קְדֹשִים תִּהְיוּ כִּי קָדוֹשׁ אֲנִי. אָמַר לָהֶם הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, עַד שֶׁלֹּא בָּרָאתִי עוֹלָמִי, הָיוּ מַלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁרֵת מְקַלְּסִין אוֹתִי בָּכֶם וּמְקַדְּשִׁין אֶת שְׁמִי בָּכֶם, וְהָיוּ אוֹמְרִים: בָּרוּךְ ה' אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מִן הָעוֹלָם וְעַד הָעוֹלָם. כֵּיוָן שֶׁנִּבְרָא אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן, אָמְרוּ מַלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁרֵת לִפְנֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, זֶהוּ שֶׁאָנוּ מְקַלְּסִין אוֹתְךָ בִּשְׁמוֹ. אָמַר לָהֶם: לֹא גָּנַב הוּא זֶה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַתֹּאכַל מִן הָעֵץ (בראשית ג, יז). בָּא נֹחַ, אָמְרוּ לוֹ: זֶה הוּא. אָמַר לָהֶם: זֶה שִׁכּוֹר הוּא, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיֵּשְׁתְּ מִן הַיַּיִן וְגוֹ' (שם ט, כא). עָמַד אַבְרָהָם, אָמְרוּ לְפָנָיו, זֶה הוּא. אָמַר לָהֶן, זֶה גֵּר הוּא שֶׁיָּצָא מִמֶּנּוּ יִשְׁמָעֵאל. עָמַד יִצְחָק, אָמְרוּ לְפָנָיו, זֶה הוּא. אָמַר לָהֶן, אוֹהֵב הוּא לְשׂוֹנְאַי, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיֶּאֱהַב יִצְחָק אֶת עֵשָׂו (שם כה, כח). כֵּיוָן שֶׁבָּא יַעֲקֹב, אָמְרוּ לְפָנָיו, זֶה הוּא. אָמַר לָהֶן, הֵן. וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר, לֹא יִקָּרֵא שִׁמְךָ עוֹד יַעֲקֹב, כִּי אִם יִשְׂרָאֵל יִהְיֶה שְׁמֶךָ (שם לה, י), וְנִקְרְאוּ כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל עַל שְׁמוֹ. בְּאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה קִדֵּשׁ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל לִשְׁמוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר בְּךָ אֶתְפָּאָר (ישעיה מט, ג). אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, הוֹאִיל וְנִקְדַּשְׁתֶּם לִשְׁמִי עַד שֶׁלֹּא בָּרָאתִי הָעוֹלָם, הֱיוּ קְדוֹשִׁים כְּשֵׁם שֶׁאֲנִי קָדוֹשׁ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: כִּי קָדוֹשׁ אֲנִי. לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר: קְדֹשִׁים תִּהְיוּ. מָשָׁל לְמָה הַדָּבָר דּוֹמֶה, לְמֶלֶךְ שֶׁקִּדֵּשׁ אִשָּׁה. אָמַר לָהּ: הוֹאִיל וְנִתְקַדַּשְׁתְּ לִשְׁמִי, אֲנִי מֶלֶךְ וְאַתְּ מַלְכָּה. כְּשֵׁם שֶׁהוּא כְּבוֹדִי, כָּךְ הוּא כְּבוֹדֵךְ. לָמָּה, שֶׁאַתְּ אִשְׁתִּי. כָּךְ אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְמֹשֶׁה, לְךָ וְקַדֵּשׁ אֶת הָעָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְקִדַּשְׁתֶּם הַיּוֹם וּמָחָר (שמות יט, י). קִדְּשָׁם הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא וְאָמַר לָהֶם לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, וְאַתֶּם תִּהְיוּ לִי מַמְלֶכֶת כֹּהֲנִים וְגוֹי קָדוֹשׁ (שמות יט, ו). לָמָּה, כִּי קָדוֹשׁ אֲנִי ה'. אַף אַתֶּם תִּהְיוּ קְדוֹשִׁים כְּשֵׁם שֶׁקִּדַּשְׁתִּי אֶתְכֶם לִשְׁמִי, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: דַּבֵּר אַל כָּל עֲדַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵיהֶם קְדֹשִׁים תִּהְיוּ. אָמַר לָהֶם הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, זְכִיתֶם, אַתֶּם נִקְרָאִים עֲדַת קְדֹשִׁים. לֹא זְכִיתֶם, אַתֶּם נִקְרָאִים עֵדָה רָעָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: עַד מָתַי לָעֵדָה הָרָעָה (במדבר יד, כז). (Lev. 19:2:) “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel, “Before I created My world, the ministering angels praised My name through you and sanctified Me through you by saying (in I Chron. 16:36), ‘Blessed is the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting.’” When the first Adam was created, the angels said, “Master of the world, is this the one in whose name we are praising You?” He told them, “No. This person is a thief, since it is stated (of him in Gen. 3:17), ‘and you ate of the tree.’” [When] Noah came, they said to Him (i.e., to the Holy One, blessed be He), “Is this the one?” He told them, “[No]. This person is a drunkard, since it is stated (of him in Gen. 9:21), ‘Then he drank of the wine [and became drunk].’” [When] Abraham came, they said to Him, “Is this the one?” He told them, “This is a stranger (ger), from which Yishmael came out.” [When] Isaac came, they said to Him, “Is this the one?” He told them, “This one loves My enemy, as stated (in Gen. 25:28), ‘Now Isaac loved Esau.’” When Jacob came, they said to Him, “Is this the one?” He told them, “Yes, for so it says (in Gen. 35:10), ‘God said to him, “Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but your name shall be Israel.”’ So all Israel was called by his name.” At that time the Holy One, blessed be he, sanctified them because of His name, as stated (in Is. 49:3), “Israel, in whom I will be glorified.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “Since you were sanctified for My name before I created My world, be holy as I am holy.” It is so stated (in Lev. 19:2), “[You shall be holy,] because I am holy.” To what is the matter comparable? To a king who betrothed a wife. He said to her, “Because you have been betrothed (literally, sanctified) to my name, I am a king and you, a queen. Just as it (i.e., my name) is an honor for me, so it is an honor for you. Why? Because you are my wife.” Thus the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, “Go and sanctify (i.e., go and betroth) Israel,” as stated (in Exod. 19:10), “and sanctify (rt.: qdsh) them today and tomorrow.” The Holy One, blessed be He, sanctified them and said to them (in Exod. 19:6), “But you shall be for Me a kingdom of priests, a holy (rt.: qdsh) nation.” Why? (Lev. 19:2:) “Because I the Lord am holy.” And you also shall be sanctified (rt.: qdsh) just as you have sanctified Me, as stated (in Lev. 19:2) “Speak unto the whole congregation of the Children of Israel, and say unto them, ‘You shall be holy (rt.: qdsh).’” The Holy One, blessed be He, said unto them, “If you are worthy, you shall be called a congregation of holy ones (rt.: qdsh); [but if] you are unworthy, you shall be called an evil congregation, as stated (Numb. 14:27) ‘How long shall this evil congregation?’”