Are We Really ALL Holy?

“Ki kol ha-eidah kulam kedoshim u-v’tocham Hashem – For the entire assembly is holy and God dwells within them.” (Bamidbar 16:3)

This statement is valid. Every Jew IS holy.

Yet, when Korach makes this claim, it is a rebellion against Moshe’s leadership. What’s wrong with Korach claiming all Jews are holy?

Korach believed that the Jews’ inherent holiness was not contingent upon anything. No matter what a Jew does, we retain our holiness. This gave Korach the license to oppose Moshe and suggest a course of action against God’s wishes. Korach was mistaken. We may wish it were true that Jews are all always holy, but Jews don’t always act in a way that reflects God being within us. 

This week, four Israelis were murdered by a Palestinian terrorist while eating lunch at a restaurant at the entrance to Eli. This is an all too frequent occurrence. We must feel the pain of their families. These Jews died al Kiddush Hashem, sanctifying God’s name, as they were killed because they were Jewish. They are Kedoshim.

That evening, a group of Israelis tore through several Palestinian towns setting cars and fields on fire, vandalizing homes and terrorizing residents in a grim repeat of an incident earlier this year. Is this the behavior of holy people? Can we say we are all holy when Jews can behave in this way?

Unfortunately, we encounter Jews behaving badly.

Often, in response, we will say or hear sentiments like there are inevitably some rotten apples, even good people make terrible decisions and act against their values, and anger and rage sometimes get the better of people. True, yet still not enough. Jews are all holy only if we live up to that holiness.

There is a humorous Chasidic story that highlights the importance of living our values and not just resting on our laurels or looking the part.

Mike (Elimelech) Tress was a successful businessman, who gave it all up to help rescue Jews during World War II. For the rest of his life, he devoted himself to helping his fellow Jews. He was greatly respected by all the Torah leaders of his time, including the Satmar Rebbe, Rabbi Yoel Teitelbaum. One of his chasidim was surprised at this and asked the Rebbe how he could show so much respect for an ordinary person? Mike was just a clean-shaven guy!

The Rebbe replied in Yiddish, “In the World to Come, when Mike Tress gets there, they will ask him, ‘Yid, Yid where is your beard?’ When you get there, they will ask, ‘Beard, beard, where is your Yid!’”

We need to live our values and model them to those around us. We can’t just rely on the fact that we’re holy because that isn’t a sure thing.

Korach selfishly wanted to lead. He felt that he was entitled to lead since everyone is holy. He was flat out wrong. Big bold pronouncements mean nothing without the actions that reflect such values. 

We aren’t all always holy. We need to STRIVE for holiness. If all our actions reflect this lofty goal, we can hope, please God, to get there.