Leviticus 19: Be Holy

YINR 929: Tanach Yomi · Jan 28, 2026 · 3m

“Speak to the whole Israelite community and say to them: You shall be holy, for I, your God am holy” (Verse 2). דַּבֵּר אֶל־כָּל־עֲדַת בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵהֶם קְדֹשִׁים תִּהְיוּ כִּי קָדוֹשׁ אֲנִי ה' אֱלֹהֵיכֶם׃

In chapter 18, God relayed his mishpatim and chukim and then listed some examples. In this chapter, God takes a different tact. The list of laws are not introduced by legal categories, but with a call to lead a holy life. The concept of holiness was not very prevalent in the Torah until the book of Exodus. The first mention of holiness is way back in the first story of…