In the olive tree metaphor, which element's holiness ensures the holiness of the branches?

• A. The root
• B. The leaves
• C. The lump
• D. The fruit

Answer: (A)

Holiness passes from what is set apart at the source to what is attached to it. In the olive tree image, the root carries the holy character—the promises and covenant God made with Israel. When branches are grafted into that root, they share in its holiness simply by being connected to it. The branches don’t confer holiness on themselves; their holy status comes from being part of the rooted, holy lineage. That same idea is echoed in the parallel about the lump: if the root is holy, the lump is holy too, and so the branches gain their holiness through their connection to the holy root. So, the element whose holiness ensures the holiness of the branches is the root.