Leviticus 6:18 – TRANSLATION ISSUE. Here is what The HalleluYah Scriptures Translation says “All the males among the children of Aharon eat it…All that touches them is to be set-apart.’ ”

Other translations says something like this “Anything that touches the offerings will become holy”.  The original Hebrew translators confirm that it should read that you must be holy/set-apart – and not touching it will make you set-apart/holy.  Haggai 2:12-14 confirms this “If one bears set-apart meat in the fold of his garment, and with the edge he touches bread or stew, or wine or oil, or any food, is it set-apart?” ’ ” And the priests answered and said, “No.” And Ḥaggai said, “If someone defiled by a dead body touches any of these, is it defiled?” And the priests answered and said, “It is defiled.”

Holiness is not determined by wearing special clothing, using specific oils, touching certain objects or performing certain rituals. Yeshua illustrated this point when He spoke about handwashing, emphasizing that what enters the body does not make a person holy or unholy. As stated in Matthew 15:17-20: “But what comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and these defile a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, and slander. These are what defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them.”

In our culture today, the meaning of “holy” is often misunderstood. The Hebrew word KADOSH/QADOSH (H6942 – qāḏaš) means to be dedicated, prepared, appointed, and living set apart for a purpose. Holiness is a way of living—it is reflected in our hearts, motives, and actions.

At Mount Sinai, YHVH declared in Exodus 19:6: “And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words you are to speak to the children of Israel.” This shows that holiness is not limited to priests alone; rather, all who are part of Israel are called to live in holiness. It’s also important to note that being unclean and being unholy are not the same — this distinction will be explored further in later in our daily Bible reading studies.

Yeshua repeated our Fathers’ commands in Matthew 5:48 “Therefore, be perfect, as your Father in the heavens is perfect.” Peter also quotes Exodus 19:6 in 1 Peter 1:15-16 “instead, as the One who called you is set-apart, so you also should become set-apart in all behavior, because it has been written, “Be set-apart, for I am set-apart.”

• Psalm 119:9-11 “How would a young man cleanse his path. To guard it according to Your word? I have sought You with all my heart; Let me not stray from Your commands! I have treasured up Your word in my heart, That I might not sin against You.“
• Isaiah 57:15 “For thus declares the high and exalted One who dwells forever, whose Name is set-apart, “I dwell in the high and set-apart place, with him who has a bruised and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of bruised ones.”
• Isaiah 35:8 “And there shall be a highway, and a way, and it shall be called “The Way of Set-apartness.” The defiled does not pass over it, but it is for those who walk the way, and no fools wander on it.”