Sefer Bais Yaakov explains that the Torah is teaching us that every Jew has the ability to ascend to lofty levels of kedusha. Some people think to themselves that it is enough to do Hashem’s will and to be a “simple Jew”. They don’t think it is necessary to try to reach the levels of great men. To counter this mindset, Hashem told Moshe to speak “to the entire assemblage of bnei Yisroel” and to say that every individual can become very holy. This is as is stated in Tana d’Bei Eliyahu (Perek 9): “I swear by the Heavens and earth that even a woman, even a slave and even a maidservant...can experience ruach hakodesh.”
Unfortunately, we see many people who spend their days immersed in Torah and avodas Hashem but still do not attain lofty levels of connecting to Him. This may lead “simple people” to ask how they could possibly strive to reach lofty levels.
The Way Of Emunah
The answer can be explained with a moshol of a wealthy miser who ate the same coarse, barley soup as the simplest villager. One day, he was visited by an important minister, whom he hoped would help him with a specific business matter, Therefore, he ran to buy good, fancy food to serve him. However, since he was very stingy, he didn’t buy new pots to make the food in. Since he cooked the good food in his old pots, which had the taste of his cheap food within them, the food did not taste good, which made the minister very angry at him.
So too, if someone does aveiros, as long as he doesn’t do proper teshuva he still contains the taste of his sins. Chazal relate the Eliyahu Hanavi was once walking with a certain Tanna when they passed the carcass of a dead dog and later passed a certain man. Eliyahu said that the man smelled worse than the dead dog because he was full of sin. This is the stench that permeates sinners. Even if they learn Torah and do mitzvos later, if they have not done teshuva they still have the smell of their sins, which means that their Torah cannot “taste good”.
If one wants to reach a level of connection with Hashem, he first must get rid of his old “pots” by eradicating his sins and doing full teshuva. After doing so, he can learn Torah and serve Hashem with pure vessels, which will create a genuine connection.
This is why the pasuk continues with the words: “And say to them – meaning that everything depends on them - you should be holy”. Rashi says that this means to separate oneself from sin and do teshuva. Once one does this, he can reach lofty levels of kedusha.
