The Meaning of Holiness

A holy person is one who puts the feelings of others first. This type of consideration is also given to our Master—the King of Kings— our Father in Heaven:  We put His wishes above our own. A holy person is, first and foremost, a mensch, one who is patient when s(he) is in need of something and modest when s(he) has everything.

Attitude is paramount. It’s not just what we do, it’s how we do it that counts. Satisfaction with one’s lot is the hallmark of a mensch, of a holy person. Effort in doing what is right and responsible is a critical factor. Cutting corners is not the trademark of someone who is righteous. We try to go above and beyond, if we can. We care. We respect others. We make them feel welcome. We are considerate of the stranger and of the convert. We do not blame, criticize, or complain. We treat others as we would like to be treated. We do not take revenge against someone whose actions toward us are far from stellar.

A holy person knows that judgment is in the hands of Hashem Alone. We remain silent when anyone attacks us verbally because silence takes courageous while responding to any negative comment comes often from an emotional place that is reactive rather than introspective. We understand that holy sparks exist everywhere, and we treat life gently and that includes the plant kingdom, the animal kingdom, all human beings, and even inanimate objects, taking care to curtail negative emotions.

A holy person commits to growth in uplifting every mundane act of living in order to infuse it with spirituality. These actions include eating, sleeping, speaking, getting dressed, and using the restroom. Kedusha (holiness) is infused into our core when what we know Intellectually manifests in our behavior, in our actions. So when a person knows he should thank the shopkeeper and does it, he brings sparks of gratitude into the world. If a person knows he should be thankful but fails to act upon this knowledge, he may have a good intention but the intention does not help heal the world.

We must enliven our intentions with desire. When we have a desire, a passion, for doing what is right, then we act upon our learning and become a partner in bringing holiness into the universe. We break out of our comfort zone and strive to achieve our own personal redemption. This leads to the rectification of both the person and the outside world.

We cannot spot a holy person by his/her outward appearance just as we cannot judge a book by its cover. Appearances can be deceiving. We are being called upon now to dig deeper—to see beauty in the unseen. For many of us, growth refers to the size of our homes, cars, bank accounts, status in our professions, and vacation plans.

These things are viewable by our eyes, but we would all agree that the size of these material amenities does not correlate with increased holiness. So now we have to search for that which we cannot see but rather can feel with our hearts and souls. These things, too, are capable of growing, and, as with the material, we have to work on them. They are far more significant in defining the purpose of life. These inner qualities include gratitude, compassion, politeness, cooperation, modesty, patience, consideration, gentleness, generosity, unselfishness, loyalty, and self-control. Self-control includes the ability to balance opposites, such as chesed (kindness) and gevurah (discipline or restraint). Too much of a good thing is not a good thing. A holy person seeks this type of harmony.

Not what we own nor what we produce has much to do with being a mensch unless we infuse what we possess and what we create with spirituality, love, and meaning. Then we will have succeeded in creating something everlasting: A legacy of proper conduct that can be passed along from generation to generation in our sincere desire to emulate the kind of life the Holy One Blessed Be He yearns that we strive to attain. Running (ratzo) and returning (shov) means we reach for transcendence but we keep a firm foot on the ground and strive to accomplish meaningful goals in the physical world. The time to evaluate our focus is now. The effect of putting a Torah lifestyle into practice is eternal: Learn it, become consciously aware of it, internalize it, put it into action, and capture the blessings that G-d promised when we choose to align ourselves with Him.