It is a custom to connect the double Torah portions Acharei Mot (“after the death”) and Kedoshim (“holy ones”) together—and their juxtaposition invites a deeper reflection. Since kedoshim appears in the plural, it suggests that holiness is not merely an individual pursuit but a collective calling (Leviticus 19:2). Holiness (kedushah) is closely tied to the idea of separation: to be holy is to be set apart for a sacred purpose. Yet when we read this alongside “after the death,” a more nuanced picture emerges. After a person dies, both the deceased and the mourners are, in different ways, separated from ordinary life. And yet, this separation does not imply isolation. On the contrary, mourning in Jewish tradition is profoundly communal—through the funeral, through shiva, through the presence of those who come to comfort. Holiness and death, then, share an unexpected common ground: one can be set apart (kadosh) and still be supported by community.

This tension feels especially present now. This week, once again, many soldiers were killed on the frontlines. In the midst of celebrating our 78th year as a state, many families have been plunged into grief. It is therefore fitting that Parashat Acharei Mot—which we also read on Yom Kippur—opens with the deaths of Aaron’s two eldest sons, Nadav and Avihu. Like Aaron and Elisheva, families today find themselves mourning........

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