Dear Friends,
It’s not easy being the Chosen People!
Tevye implored God, “Can’t you choose someone else for a while!”
In truth, we have a mixed relationship with being the Chosen People. For some, it is a noble crown to be the elect of God; for others it is an ignoble tag to be shunned for its implied elitism and trigger of hostility.
This concept emerged with Abraham early in Genesis, and is developed this week in the lead-up to our receiving the Ten Commandments at Sinai. God declares, “You shall be my treasured possession among all the people.” (Exodus 19:5) Clearly, God had special designs for us, and the meaning and implications for that specialness have been problematic since day-one.
The common explication for our Chosen-ness is that God singled us out for a purpose, namely, to receive and fulfill the commandments, making us a Holy People. We were not singled out because we were better, but because we were willing to accept and obey the commands of God. Thus, we assumed the yoke of the commands, and the obligation to be God’s partners in completing and perfecting the world. Being Chosen, then, did not denote superiority, but rather a will and an ideal.
Yet, that understanding of Chosen-ness would be a tripwire. Misunderstood by Jews and non-Jews for millennia, we were charged with arrogance and aloofness, living apart with our unique dietary and ritual laws. Some of those charges may have been justified, but the ostracism, anti-Semitism and even violence which ensued was not.
Another approach to Chosen-ness, which I espouse, is that as much as we are the Chosen People, we should endeavor to be the Choosing People. Today, we have a mixed relationship with commandments from God. We don’t like to be commanded. We live in a society which celebrates freedoms, and which demands personal ethical responsibility. Thus, instead of being told what to do, today’s Judaism asks us to study our Tradition, consider our circumstances, and to Choose rightly. Hence, we should be the Choosing People. This, too, is difficult, but it obviates the stigma and sting of being Chosen.
Ultimately, this week, before receiving the Ten Commandments, God announced our Chosen-ness as God’s ‘treasured possession.” And, we still have to figure out how to fulfill this expectation.
As Tevye taught, it is not easy!
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Douglas Kohn
It’s not easy being the Chosen People!
Tevye implored God, “Can’t you choose someone else for a while!”
In truth, we have a mixed relationship with being the Chosen People. For some, it is a noble crown to be the elect of God; for others it is an ignoble tag to be shunned for its implied elitism and trigger of hostility.
This concept emerged with Abraham early in Genesis, and is developed this week in the lead-up to our receiving the Ten Commandments at Sinai. God declares, “You shall be my treasured possession among all the people.” (Exodus 19:5) Clearly, God had special designs for us, and the meaning and implications for that specialness have been problematic since day-one.
The common explication for our Chosen-ness is that God singled us out for a purpose, namely, to receive and fulfill the commandments, making us a Holy People. We were not singled out because we were better, but because we were willing to accept and obey the commands of God. Thus, we assumed the yoke of the commands, and the obligation to be God’s partners in completing and perfecting the world. Being Chosen, then, did not denote superiority, but rather a will and an ideal.
Yet, that understanding of Chosen-ness would be a tripwire. Misunderstood by Jews and non-Jews for millennia, we were charged with arrogance and aloofness, living apart with our unique dietary and ritual laws. Some of those charges may have been justified, but the ostracism, anti-Semitism and even violence which ensued was not.
Another approach to Chosen-ness, which I espouse, is that as much as we are the Chosen People, we should endeavor to be the Choosing People. Today, we have a mixed relationship with commandments from God. We don’t like to be commanded. We live in a society which celebrates freedoms, and which demands personal ethical responsibility. Thus, instead of being told what to do, today’s Judaism asks us to study our Tradition, consider our circumstances, and to Choose rightly. Hence, we should be the Choosing People. This, too, is difficult, but it obviates the stigma and sting of being Chosen.
Ultimately, this week, before receiving the Ten Commandments, God announced our Chosen-ness as God’s ‘treasured possession.” And, we still have to figure out how to fulfill this expectation.
As Tevye taught, it is not easy!
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Douglas Kohn
