Now we can fully appreciate also our words prior to this, for scripture says: “And now, if you will indeed listen to My voice, and if you will keep My covenant,” which means making a covenant on what I am telling you here – that is, “you will be a treasure for Me among all peoples.” This means that you will be a treasure for Me, for you will cause sparks of refinement and purification of the body to pass to all the peoples and nations of the world. For the nations of the world are not yet ready for it [full purification] at all, and I need one nation at least to start with now, so it will become a treasure among all the nations [and remedy for them]. And therefore the verse ends, “for all the earth is Mine,” meaning all the peoples of the earth belong to Me just as you do; and they all are destined to cleave to Me (section 20).

But now, so long as they are still incapable of performing that task, I need a treasured nation. And if you agree to be the treasured one among all the nations, I command you to be for Me “a kingdom of priests,” which is the quality of loving the other in its final form of “and love your fellow as yourself.” This is the pivot of the entirety of the Torah and the mitzvot. And “a holy nation” is the reward in its final form of “and to cleave to God,” which includes all the reward that can possibly be expressed.