Parshas Kedoshim

“And you may not go in the fixed ways of the nations who I am sending away from before you!” (Vayikra 20:23)

 It is a negative commandment that one may not follow in the fixed ways of the nations, as it says “And you may not go in the fixed ways of the nations who I am sending away from before you!”. This prohibition applies not only to the ways of the nations who were driven out of the land of Israel, but also to any other non-Jewish nation from any other land. The point of this commandment is that we should not act like them in our dress or other actions, like going to circuses and theatres. Similarly, one should not grow our hair like theirs, that they shave their hair on the sides and leave it to grow in the middle. The aforementioned hairstyle is called by Chazal “Bloris”.

Amongst the roots of this commandment are that one must distance oneself from all the nations and denigrate their customs even in clothing.

This commandment applies in all places and at all times, both to men and to women. One who violates this commandment and does these things in order to be like them receives lashes. One who distances himself from all their ways and customs and keeps all his thoughts and intentions only toward Hashem and his precious commandments, will receive the reward that his soul will rest in goodness and his descendants will inherit the land.