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Before the giving of the Torah, we were also told about the importance of being holy, as we were urged to become a "mamlechet kohanim v’goy kadosh (a kingdom of kohanim and a holy nation)" (Shemot 19:6). Is there a connection between the two exhortations to be kadosh?
Rashi explains that a kingdom of "kohanim" refers to officers, but he does not explain what a kadosh nation means. The Ramban says that the former refers to servants/helpers of Hashem, and a holy nation means to cling to Him, invoking our pasuk of kedoshim teh’yu as corroboration.
The Rambam’s son, R. Avraham, surprises with a different direction. He speaks of kedusha on an individual basis and on a collective basis. To understand this, let us take a look at the context (Shemot 19:1-10) of this idea that the whole nation is to be made up of kohanim and holy people. The Torah describes the preparations of Moshe and Bnei Yisrael for the great events at the foot of Mt. Sinai. The willingness of this group of people to accept the rigors of following the word of Hashem even before hearing all of the precepts in advance makes them a special nation, dear to Hashem. This is the collective holiness that R. Avraham spoke of.
Am Yisrael as a collective is holy. Certainly, when the people are united, this finds greatest expression, and we can apply "Your nation are all righteous" (Yeshayahu 60:21). In order for Am Yisrael to be considered a true collective, it needs to be free from the servitude of Egypt and possess its own Land. It requires independence, which is an intrinsic part of this ideal situation. An independent Jewish state is a holy thing that we must guard to the fullest extent and must be partners in its defense. This unified collective is called "K’nesset Yisrael."
Am Yisrael is Hashem’s "bride," and therefore it cannot be enslaved to or in the domain of anyone else. The midrash (Tanchuma, Kedoshim 2) captures this concept, comparing the situation to a king who married a woman and said, "Since you have become married to me, I am the king and you are the queen, and each of us is an honor to the other." This, explains the midrash, is the reason the root kadosh (meaning holy and meaning betrothed) is used in the people’s preparation for the acceptance of the Torah at Sinai (Shemot 19:10). As Hashem’s "wife," we became a mamlechet kohanim v’goy kadosh.
There is also an obligation of holiness in each and every individual. This encompasses the multitude of specific mitzvot of the Torah and all of the Ten Commandments. As we cherish our national independence and improvements in unity and connection to the collective, which makes us "all righteous," we will continue to strive to use pleasant ways to try to strengthen the individual holiness of as many as possible. This will bring on the next steps of our already begun national liberation.
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