EXOD325 Israel's unique status as God's chosen covenant partner theoretically provides a national"mission statement" that would motivate compliance with God's ethical demands. Acceptance of the Sinai covenant confers upon Israel the status of "a kingdom of priests and a holy nation" [this verse]. Just as a priest adopts a distinctive lifestyle dedicated to the service of God so he can minister to the needs of the laity, so Israel's mission is to serve that role for the nations. Israel's given status as a "holy people" provides the reason that they should observe the commandments (Exodus 22:30, Deuteronomy 7:6, 14:2, 21), while in Leviticus 19 Israel's potential holiness is used to inspire the people to appropriate behavior as "the entire community of the people of Israel" is commanded to "be holy for I the Lord your God am Holy" [Lev. 19:2]. In this case, Israel's status as a holy nation is not an assumption, but rather a goal, arrived at by performing a ritual assortment of ethical demands. (By Elaine Adler Goodfriend, “Ethical Theory and Practice in the Hebrew Bible)