"Greece worshiped holiness of beauty; Jews found the beauty of holiness." [Matthew Arnold]

An exquisite solution to a mathematical problem, a glorious symphony, a breathtaking work of art or of poetry are all part and parcel of "the world of falsehood."

To the Jewish Mind, if something can be perceived as holy, then it is by definition both beautiful and true. And if cannot be perceived as holy, than it can neither be beautiful, nor true.

Everything associated with our mission as the Jewish people, must be holy.

“You shall be holy to Me, for I, Hashem, am Holy, and I have distinguished you from the peoples, to be Mine.” (VaYikra / Lev. 20:26)

In order to obey that commandment, however, we must understand what holiness is.

The Holiest thing in this world is the Torah. When we read it, study it, and obey its commandments, we approach Holiness and glimpse the essence of G-d.

Holiness is a bond. A marriage bond of kiddushin between us and G-d. We separate from the profane and the mundane, in order to love G-d.

Tzniut (modesty) is our badge of distinction. With tzniut we are making a statement to the world that we are a holy vessel that is not just body, but also soul. Tzniut is a form of kedusha (holiness), a sanctification of our whole being.

“Worship G-d in the beauty of holiness.” (Tehillim 96:9)

What is true beauty?

Most often, when the Torah mentions a beautiful person, it is referring to a person whose outer appearance reflects their inner soul. For example, we are taught about the beauty of our matriarch Sarah. According to our tradition, other women looked like monkeys compared to Sarah. The Talmud says that Sarah was as beautiful at the age of 20 as a seven-year-old child. Yet isn't 20 closer to the ideal age of beauty than seven? What is it about a child that is more beautiful than a young woman?...

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