Not surprisingly, the parasha of Kedoshim (meaning “holy”) includes the section of the Bible referred to as the Holiness Code. These chapters in Leviticus are characterized by a refrain, “kedoshim tihyu…You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.” Most of the Ten Commandments are restated here, as well as a broad range of other mitzvot, blending ritual requirements with ethical mandates.
One verse from the beginning of the Holiness Code states, “You shall keep My laws and rules by which man shall live…” The Rabbis pick up on the words, “vachai bahem – you shall live by them,” and explain this to mean that we ought to live by the mitzvot and not die by them. In other words, the purpose of the mitzvot is to lead a good life, not to put life at risk. The Rabbis called this concept "pikuach nefesh," the maintaining of life.
Thus, for example, if someone is starving and his life is at stake, it is more important to sustain his life by giving him un-kosher food than it is to keep the commandments of kashrut. The same goes for lighting a fire on Shabbat if someone is freezing, and so on. According to Jewish tradition, the only times it is preferable to give up your life are when given the choice between dying and committing murder, idol worship or sexual misconduct (such as incest). Fortunately we don’t have to face such choices very often!
The phrase “vachai baheim - you shall live by them” also has implications for how we approach Jewish education. Judaism is not merely a subject to be studied, but a way of life to be lived. This means that textual learning must be accompanied by real, authentic experiences that bring the text’s content to life. Learning about tzedakah is not the same as giving; learning about prayer is not the same as actually davening; learning about Torah is not the same as truly engaging in Torah study. I am proud to say that this has always been the philosophy at the TAS Hebrew School. The more we are able to provide students with experiential learning opportunities, the greater the chances that the next generation of Jews will truly exemplify “vachai bahem.”
