In Parashat Kedoshim, we are given one of the most sweeping and transformative commandments in the Torah:
“You shall be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy” (Vayikra 19:2).

This is not a call to the priests alone, nor a mystical ideal for the spiritually elite. It is directed to the entire community—kol adat b’nei Yisrael—reminding us that holiness is not beyond reach but woven into the fabric of daily life.

Ramban (Nachmanides) teaches that holiness goes beyond obeying explicit laws. It is about how we live even when the law is silent. Holiness is the conscious effort to live with dignity, purpose, and restraint—to sanctify the ordinary. To be holy is to elevate the everyday: to speak truthfully, to act justly, and to show compassion in both public and private spheres.

The Torah doesn’t leave us guessing. The verses surrounding this commandment instruct us to care for the poor, pay workers on time, show fairness in judgment, and love our neighbours as ourselves. Holiness is cultivated through ethical living, social responsibility, and intentional kindness. We become holy not by separating from the world, but by engaging in it with moral clarity and compassion.

To be holy is to reflect the Divine image. In a world that often glorifies power, speed, and self-interest, holiness calls us to embody patience, humility, and love. It is a radical stance in a noisy world: to believe that each human encounter holds sacred potential, and that our daily choices shape a just society.

Sforno interprets "You shall be holy" as a call to moral greatness. For him, holiness is the deliberate shaping of a life that clings to the highest values—what he calls d’veikut, spiritual closeness to God. We do not achieve this by transcending humanity, but by living our humanity with courage and conscience.