190 Torah Book & Portion, Book of Leviticus, Kedoshim (Leviticus 19:1–20:27), Source Book Keys, AMEMEI LEVITICUS | 19:2 holy — LEV274 Another approach to holiness is the one mo... LEV274 Another approach to holiness is the one most people think of when asked to describe the concept. This is the view of Rashi, who describes holiness in his commentary to [this verse]. Rashi says abstain from illicit sexual activity. It seems from Rashi that one achieves holiness by abstaining from those things forbidden to the Jew. This is classic Christian definition of holiness as well. The more one denies the bodily pleasures, the more one becomes holy. Long before Christianity existed, this concept existed in Judaism. As noted earlier, the illicit sexual activity with a prostitute is associated philologically with the Hebrew term for holiness. Similarly, the Torah states that the purpose of the laws of kashrut are to attain holiness (See chapter "Food" for a further examination of this idea). Thus, abstention from the two basic physical drives of man, sex and food, leads a person to holiness, according to this idea of holiness. Share Print Source KeyAMEMEIVerse19:2Keyword(s)holySource Page(s)100 Switch article LEVITICUS | 19:2 holy — LEV271 … there is a special kind of holiness that... Previous Article LEVITICUS | 19:2 holy — LEV289 Yet another approach is offered by Nachman... Next Article