close approach to God's domain.
Jewishkabbalistic tradition expresses holiness as possible perception of thesoul, above all united to the body: hence the repeated allusion to the involvement of the supernal worlds in relation to the world ofAssiah, so-called "material world". "Sanctify yourselves and be holy, for I am God your Lord":Sanctify yourselves— these are the "first waters"And be holy— these are the "last waters".[5] "Sanctify yourselves" means to take the initiative and work to become holy. Afterwards, "be holy"— strengthen yourself to maintain your level of holiness.[6]
