קְדוֹשִׁים תִּהְיוּ הֱווּ פְּרוּשִׁים מִן הָעֲרָיוֹת וּמִן הָעֲבֵרָה, שֶׁכָּל מָקוֹם שֶׁאַתָּה מוֹצֵא גֶּדֶר עֶרְוָה אַתָּה מוֹצֵא קְדֻשָּׁה, לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על ויקרא י"ט:ב'). אֲבָל בְּתוֹרַת כֹּהֲנִים (פרשה א ב) רָאִיתִי סְתָם, פְּרוּשִׁים תִּהְיוּ. וְכֵן שָׁנוּ שָׁם (שמיני פרק יב ג), "וְהִתְקַדִּשְׁתֶּם וִהְיִיתֶם קְדֹשִׁים כִּי קָדוֹשׁ אָנִי", כְּשֵׁם שֶׁאֲנִי קָדוֹשׁ כָּךְ אַתֶּם תִּהְיוּ קְדוֹשִׁים, כְּשֵׁם שֶׁאֲנִי פָּרוּשׁ כָּךְ אַתֶּם תִּהְיוּ פְּרוּשִׁים. וּלְפִי דַּעְתִּי אֵין הַפְּרִישׁוּת הַזּוֹ לִפְרֹשׁ מִן הָעֲרָיוֹת כְּדִבְרֵי הָרַב, אֲבָל הַפְּרִישׁוּת הִיא הַמֻּזְכֶּרֶת בְּכָל מָקוֹם בַּתַּלְמוּד שֶׁבְּעָלֶיהָ נִקְרָאִים "פְּרוּשִׁים". וְהָעִנְיָן כִּי הַתּוֹרָה הִזְהִירָה בָּעֲרָיוֹת וּבַמַּאֲכָלִים הָאֲסוּרִים, וְהִתִּירָה הַבִּיאָה אִישׁ בְּאִשְׁתּוֹ וַאֲכִילַת הַבָּשָׂר וְהַיַּיִן. א"כ יִמְצָא בַּעַל הַתַּאֲוָה מָקוֹם לִהְיוֹת שָׁטוּף בְּזִמַּת אִשְׁתּוֹ אוֹ נָשָׁיו הָרַבּוֹת, וְלִהְיוֹת בְּסֹבְאֵי יָיִן בְּזֹלֲלֵי בָשָׂר לָמוֹ, וִידַבֵּר כִּרְצוֹנוֹ בְּכָל הַנְּבָלוֹת, שֶׁלֹּא הֻזְכַּר אִסּוּר זֶה בַּתּוֹרָה, וְהִנֵּה יִהְיֶה נָבָל בִּרְשׁוּת הַתּוֹרָה. לְפִיכָךְ בָּא הַכָּתוּב אַחֲרֵי שֶׁפֵּרֵט הָאִסּוּרִים שֶׁאָסַר אוֹתָם לְגַמְרֵי, וְצִוָּה בְּדָבָר כְּלָלִי - שֶׁנִּהְיֶה פְּרוּשִׁים מִן הַמֻּתָּרוֹת: יְמַעֵט בַּמִּשְׁגָּל, כְּעִנְיָן שֶׁאָמְרוּ (ברכות כב) שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיוּ תַּלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים מְצוּיִין אֵצֶל נְשׁוֹתֵיהֶן כַּתַּרְנְגֹלִין, וְלֹא יְשַׁמֵּשׁ אֶלָּא כְּפִי הַצָּרִיךְ בְּקִיּוּם הַמִּצְוָה מִמֶּנּוּ; וִיקַדֵּשׁ עַצְמוֹ מִן הַיַּיִן בְּמִעוּטוֹ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁקָּרָא הַכָּתוּב (במדבר ו ה) הַנָּזִיר - "קָדוֹשׁ", וְיִזְכֹּר הָרָעוֹת הַנִּזְכָּרוֹת מִמֶּנּוּ בַּתּוֹרָה (בראשית ט כא) בְּנֹחַ וּבְלוֹט; וְכֵן יַפְרִישׁ עַצְמוֹ מִן הַטֻּמְאָה, אע"פ שֶׁלֹּא הֻזְהַרְנוּ מִמֶּנָּה בַּתּוֹרָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁהִזְכִּירוּ (חגיגה יח), בִּגְדֵי עַם הָאָרֶץ מִדְרָס לַפְּרוּשִׁים, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁנִּקְרָא הַנָּזִיר "קָדוֹשׁ" (במדבר ו ח) בְּשָׁמְרוֹ מִטֻּמְאַת הַמֵּת גַּם כֵּן; וְגַם יִשְׁמֹר פִּיו וּלְשׁוֹנוֹ מֵהִתְגָּאֵל בְּרִבּוּי הָאֲכִילָה הַגַּסָּה וּמִן הַדִּבּוּר הַנִּמְאָס, כְּעִנְיָן שֶׁהִזְכִּיר הַכָּתוּב (ישעיהו ט טז) "וְכָל פֶּה דֹּבֵר נְבָלָה", וִיקַדֵּשׁ עַצְמוֹ בָּזֶה עַד שֶׁיַּגִּיעַ לַפְּרִישׁוּת, כְּמָה שֶׁאָמְרוּ עַל רַבִּי חִיָּא שֶׁלֹּא שָׂח שִׂיחָה בְּטֵלָה מִיָּמָיו. בְּאֵלּוּ וּבְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּהֶן בָּאָה הַמִּצְוָה הַזֹּאת הַכְּלָלִית, אַחֲרֵי שֶׁפֵּרֵט כָּל הָעֲבֵרוֹת שֶׁהֵן אֲסוּרוֹת לְגַמְרֵי, עַד שֶׁיִּכָּנֵס בִּכְלַל זֹאת הַצַּוָּאָה הַנְּקִיּוּת בְּיָדָיו וְגוּפוֹ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ (ברכות נג) "וְהִתְקַדִּשְׁתֶּם" אֵלּוּ מַיִם רִאשׁוֹנִים, "וִהְיִיתֶם קְדֹשִׁים" אֵלּוּ מַיִם אַחֲרוֹנִים, "כִּי קָדוֹשׁ" זֶה שֶׁמֶן עָרֵב. כִּי אע"פ שֶׁאֵלּוּ מִצְוֹת מִדִּבְרֵיהֶם, עִקַּר הַכָּתוּב בְּכַיּוֹצֵא בָּזֶה יַזְהִיר שֶׁנִּהְיֶה נְקִיִּים וּטְהוֹרִים וּפְרוּשִׁים מֵהֲמוֹן בְּנֵי