You Will Be Unto Me a Kingdom of Priests

(Exodus 19:5), “‘Now, if you surely listen to My voice and keep My covenant, then you will be a Segula [virtue/power/cure] unto Me from among all peoples, for all the earth is Mine; and you will be unto Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words that you will say to the children of Israel.’ And Moses came and called for the elders of the people and set before them all these words which the Lord had commanded him. And all the people answered together and said, ‘All that the Lord has said, we will do.’ And Moses reported the words of the people unto the Lord.”

All these perceptions of kingdom of priests and a holy nation is about people who have a point in the heart, who are called Israel, on the path of Yashar-El. From a social perspective they have no personal property. These are people undergoing a correction of bestowing for the sake of bestowal. Their only concern is passing on the method. These are the priests. And the holy nation is that we sanctify our will to receive to become a will to bestow. Meaning receiving to bestow. Or the way Baal HaSulam describes it the method of work is called a Kingdom of Priests, from the word mamlacha - the desire to control. Having an intention to bestow. And the profit is a holy nation. That all our desires (the nation) reach for the sake of bestowal as well.

In the words of Rav -

Student: What is a "priest"?

When he transmits the Creator's bestowal through him to the rest of creation. This is a role called "Israel," in which he carries out the command, in which he carries out the will of God, in which he resembles the Creator.

Student: So what is the difference between Israel and a priest?

Everyone who bestows is called a "priest." Because Israel is the general name for someone who is directed to the Creator. Someone who has already reached a state where he not only directs himself to the Creator but also receives powers, strength, and the ability to bestow, and carries it out, is called the "kingdom of priests." We need to create the kingdom of priests, we need to reach it, it depends on our work. Israel does not depend on us. (Meaning we all received a point in the heart).

Let's say you received this point, now the question is how do you realize it. In order to realize it, you receive a command from the Creator, you must reach a level called "Cohen." What is a priest? The bestower. That is, it already depends on your work. You received the point in your heart from me, that's why you are called Israel. And to become a priest, you have to reach.

Student: What is the kingdom of priests?

The "kingdom of priests" is called that you have to be organized in such a way that you can bestow all the will to receive that is built under you. The Creator says, "To receive from me all the light, all the corrections, everything that is needed and to transfer it to them. I need a "nation" so to speak, I need a transition. "The Israeli nation was established as a transition," through which, there is no other way, but through this adjustment between the Creator and the nations, to the creatures, there must be some kind of adjustment that in something received the will from the Creator. This point in the heart in something is included with the others, and then it works as a transmitter, as a transition.

The Arvut, Letter 26

26) Bear in mind that these matters are evident to every educated person in the invitation that the Creator had sent to Israel through Moses prior to the reception of the Torah. It is as it is written (Exodus 19:5), “‘Now, if you surely listen to My voice and keep My covenant, then you will be a Segula [virtue/power/cure] unto Me from among all peoples, for all the earth is Mine; and you will be unto Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words that you will say to the children of Israel.’ And Moses came and called for the elders of the people and set before them all these words which the Lord had commanded him. And all the people answered together and said, ‘All that the Lord has said, we will do.’ And Moses reported the words of the people unto the Lord.”

These words do not seem to fit their role, since common sense dictates that if one offers one’s friend to do some work and wants him to agree, he should give him an example of the nature of that work and its reward. Only then can the receiver examine it, whether to decline or to accept.

But here, in these two verses, we seem to find neither an example of the work nor its reward, because he says, “If you surely listen to My voice and keep My covenant,” and he does not interpret the voice or the covenant and to what they apply. And then He says, “Then you will be a Segula unto Me from among all peoples, for all the earth is Mine.” It is not clear whether He commands us to labor to be a Segula from among all peoples, or whether this is a promise of benefit for us.

We must also understand the connection to the words, “for all the earth is Mine.” All three translations—Unkelos, Yonatan Ben Uziel, and the Jerusalem Talmud—find it difficult to interpret these words, as is the case with all the interpreters—RASHI, Nachmanides, etc. Even Ezra says, in the name of Rabbi Marinos, that the word “for” means “although.” He interprets, “Then you will be a Segula unto Me from among all peoples although all the earth is Mine.” Even Ezra himself tends to agree with it, but that interpretation does not coincide with our sages, who said that “for” serves for four meanings: “either,” “lest,” “but,” and “that.”

And he even adds a fifth interpretation: “although.” And then the writing ends, “and you will be unto Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” Here, too, it is not self-evident if this is a Mitzva, and one must exert in this, or a promise of benefit. Also, the words “a kingdom of priests” are not repeated or explained anywhere in the Bible.

The important thing here is to determine the difference between “a kingdom of priests” and “a holy nation,” for by the ordinary meaning of priesthood, it is one with holiness, and it is therefore obvious that a kingdom where all are priests is a holy nation, so the words “holy nation” seem redundant.