The Mekhilta comments on God's designation of Israel as "a holy nation" (Exodus 19:6), connecting it to the verse in (1 Chronicles 17:21): "And who is like Your nation, Israel, one nation in the land." The phrase "holy of holies" appears here — not describing the inner sanctum of the Temple, but describing the people themselves. Israel is set apart as the holiest entity among the nations, separated from the peoples of the world and from their abominations.
This separation is not merely geographic or political. It is ontological. The Mekhilta understands "holy" (kadosh) in its root sense: set apart, distinct, consecrated for a unique purpose. Just as the Holy of Holies within the Temple was cordoned off from common space, Israel as a nation is cordoned off from common humanity — not because they are superior in nature, but because they have been assigned a singular role.
The midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) then turns to a seemingly minor phrase at the end of the passage: "These are the things that you shall speak to the children of Israel" (Exodus 19:6). From the word "these," the Mekhilta derives two restrictions: not less and not more. Moses was to deliver exactly this message — no words subtracted, no words added. He could not soften the terms, omit the difficult parts, or embellish the promise.
The phrase "to the children of Israel" further specifies: in this order. The sequence of God's words mattered as much as their content. Moses was bound to preserve not only the substance of the message but its exact structure, delivering it precisely as he received it.