I'm still reviewing Exodus Chap. 30 and have some more thoughts. The word "holy" intrigues me. (parentheses are my supplement to translation) Verse 29 refers to an altar, table, vessels, menorah, etc. and says of these things: "v'kidashta otam" meaning you(plural) will make them holy (or sanctify them), continuing, "v'hayu kodesh kadashim" "and they shall be most holy", (to the extent that) "kol ha'nogaya bahem yikdash" "whatever comes in contact with them shall be made holy (by that contact.)"

In this case, the object is made holy by the action of persons. Holiness is passive, something that happens to things or people by the actions of people. Mix up a potion or a combination of olive oil and the essences of various plants, pour, or wipe, or rub them on things or people or animals, and make them holy. The holiness can also be transferred by touch (last words of v.29.)

But look at a quote from the Amidah - "atah kadosh v'shimcha kadosh", "You (G-d) are holy and your name is holy....." Obviously, man cannot render G-d holy, so in this case, the Deity is holy by its nature. But from Kedusha, "n'kadesh et shimcha ba'olam," "we sanctify (make holy) your name in the world...."

There are things, living, and inanimate that are rendered holy by other things physical, or spiritual, or even by physical contact. There are things and creatures of the Earth that are inherently holy, and there are spiritual entities, such as G-d, that either are holy, or are made holy by us. This is an area that is deeply interesting, confusing, troubling, enlightening, and perhaps, to some, mysterious. Or perhaps, it's just lazy use of a word without regard for passive, active, physical, spiritual, animate, and inanimate? I don't know.

But I think we learn something from the type of kedusha (holiness) implied by words like "n'kadesh" which tell us that we have the power to make things holy, or to at least create a perception of holiness. We can choose to do this, as we can choose to defile. We can do this through our thoughts, or actions, or simply by our perspective. I wish I could shed more light on this subject, but I don't have enough background to go into it too deeply.

Not to open a can of worms, but the word "b'racha" "blessing" and all the related words with the root b/r/ch which relate to blessing lead us into similar depths of wonder and confusion. We bless G-d, as in "Baruch ata" "You (G-d) are blessed (by me/us)"; we are blessed by G-d, as in "Y'varechacha Hashem V'yishmerecha""G-d will bless and watch over you", and things are blessed by their nature, as in "Shabbat shalom u'mvorach "a peaceful and blessed Shabbat." I won't even get into the root source of the Hebrew word "blessing" which is the same root as the word "berech "knee". We won't go there. Phew!

And just to cap all this off, where does "blessed" end and "holy" begin? As I write, I take note that these words are closely related. Enough for now.