אָדָם, שֶׁהֵם מְלַכְלְכִים עַצְמָם בַּמֻּתָּרוֹת וּבַכִּעוּרִים. וְזֶה דֶּרֶךְ הַתּוֹרָה לִפְרֹט וְלִכְלֹל בְּכַיּוֹצֵא בָּזֶה, כִּי אַחֲרֵי אַזְהָרַת פְּרָטֵי הַדִּינִין בְּכָל מַשָּׂא וּמַתָּן שֶׁבֵּין בְּנֵי אָדָם, לֹא תִּגְנֹב וְלֹא תִּגְזֹל וְלֹא תּוֹנוּ וּשְׁאָר הָאַזְהָרוֹת, אָמַר בִּכְלָל "וְעָשִׂיתָ הַיָּשָׁר וְהַטּוֹב" (דברים ו יח), שֶׁיַּכְנִיס בַּעֲשֵׂה הַיֹּשֶׁר וְהַהַשְׁוָיָה וְכָל לִפְנִים מִשּׁוּרַת הַדִּין לִרְצוֹן חֲבֵרָיו, כַּאֲשֶׁר אֲפָרֵשׁ (שם) בְּהַגִּיעִי לִמְקוֹמוֹ בִּרְצוֹן הקב"ה. וְכֵן בְּעִנְיַן הַשַּׁבָּת, אָסַר הַמְּלָאכוֹת בְּלָאו וְהַטְּרָחִים בַּעֲשֵׂה כְּלָלִי, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "תִּשְׁבֹּת", וְעוֹד אֲפָרֵשׁ זֶה (רמב"ן על ויקרא כ"ג:כ"ד) בע"ה:
YE SHALL BE HOLY. “Abstain from the forbidden sexual relationships [mentioned in the preceding section] and from [other] sin, because wherever you find [in the Torah] a warning to guard against immorality, you find the mention of ‘holiness.’” This is Rashi’s language. But in the Torath Kohanim I have seen it mentioned without any qualification [i.e., without any particular reference to immorality, as Rashi expressed it], saying: “Be self-restraining.” Similarly, the Rabbis taught there: “And ye shall sanctify yourselves, and be ye holy, for I am Holy. Just as I am Holy, so be you holy. Just as I am Pure, so be you pure.” And in my opinion, this abstinence does not refer only to restraint from acts of immorality, as the Rabbi [Rashi] wrote, but it is rather the self-control mentioned throughout the Talmud, which confers upon those who practice it the name of P’rushim (Pharisees), [literally: “those who are separated” from self-indulgence, as will be explained, or those who practice self-restraint]. The meaning thereof is as follows: The Torah has admonished us against immorality and forbidden foods, but permitted sexual intercourse between man and his wife, and the eating of [certain] meat and wine. If so, a man of desire could consider this to be a permission to be passionately addicted to sexual intercourse with his wife or many wives, and be among winebibbers, among gluttonous eaters of flesh, and speak freely all profanities, since this prohibition has not been [expressly] mentioned in the Torah, and thus he will become a sordid person within the permissible realm of the Torah! Therefore, after having listed the matters which He prohibited altogether, Scripture followed them up by a general command that we practice moderation even in matters which are permitted, [such as in the following]: One should minimize sexual intercourse, similar to that which the Rabbis have said, “So that the disciples of the Sages should not be found together with their wives as often as the hens,” and he should not engage in it except as required in fulfillment of the commandment thereof. He should also sanctify himself [to self-restraint] by using wine in small amounts, just as Scripture calls a Nazirite “holy” [for abstaining from wine and strong drink], and he should remember the evils which the Torah mentioned as following from [drinking wine] in the cases of Noah and Lot. Similarly, he should keep himself away from impurity [in his ordinary daily activity], even though we have not been admonished against it in the Torah, similar to that which the Rabbis have said: “For the P’rushim (Pharisees), the clothes of the unlearned are considered as if trodden upon by a zav” [or zavah — a man or woman having suffered a flux], and just as the Nazirite is called “holy” because of guarding himself from the impurity of the dead. Likewise he should guard his mouth and tongue from being defiled by excessive food and by lewd talk, similar to what Scripture states, and every mouth speaketh wantonness, and he should purify himself in this respect until he reaches the degree known as [complete] “self-restraint,” as the Rabbis said concerning Rabbi Chiya, that never in his life did he engage in unnecessary talk. It is with reference to these and similar matters that this general commandment [Ye shall be holy] is concerned, after He had enumerated all individual deeds which are strictly forbidden, so that cleanliness of hands and body, are also included in this precept, just like the Rabbis have said: “And ye shall sanctify yourselves. This refers to the washing of hands before meals. And be ye holy. This refers to the washing of hands after meals [before the reciting of grace]. For I am holy — this alludes to the spiced oil” [with which they used to rub their hands after a meal]. For although these [washings and perfuming of the hands] are commandments of Rabbinic origin, yet Scripture’s main intention is to warn us of such matters, that we should be [physically] clean and [ritually] pure, and separated from the common people who soil themselves with luxuries and unseemly things. And such is the way of the Torah, that after it lists certain specific prohibitions, it includes them all in a general precept. Thus after warning with detailed laws regarding all business dealings between people, such as not to steal or rob or to wrong one another, and other similar prohibitions, He said in general, And thou shalt do that which is right and good, thus including under a positive commandment the duty of doing that which is right and of agreeing to a compromise [when not to do so would be inequitable]; as well as all requirements to act “beyond” the line of justice [i.e., to be generous in not insisting upon one’s rights as defined by the strict letter of the law, but to agree to act “beyond” that line of the strict law] for the sake of pleasing one’s fellowman, as I will explain when I reach there [that verse], with the will of the Holy One, blessed be He. Similarly in the case of the Sabbath, He prohibited doing certain classes of work by means of a negative commandment, and painstaking labors [not categorized as “work,” such as transferring heavy loads in one’s yard from one place to another, etc.] He included under a general positive commandment, as it is said, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest. I will yet explain this with the help of G-d.