Midrasch zu Wajikra 19:4

(Lev. 19:2:) “Speak unto the whole congregation of the Children of Israel, and say unto them, ‘You shall be holy.’” What reason did He have to speak this parashah in an assembly?⁵ Lev. 7:3; Lev. R. 24:5. Why did He not say, “Speak unto the Children of Israel,” as in the rest of the parashiot,⁶I.e., in Exod. 14:2, 15; 25:2; 31:13 Lev. 1:2; 4:2; 7:23, 29; 12:2; 15:2; 18:2; 23:2, 10, 24, 34; 25:2; 27:2; Numb. 5:6, 12; 6:2; 9:10; 15:2, 18, 38; 17:17; 19:2; 33:51; 35:10. rather than “[Speak] unto the whole congregation of the Children of Israel?” Because all of the [ten] commandments are included within it. How? In the commandments it is written (in Exod. 20:2 = Deut. 5:6), “I [am] the Lord your God”; and here (in Lev. 19:2), “I [am] the Lord your God.” In the commandments it is written (in Exod. 20:3 = Deut. 5:7), “You shall have no [other gods beside Me]”; and here (in Lev. 19:4), “Do not turn unto idols.” In the commandments it is written (in Exod. 20:7 = Deut. 5:11), “You shall not take [the name of the Lord your God in vain]”; and here (in Lev. 19:12), “You shall not swear falsely by My name.” In the commandments it is written (Deut. 5:12), “Guard the Sabbath day”; and here it is written (in Lev. 19:3), “You shall keep My Sabbaths.” In the commandments it is written (in Exod. 20:12 = Deut. 5:16), “Honor your father and your mother”; and here it is written (in Lev. 19:3, cont.), “you each shall fear his mother and his father.” In the commandments it is written (in Exod. 20:13 = Deut. 5:17), “You shall not murder”; and here it is written (in Lev. 19:16), “you shall not stand over the blood of your neighbor.” in the commandments it is written (in Exod. 20:13 = Deut. 5:17), “you shall not commit adultery”; and here it is written (in Lev. 19:2), “You shall be holy.“ In the commandments it is written (in Exod. 20:13 = Deut. 5:17), “you shall not stea”l; and here it is written (in Lev. 19:11), “You shall not steal.” In the commandments it is written (in Exod. 20:13 = Deut. 5:17), “you shall not bear [false witness against your neighbor]”; and here it is written (in Lev. 19:16), “You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people.” In the commandments it is written (in Exod. 20:14 = Deut. 5:18), “You shall not covet”; and here it is written (in Lev. 19:13), “You shall not oppress your neighbor, and you shall not rob him.” Here all of the [ten] commandments are included within [it]. It is therefore stated (in Lev. 19:2), “Speak unto the whole congregation [of the Children of Israel].”

