A Kohen is one whose life is devoted to the service of Hashem. The title Kohen also implies “scholar”. As it is written in Shmuel II 8:18 – uhv ohbvf sus hbcuw which means that they were Torah scholars. Hence, the prime pursuit of Am Yisrael is the study of Torah.
Horav Avigdor Miller, Shlita, observes that this pasuk does not merely state Hashem’s promise of Am Yisrael‘s future reward. It is an aspect of Hashem’s covenant with us which responds to our acceptance of the Torah. When we responded with the gnabu vagb, “We will do and we will hear,” we thereby obligated ourselves to be a kingdom of Kohanim and a holy nation. Every Ben Yisrael was to become a “Kohen” in regard to his obligation to study Torah and live a life of holiness. Although many people have gone on to other pursuits, the study of Torah has remained a lifelong goal. Indeed, throughout our history we have always distinguished parts of the day, week, month, or year for Torah study and scholarship, reflecting the fact that this endeavor is our lifelong occupation.
The second aspect of this tribute is kedushah, holiness. The quality of “kedushah” is not perceived simply as an aspect of our relationship with Hashem, the source of all kedushah. It is actually a component, emanating from Hashem, which is imbued in the object of this kedushah. Thus, the term “holy people” signifies a unique meta-physical distinction, albeit invisible, in the person. An object charged with electricity is physically different, even though its appearance has not been transformed. Similarly, various inconspicuous physical changes may exist within an object. When Bnei Yisrael execute Hashem’s mandate, they are transformed into different beings, even though their superficial physical appearance has apparently not been altered.
