Horav Elchonon Wasserman Z”l explains the distinction between the term “am” and the term “goy”, both of which are commonly translated as “nation”. “Goy” connotes an autonomous nation which is settled in its own land under its own governance. In contrast, “am” implies a people or large group of individuals who speak the same language and maintain a common culture. They comprise a “nation” despite their lack of their own land. This differentiation clarifies Moshe’s declaration to Bnei Yisrael, “Today you have become an am”, for they had accepted the Torah, which was written in seventy languages on the…
