Are You Proud To Be Jewish?

Rabbi Reuven Mann

The Concept of the Chosen People

In the Book of Devarim Moshe spells out and elucidates some of the fundamental theological doctrines of Judaism. One of them is Bechirat Am Yisrael (Choseness of the Jewish People). This means that the Creator of the Universe selected one group of people from the entire human race for a special purpose. Needless to say, this idea has caused a great deal of “misunderstanding” and contributed to the hatred and persecution of Jews that has influenced all of mankind from time immemorial.

On the most basic level, the notion of the “Chosen” People inevitably produces a feeling of jealousy. Nationalism is a very powerful and compelling force, which can easily be seen in the fierce competition which always occurs at the international Olympics. All countries, especially those that want to be significant players on the world stage, seek to amass as many medals as possible, as if triumph in sports is indicative of general national superiority.

However, most people instinctively recognize that advanced culture and religion are far more prestigious than athletics. This is manifest by the fact that most of the hatreds and wars of history, down to this very day, have been caused by lethal religious rivalries. Each group feels compelled to believe that its theology is the true one and that the others are all false and must therefore be “suppressed”.

The Roots of Anti-Semitism and Jewish Mission

Sigmund Freud made the astute observation that ever since the Jews were proclaimed as the Chosen People the rest of the world has responded as though, on some deep level, they truly believed it to be true. His point was that if people thought that the Jews’ claim was ridiculous they would have simply shrugged it off as a bad joke and not taken it seriously.

The prevalence of anti-Semitism as the most ubiquitous force in history is testimony that the world, at least on the subconscious level, actually recognized the veracity of the Jews’ claim. They recognized it but could not deal with it so they had to destroy it. How so? Well, if there is no Jewish People, you no longer have to contend with the possibility that they may be the Chosen People. That, in essence, is the psychological mechanism at play.

However, it is important to understand what the significance of being a special people is, and for what objective did G-d choose us? The answer has been formulated by the Navi (Prophet), speaking in the Name of Hashem: “This nation I have fashioned unto Me, they will declare my praises” (Yeshayahu 43:21). This means that the Jews were selected in order to be Hashem’s emissaries and teachers to the world. We are to elucidate for mankind the existence of Hashem and the type of life He wants us to live. Our ultimate goal is to facilitate the perfection of Mankind when:

“Nation will not lift up sword against nation, neither will they learn war anymore (Yeshayahu 2:4). For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of G-d as waters cover the sea (Yeshayahu 11:9).”

Misconceptions of Jewish Superiority

Unfortunately, there has been a great deal of confusion surrounding this doctrine. Many contemporary Jews are uncomfortable with the assertion that they are the ones who G-d prefers for this unique mission. They feel that this constitutes some form of bragging, which itself is unseemly and causes us to be hated around the globe. But does the fact that Hashem chose us mean that we are somehow superior to all other humans? The answer to this question appears in our Parsha, Eikev. Moshe declares:

“Do not say in your heart, when Hashem pushes them (the Canaanite nations) away from before you, saying, ‘Because of my righteousness did Hashem bring me to possess this Land; and because of the wickedness of these nations that Hashem drive them away from before you’. Not because of your righteousness and the uprightness of your heart, are you coming to possess their Land; but because of the wickedness of these nations, does Hashem, your G-d, drive them away from before you, and in order to establish the word that Hashem swore to your forefathers, to Avraham, to Yitzchak, and to Yaakov. And you should know that not because of your righteousness does Hashem, your God, give you this good land to possess it; for you are a stiff-necked people.” (Devarim 9:4-6)

Moshe’s words clearly negate the possibility of the Jews believing they are inherently superior to others, emphasizing that our being chosen is not due to intrinsic merit. We were selected by Hashem not because we earned this merit, but only because we are the descendants of the three Avot (Forefathers) whose philosophy and way of life corresponded to the Will of Hashem.

They discovered the True G-d and the manner in which it was appropriate to serve Him, and Hashem determined to form from them an eternal People who would become a “light unto the nations” (Yeshayahu 42:6, 49:6). Because the Jewish People are the direct heirs of the Avot they were deemed by Hashem to be the most qualified people to perpetuate the ideals of the Forefathers to mankind.

This does not mean to say that the virtues of the Jews played no role at all in their selection. There were specific things they had to do, such as the offering of the Passover Sacrifice to be worthy of redemption. In addition, they had to be willing to accept the Commandments and so forth; but these things were not instrumental in making them worthy of being chosen. Rather, the acts they performed revealed that they were qualified to carry out the mission that Hashem had envisioned for them. But the underlying factor which was responsible for their selection was their descent from the Avot.

The Pride of Being Jewish

This leads to the question of whether it is appropriate for the Jews to feel proud that Hashem designated them to be His Chosen People? After all, as Moshe said, this was not because of any intrinsic worthiness but only because of the “Merit of the Forefathers”. In my opinion, one should be extremely proud of the fact that he or she is Jewish.

There are two kinds of pride. The first is the one we experience when we celebrate an achievement that is brought about by our own prodigious talents and efforts. As we have seen, this does not apply when we consider that we are members of the Chosen People. But there is another type of pride that may be completely unrelated to anything we have done. It is based on an appreciation of the virtues and values of Judaism and how the nation of Jews seeks to implement them in the world.

It would be the same with an individual who is born into an illustrious family of men and women who pursue advanced knowledge, provide beneficial services of many kinds and seek to promote peace and understanding among people. This person knows they had no role in establishing this unique clan but admires its great philosophy and conduct. So they are very proud of the fact that, with no credit to themselves, they are a member of this group and are happy to make their own contribution to furthering its goals.

I am very proud to be a Jew. We are a very special People who were graced with G-d’s Revelation and the mission to teach the world how to live a righteous existence. Few peoples have contributed as much to the advancement of human knowledge and ethics as the Jews. True, we have been hated and mistreated by all, but we have never been broken nor discouraged from pursuing the goals of wisdom and progress which will ameliorate the condition of all people.

I humbly recognize that we owe the great honor of being chosen to the illustrious Forefathers who discovered the Divine way of life and sought to perpetuate it for all future generations. I am proud and honored to be among those who joyously proclaim, “Am Yisrael Chai” (The Nation of Israel Lives). It is my hope that all Jews will recognize what an honor it is to be a member of the People which the Creator of the Universe designated to be unto Him a “Kingdom of Priests and a holy nation” (Shemot 19:6).

Shabbat Shalom.

Questions? Comments?

Please reach out to Rabbi Mann on WhatsApp at 050-709-2372 or by email at rebmann21@aol.com.

Alternatively, contact Mitch Rosner on WhatsApp at 054-426-3419 or by email at mitchrosner@gmail.com.