Parashat Kedoshim - Seventh Aliyah

In this aliyah the Torah concludes Parashat Kedoshim with a decisive call for a distinct and separated Jewish identity. No more blind imitation of other cultures, but a clear message: “Velo telkhu bechukot hagoy” (You shall not walk in the customs of the nations, verse 23).

Jewish Identity: Not to Be Swallowed Up Among the Peoples

The command is not only a warning against idolatry, but a call for spiritual and cultural uniqueness. Rashi (Leviticus 18:3), on the same idea of “Uvechukoteihem lo telekhu” (And in their statutes you shall not walk), explains sharply: “These are their customs, things that have become engraved practices for them, such as theaters and stadiums.” That is, not to imitate the lifestyle and entertainment of the gentile culture. This is the root of the separation between the people of Israel and the other peoples.

Holiness as a Conscious Choice

The Torah continues and deepens: “Va’omar lakhem atem tirshu et admatam… ani Adonai eloheikhem asher hivdalti etkhem min ha’amim” (And I said to you, you shall inherit their land… I am Hashem your God who has separated you from the peoples, verse 24). Again and again, the central idea: separation. Just as there is a distinction between impure and pure, between permitted and forbidden, between meat and milk, so too there is an essential distinction in the spiritual identity of the people of Israel.

Rashi (Leviticus 20:26) on “Va’avdil etkhem min ha’amim lihyot li” (And I separated you from the peoples to be Mine) summarizes it sharply: “If you are separated from them, behold you are Mine; and if not, behold you are of Nebuchadnezzar and his comrades.” That is, separation is not only a religious matter, but the very essence of identity. Either a person belongs to the Holy One, or he is swept up in the power of “Nebuchadnezzar and his comrades”, the symbol of foreign cultures throughout the generations.

A Sharp Conclusion: The Warning Against Ov and Yid’oni

The parsha ends with the severe transgression of ov and yid’oni: engaging in sorcery, communicating with spirits, or attempting to discover the future through forbidden means. The Torah sees in this an attempt to bypass divine providence and to use forces of impurity. “Mot yumatu… demeihem bam” (They shall surely be put to death… their blood is upon them, verse 27), it says, and there is no compromise.

A Thought to Reflect On

In our contemporary world, when general culture pulls and confuses, this aliyah calls us to embrace separation not as a harsh margin, but as a crown of identity. Precisely the distinction, the difference, and the holiness, are what produce Jewish value. Separation is not separation for the sake of arrogance, but for the sake of responsibility.