The meaning of Kedusha, for me, is not what a person does, but how he does it and that will determine if his actions are profane or sacred.
In a similar light I recall the words of Rav Kook
"הקדש צריך שיבנה על החל" " Holiness should be built on a foundation of the secular".
Most commentaries define the word קודש as פרושים, set apart. Therefore, to be Holy means to be detached, separated from others and to live a life as an individual, removed from the ills of society. I refer to this type of existence as,'Living as a part of the society and at the same time living a-part from that self same society.' This may seem confusing , but to maintain our true Kedusha, as loyal Jews, we must endeavor to be selective; 'How and when we are to be part of our world and when it is necessary for our Judaic survival to disengage from the world around us.'
These are times when we and our children and our grandchildren need not be swept up by the current events that surround us and grab onto every new fad that entices us, but to be selective on how we will ride on the 'modern day' bandwagon that is sweeping through our modern age.
The Ramban said it well "You are not קדוש by rejecting forbidden foods, that is no more than how it should be. To be Holy does not mean to be an isolationist, as we learn from Chazal, פרשה זו בהקהל נאמרה, but rather live with society, mix with society, be community minded, but never submerge your identity, and do not deny your individuality".
The call to us is "Be G-D like." Imitate Hashem. Just as G-D always maintains his identity, even when He is with everybody, He is always a part of our lives, and is always a-part from the world. We must emulate this attribute of G-D, never to be submerged by the society we live in.
Most important is,קדש עצמך המותר לך, "Holiness is to be maintained in the things that are permissible to us, and to enjoy the pleasures of life, but not to wallow in them in a profane way."
It is wonderful to live like a Jew in a Torah oriented way - to bring Holiness into our homes - to bring Holiness into our professions and workplaces - and to live domesticity with purity and Kedusha.
והייתם קדושים, be an individualist in your loyalty and in your behavior. Remain staunch to your values. Live by them and continue to transmit this message of Kedusha to our next generations.
These thoughts come to mind as we celebrate the State of Israel's 70th anniversary, our glorious
יום העצמאות.
Rabbi Soloveitchikזצ״ל said, "The glory of the State of Israel, showed the entire world the stubbornness of the Jew, and his insistence on being different." The Rav pondered, "Why does American Jewry raise millions of dollars to support Israel? Why does the heart of every Jew pound with trepidation when he picks up a newspaper to read about events in Israel?" The Rav answers these rhetorical questions simply but profoundly, "Because we are united with Israel at all times. We are one with the people of Israel. We are an Am Echad." The Rav reflected on the answer that G-D gave to Moshe, when He denied him entrance to the land of Israel and, yet, permitted Joseph's remains to be buried there.
G-D's answer was, "When Joseph identified himself he did so with great pride and no trepidation, acknowledging that he belonged to the Land of the Hebrews", which Moshe did not, at the outset."
The Rav poignantly suggested that, "Providence has, similarly, allowed American and world Jewry to acknowledge the Land and to identify strongly with our modern State of Israel."
Yes, indeed, we remain loyal citizens of this country. We participate in all its institutions. But, at the same time, we assert with great passion to identify with a mysterious compulsion with our Jewish State, that has been bequeathed to us by Almighty G-D, displaying, always and proudly, our commitment and our strong support for our Jewish State.
יום העצמאות, is our day to show our pride and our loyalty to Israel and to recognize that
קדושת ארץ ישראל, is an everlasting one and we will continue with all our spiritual strength to intone our prayer beseeching the almighty,
עושה שלום במרומיו הוא יעשה שלום עלינו ועל כל ישראל.
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