| Dear Yeshiva Family:
This week's parshah begins with an exhortation to be a "Holy People." Rashi explains this mitzvah is to restrict oneself in matters of arayos, or sexual immorality. Rashi then says for wherever you find a "geder," or restrictions of arayos in the Torah, you find holiness juxtaposed to it.
A "geder" is something that is set up before the actual sin. For example, there are people who are addicted to viewing inappropriate content online. Saying to oneself he will never watch inappropriate material again is merely committing not to do the sin again; however, a "geder" would be to set up a barrier even before the sin, in order to prevent oneself from even reaching the temptation. Just like a physical barrier such as a guard rail is set up by a steep drop on a road is sometimes set up well before the drop to prevent any accidents from people who might somehow manage to get over the barrier, so too should one set up restrictions in his life which help stop him from entering the arena of the sin, not just to win the actual battle. This is, of course, a simple, if not hard, tactic in fighting with one's temptations, be it for food, alcohol or lust. Setting up barriers to even avoid the triggers promises far greater success than someone whose game plan is to just avoid the sin itself.
Rashi's explanation therefore is that Kedusha in our parshah refers to those that set up gedarim in the area of sexual immorality. What is of note is that the first Rashi of the parshah says that this parshah specifically was given behakhel – to a gathering of the entire Klal Yisrael as one. This is important to note for one should not say to himself that being a kadosh, a holy person, is not for me for I'm just a regular guy. This exhortation was specifically given to everyone.
The Sifsei Chachamim points out that the label Kadosh, or "holy person," generally does not get awarded for not doing things, rather it gets awarded for fulfilling positive commandments done in a proper way. This is the one time a person can get the name "holy person" for abstaining from an act. If one does not steal, he is merely not a thief, and if one does not eat non-kosher, then he does not get a new label as a "holy-person"; only with regards to promiscuity do we give a person who abstains from sin and sets up preventative fences a new label of "Kadosh"—a "holy person"!
One of the brochos, or blessings, we recite at a wedding under the chuppah is אשר קדשנו במצותיו וצונו על העריות ואסר לנו את הארוסות – "Who has sanctified us with His commandments and has commanded us regarding sexual immorality and who forbade to us betrothed women." Rabbi Shimon Schwab questions that we do not find any beracha elsewhere on the fulfillment of a negative commandment. He suggests that indeed, even this beracha is on a positive mitzvah, this mitzvah of "Kedoshim Tihiyu" – be a holy person, a positive commandment! Nevertheless, the question remains: the fulfillment of this mitzvah is through a non-action, avoiding the sin, or setting up barriers even prior to the trigger, but it is still fulfilled in a preventative manner, and even this does not have a parallel. We do not make berachos on the fulfillment of a mitzvah in a non-action way. (In fact, for this reason we do not make a beracha on bittul chametz, or the cancellation of debts after shmittah, the 7th year). So why should we make a beracha on this mitzvah?
Rabbi Schwab suggests that the exception to this rule of no beracha on a non-action is avoiding sexual immorality. For this avoidance is so difficult and engaging, one's non-action to avoid it is equivalent to an action. In an analogy. visualize holding down a bubbling pot cover to prevent the escaping steam. This looks like a non-action, you are doing something that looks like nothing, not moving as you stand over a pot, but the reality is that it is as engaging and difficult as an action as you struggle to contain the contents of the exploding pot. Therefore, on this mitzvah one can indeed make a beracha for it is as if he performed an action!
Exactly one hundred years ago (1924), the Chofetz Chaim released a letter discussing the challenges Am Yisrael faced in his day. The thrust of his letter (printed in the collection of his letters and at the back of the Sefer Chofetz Chaim on the Torah) is that the Pesukim in Devarim (23:15) states "כי ה' אלקיך מתהלך בקרב מחנך להצילך ולתת איביך לפניך והיה מחניך קדוש ולא יראה בך ערות דבר ושב מאחריך – "For Hashem your God walks in the midst of your camp to rescue you and to deliver your enemies before you; so your camp shall be holy, and He will not see among you a shameful thing and turn away from behind you." It is clear that if we are a holy nation, i.e. if we practice holiness, then we will be saved, and if we turn from holiness, i.e. if there is sexual immorality then Hashem will turn from the camp and we will lose that protection!
We are known as a Holy Nation, an Am Kadosh, and a nation is made up of millions of individuals. On an individual level we were all called together to hear "Kedoshim Tihiyu – you should be holy." That means us! We do this by establishing guidelines, each on our own personal level, for maintaining a level of kedusha in our lives. This will bring Hashem's presence back into our camp and protect us all from the insanity of what is going on in the world around us!
Promiscuity surrounds us. The outside world is drowning in it, desensitized beyond imagination. Whatever safeguards we set up to protect ourselves earns us the title "holy people"! And don't think it won't be hard. This will be tremendously hard, for it is the only sin that is a non-action that can be compared to an action! Putting filters on our devices, strengthening those filters, avoiding places we shouldn't go to. Subscribing to an inspirational voice that can jolt us daily to maintain levels of kedusha, are all things that will bring Hashem deeper into our camp.
May we as a nation continue to help the light of Torah and Kedusha shine on this world and be a true light to the nations!
Rabbi Moshe Revah Rosh HaYeshiva, HTC - Beis HaMidrash LaTorah moshe.revah@htc.edu | 
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