Actions speak louder than words
The text is trying to tell us something important about our behavior. But how do we turn this vague directive into concrete action?
One thing we can notice about this idea of being holy is that there are no real repercussions given for not behaving in a holy manner – there is no one specific action that holiness refers to, so we cannot be prosecuted for not doing it. Remember that part of the definition of law is that it can be "enforced by judicial decision," i.e. you can be taken to court and punished for breaking a law.
Yet judicial punishment is not a part of the definition of ethical behavior. Ethical behavior is enforced by social repercussions rather than judicial punishment. Your friends may not want to have anything to do with you if they see that you are unethical and untrustworthy. There is no judicial punishment for unholy behavior. This suggests that holiness falls into the realm of ethics rather than law.
But how do we know what kind of behavior is expected from us if there is no specific list of what to do, like we have for laws? How can we translate this concept "being holy" into concrete actions?
The rest of Vayikra 19 provides us with specific examples of concrete actions. Most commentaries view pasuk 18 as the most significant:
יח. לֹא-תִקֹּם וְלֹא-תִטֹּר אֶת-בְּנֵי עַמֶּךָ, וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ: אֲנִי, ה |
18. You shall not take vengeance, nor bear a grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord. |
What does this pasuk mean?