Drawing the inner point of holiness outward

במד' ג' קדושות הם.

In the Midrash: there are three holinesses (kedushos).

The Midrash speaks of three distinct levels of holiness available in creation.

וב' קדושות נתן לבנ"י.

And two holinesses He gave to Bnei Yisrael.

Of those three, only two were placed within reach of Bnei Yisrael to attain.

דיש קדושה בבחי' מחשבה דיבור ומעשה.

For there is holiness in the aspect of thought, speech, and deed (machshavah, dibur, ma'aseh).

The three holinesses correspond to the three modes of human expression: thought, speech, and action.

ובכח התורה ומצות מתקדשין בנ"י בדיבור ומעשה כמ"ש אשר קדשנו במצותיו.

And through the power of Torah and mitzvos, Bnei Yisrael are sanctified in speech and deed, as it says "Who has sanctified us with His mitzvos."

Torah and mitzvos sanctify the two outer dimensions — speech and action — as we say in every brachah, "asher kideshanu bemitzvosav."

וב' קדושות אלו יכול איש ישראל להתקדש בעולם להיות כל דבריו ומעשיו נשמרין בקדושה לשמור הדיבור והמעשה.

And in these two holinesses a Jew can sanctify himself in the world, so that all his words and deeds are guarded in holiness — to safeguard speech and deed.

A person genuinely can keep his speech and his actions consistently within the bounds of kedushah; these two are fully within his control.

אבל המחשבה להיות נשמר לעולם בקדושה בלי מחשבה זרה אין באפשרות.

But thought — to be guarded always in holiness without any foreign thought — is not possible.

The third holiness, that of thought, cannot be perfectly maintained; no person can keep every stray thought out of his mind at all times.

ובאמת עשה האלהים כו' האדם ישר.

And in truth, "God made... man upright."

Originally (Koheles 7:29) man was created "yashar" — straight and pure, capable even of holy thought.

אבל אחר החטא א"א לאדם להתקדש בבחי' מחשבה לכן ניתן לנו ב' קדושות.

But after the sin, it is impossible for a person to sanctify himself in the aspect of thought; therefore only two holinesses were given to us.

The cheit (sin) of Adam introduced an ineradicable mixture into human thought, so we were granted mastery only over speech and deed.

אך המקדש עצמו כראוי בב' הקדושות מעלין עליו כאילו נתקדש גם קדושה השלישית כיון שברצונו להתקדש ונאנס מעלה עליו הכתוב כאילו עשאו ובקדושת הדיבור ומעשה כל שאינו מתקדש בהם נעשה רשימה בפועל בדיבור או במעשה לכן לא סגי ברצון בלבד אבל בבחי' המחשבה תלוי ברצון.

However, one who properly sanctifies himself in the two holinesses is regarded as if he had also been sanctified in the third holiness — since his will is to be holy but he is compelled [otherwise], Scripture regards it as if he had done it. And in the holiness of speech and deed, whoever does not sanctify himself in them leaves an actual imprint (reshimah) in speech or deed; therefore [there] will alone does not suffice. But in the aspect of thought, [everything] depends on the will.

One who masters speech and deed is credited as if he reached the holiness of thought too, because there his failure is an "ones" (compulsion) and Hashem counts the sincere ratzon as the deed. With speech and action, however, an unsanctified act leaves a real mark, so good intention alone is not enough — but with thought, which leaves no external trace, the sincere will itself is decisive.

ולכן כל שרצונו באמת להתקדש אין האונס פוגם בו.

Therefore anyone whose will is truly to be holy — the compulsion does not blemish him.

When a person genuinely wills holiness of thought, the involuntary intrusions of foreign thoughts cause him no real spiritual damage.

והנה מצוה קדושים תהיו להמשיך הקדושה בכל עובדא כי קדוש אני ה"א א"כ הקדושה נמצאת באיש ישראל אבל צריכין להמשיך הקדושה בכל האברים.

Now the mitzvah of "you shall be holy" is to draw the holiness into every act, for "I, Hashem your God, am holy" — so the holiness is already found within a Jew, but one must draw the holiness into all the limbs.

The command "kedoshim tihyu" (Vayikra 19:2) is to extend holiness into every deed. Because Hashem who is holy dwells within us, the kedushah already exists inside; our task is to channel it outward into all the body's organs.

ובזוה"ק ה"א מתהלך בקרב מחנך הוא הרמ"ח אברים שבאדם.

And in the Zohar: "Hashem your God walks within your camp" — this is the 248 (ramach) limbs in a person.

The Zohar reads "your camp" (Devarim 23:15) as the human body itself, with its 248 limbs corresponding to the 248 positive mitzvos.

ומתהלך לשון הוה.

And "walks" (mishaleich) is in the present-continuous tense.

The grammatical form denotes an ongoing, ever-present action — the holiness is constantly in motion, not a one-time event.

כי בכל עת שאדם מוכן להקדושה.

For at every moment that a person is ready for the holiness —

Whenever a person prepares and opens himself to receive kedushah —

נקודה הקדושה שבו מתפשטת.

— the point of holiness within him spreads forth.

The hidden inner "nekudah" (point) of holiness expands and radiates outward through him.

כמו בגשמיות החיות והדם מתפשט בכל אברים וגידין כן בפנימיות.

Just as in the physical realm the life-force and the blood spread through all the limbs and sinews, so too in the inner realm.

Like blood and vitality flowing from the heart through the whole body, the inner kedushah flows from its core point throughout the person.

הקדושה מתפשטת בכל אברים כשהם מוכנים לקבל הקדושה:

The holiness spreads through all the limbs when they are ready to receive the holiness.

The inner point of kedushah suffuses every limb to the degree that the person prepares each part of himself to receive it.

Summary: There are three holinesses — of thought, speech, and deed — but only two were given to Bnei Yisrael, since after Adam's sin perfectly holy thought is impossible. Yet one whose true ratzon is to be holy is credited even for the holiness of thought, because there the sincere will counts as the deed. The mitzvah "kedoshim tihyu" is to draw the inner point of holiness, which already dwells within us, outward into all 248 limbs — flowing continuously like the life-force through the body, to the degree we ready ourselves to receive it.