Holiness is obviously one of those almost intangible concepts which we can imagine through association. Yom Kippur, which includes fasting and praying, is the Holiest day of the year. When we draw near something holy, like the Western Wall, there is a sense of wonder and awe. This is reflected in the Hebrew word for holy “kodosh” which is separate.
However, there can be a misunderstanding about this word. Is holiness really about being set apart and separate? This may seem to connote a kind of coldness or distance. True, holiness inspires the kind of awe which may cause us to step back, but can’t there by holiness in the familiar and the commonplace?
The concept of holiness doesn’t have to seem cold, aloof and unreachable if one thinks about what is being separated. The love connection between a husband and wife is holy but it is hardly cold. It is holy because it is intimate and cuts out any influence which may interfere with the connection. In this sense, holiness can be warm rather than cold, and can involve embracing rather than pushing away.
We are approaching the holiday of Shavuos, which celebrates the giving of the Torah (Jewish law) on Mount Sinai. This event has been compared to a marriage between the Jews and G-d, the day when G-d gave the Jewish people a covenant which was accepted by all. This holiday bring holiness down to Earth and is like an embrace of the Divine. We are not pleading with a G-d in the remote heavens but celebrating a marriage that took place when G-d brought his presence to our level and spoke to us with actual words. This is a warm, and not a cold, type of holiness which is about creating a bond rather than setting oneself apart.
The laws in the covenant contained many prohibitions. We all remember the “Thou shalt nots” from the Ten Commandments. But this is not meant to be focused on forbidding, rather, on weeding out foreign elements that will interfere with our connection with G-d. When looking at religious life, it is easy to feel intimidated by all the prohibitions. But these prohibitions are about removing things that prevent spiritual growth and connection with the divine. The real emphasis is on this connection.