It always struck me whenever I had the privilege to meet a great Torah Sage how normal he seemed. He was not hidden in a cave at the side of a mountain, picking berries for sustenance and living a total disconnected and ascetic life. It was, in fact, as if he defined the yardstick of normalcy. After meeting this person, other people seemed somewhat less than normal.

The Alshich explains that G-d instructed Moshe to call all the people together when giving them the commandment to be holy in order that it would be clear that holiness is not something achievable by only the few. Every Jew has the potential to be holy, and thus it follows that if every Jew has the potential to be holy, holiness is not a voluntary affair but an obligation.

Holiness does not consist of the mortifying the flesh or of extreme abstinence. Holiness does not mean rolling in ice or lying on a bed of nails. Holiness means becoming more and more normal.

Holy Jews live normal married lives. They eat normally. They breathe normally. However, everything they do is with consideration and within measure.

Holiness means being normal even in the most abnormal situations. It means never compromising with our lower desires, but at the same time recognizing that we are part physical beings. Being holy means resisting that extra spoonful of cholent, even if the kashrut is top-notch. Above all, holiness means going beyond the technical fulfillment of the mitzvahs. It means “sanctifying the permitted.” When something is outright forbidden, it is much easier to steer clear of it. In such a case, there is no room for negotiation with our lower personas. However, when something is permitted, there is always the temptation to push the edge of the envelope. And although technically one could stay within the letter of the law, the commandment to be holy tells us that there is more to mitzvah observance than the letter of the law. Observing the spirit of the law is a mitzvah in itself. That is what it means to be normal.

• Source: Based on the Ramban