NOTES for Lev 19:1-37
We have already seen many definitions of holiness in the Book of Leviticus: as dedication to God, as belonging to His people, as religious and moral purity. Today's chapter also begins with a call to holiness: "You shall be holy, for I am holy." But most of the commandments in this chapter we would perhaps call "norms of social behavior" or "signs of civil society." Among them are commandments about mercy to the poor, honesty in trade, peace with neighbors, and care for parents. It turns out that these are not merely "worldly concerns" unrelated to religion, but no less than the path of holiness.
This path is different in that it cannot be walked only alone. It is the path of society as a single whole - a society that begins with our families and ends with an entire country and the world community. Those accustomed to thinking that holiness is each person's private matter should remember that it can also be a work done together - with the whole world.