In the Commandments it is written (in Exod. 20:2 = Deut. 5:6): I < AM > THE LORD YOUR GOD; and here (in Lev. 19:2): I < AM > THE LORD YOUR GOD.
In the Commandments it is written (in Exod. 20:3 = Deut. 5:7): YOU SHALL HAVE NO < OTHER GODS BESIDE ME >; and here (in Lev. 19:4): DO NOT TURN UNTO IDOLS.
In the Commandments it is written (in Exod. 20:7 = Deut. 5:11): YOU SHALL NOT TAKE < THE NAME OF THE LORD YOUR GOD IN VAIN >; and here (in Lev. 19:12): YOU SHALL NOT SWEAR FALSELY BY MY NAME.
In the Commandments it is written (in Exod. 20:8; cf. Deut. 5:12): REMEMBER [THE SABBATH DAY]; and here it is written (in Lev. 19:3): YOU SHALL KEEP MY SABBATHS.
In the Commandments it is written (in Exod. 20:12 = Deut. 5:16); HONOR YOUR FATHER AND YOUR MOTHER; and here it is written (in Lev. 19:3, cont.): YOU EACH SHALL FEAR HIS MOTHER AND HIS FATHER.
In the Commandments it is written (in Exod. 20:13 = Deut. 5:17): YOU SHALL NOT MURDER; and here it is written (in Lev. 19:16): YOU SHALL NOT STAND OVER THE BLOOD OF YOUR NEIGHBOR.
In the Commandments it is written (in Exod. 20:13 [14] = Deut. 5:17): YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY; and here it is written (in Lev. 19:2): YOU SHALL BE HOLY.
In the Commandments it is written (in Exod. 20:13 [15] = Deut. 5:17): YOU SHALL NOT STEAL; and here it is written (in Lev. 19:11): YOU SHALL NOT STEAL.
In the Commandments it is written (in Exod. 20:13 [16] = Deut. 5:17): YOU SHALL NOT BEAR < FALSE WITNESS AGAINST YOUR NEIGHBOR >; and here it is written (in Lev. 19:16): YOU SHALL NOT GO AROUND AS A SLANDERER AMONG YOUR PEOPLE.
In the Commandments it is written (in Exod. 20:14 [17] = Deut. 5:18): YOU SHALL NOT COVET; and here it is written (in Lev. 19:13): YOU SHALL NOT OPPRESS YOUR NEIGHBOR, AND YOU SHALL NOT ROB HIM.

Rabbi Ze’eira desired to see Rabbi Yosei ben Rabbi Ḥanina [in a dream]. He appeared to him. [Rabbi Ze’eira] said to him: ‘Alongside whom are you situated [in heaven]?’ He said: ‘Alongside Rabbi Yoḥanan.’ [Rabbi Ze’eira asked:] ‘And Rabbi Yoḥanan, alongside whom [is he situated]?’ ‘Alongside Rabbi Yonatan ben Amram.’ ‘And Rabbi Yonatan ben Amram, alongside whom?’ ‘Alongside Rabbi Ḥiyya the Great.’ ‘And Rabbi Rabbi Ḥiyya the Great, alongside whom?’ ‘Alongside Rabbi Yoḥanan.’⁴⁸The last exchange is omitted in the portrayal of this dream in Bava Metzia 85b. That version appears to be more accurate, given the next sentence. [Rabbi Ze’eira asked:] ‘But Rabbi Yoḥanan is not alongside Rabbi Ḥiyya?’ [Rabbi Yosei ben Rabbi Ḥanina] said to him: ‘In a place of fiery sparks and burning fires, who can bring the son of Nappaĥa⁴⁹Son of a blacksmith, an appellation for Rabbi Yoḥanan. there?’
When Rabbi Naḥum, the man who was holy of holies, died, they covered the faces of the statues with mats. They said: Let him not see in his death what he did not see in his lifetime.⁵⁰Rabbi Naḥum would not look at statues in his lifetime, which he considered idolatrous or semi-idolatrous, and they did not want him to see them as his funeral procession passed by. Is it possible that he would see them [when he was dead]? Rabbi Ashyan said: The difference between the righteous [after death] and the wicked [while alive] is only with regard to speech.⁵¹Even after death, the righteous see and hear what is happening on earth. Rabbi Shimon ben Levi said: The difference between the righteous and us is only with regard to speech. Rabbi Ze’eira said: The dead hears his accolades from inside his bier like a dream. Why was he called Naḥum, the man who was holy of holies? Because he never looked at the image engraved on a coin in his life. Rabbi Ḥiyya said: “Do not turn to false gods” (Leviticus 19:4) – do not turn [to them] to worship them. Rabbi [Yehuda HaNasi] said: Do not turn to see them, in its plain sense. Why was [Rabbi Yehuda haNasi] called our holy Rabbi? Because he never looked at his circumcision in his life. Antalimus⁵²Antoninus. was circumcised. He said to Rabbeinu [Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi]: ‘Look at this circumcision of mine.’⁵³He was proud that he had converted. He said to him: ‘At my own I have never looked, will I look at yours?’