You Shall Be Holy...

"The Holiness Code"
is what we call this portion.
"You shall be holy."

We are told to be
as holy as we can be
because God's holy.

Here are some methods
and rules for being holy...
God gives us a list:

Revere your parents,
observe Shabbat and keep it.
Don't bow to idols.

Don't harvest your fields
all the way to the edges -
leave it for the poor.

Don't steal or lie or
swear falsely or cheat others.
Pay workers on time.

Don't insult the deaf,
don't impede a blind person.
Judge everyone fair.

The most famous one:
Love your neighbor as yourself
and observe God's laws.

Don't mix up your cloths,
or cut the side-locks of beards.
Do not turn to ghosts.

Rise before the old
and show deference to them.
Treat strangers nicely.

Don't lie about weights
and measures in your business.
Ani Adonai.*

Don't sacrifice your
children to the god Molech --
you will be punished.

Don't insult your mom
or commit adultery
or consult spirits.

Ani Adonai.
If we do as God says to,
we will be holy.

God says: "I set you
apart from the other folks."
Ani Adonai.

Shabbat Shalom!

See more Haiku writers here.

*I am the Lord.

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