Lech L’Cha - Chosenness
Judy Jacobson
Genesis 12:1 – 17:27 A very busy portion. Here’s a short summary.
Background: after Noah and the Tower of Babel… Genealogy ending with Abram in the land of Ur of the Chaldeans. Abram’s father Terah takes the family from to Haran en route to Canaan.
This portion: God tells Abram to go from his father’s house to “the land I will show you.” God says, I will make you a great nation, blessing those who bless you and cursing those who curse you. God says, I will assign this land to your offspring. God tells Abram his people will be enslaved for 400 years, then God will cause Abram’s people to go free with great wealth, to return to Canaan.
Sarai is barren, she gives her servant (slave) Hagar to Abram and Hagar becomes pregnant. Sarai sends Hagar to the wilderness. God tells Hagar to submit to Sarai’s bad treatment.
At the age of 99, Abram’s name is changed to Abraham, and Sarai’s name is changed to Sarah. God promises that their offspring will be multitudes. Circumcision ritual set out.
In this portion the Torah opens the story of God’s choice of Abram/Abraham and Sarai/Sarah as the forerunners of God’s chosen people. This people (later called Israelites) are the most important in the world! Other peoples’ fortunes will depend on how they relate to the Israelites. Those peoples who bless the Israelites will be blessed. Those who curse the Israelites will be cursed – by God himself. And in particular, the nation arising from Abraham’s other son, Ishmael, will be inferior to the Israelites.
In later parts of the Torah, God and the Israelites are bound by the eternal covenant, and of course God takes the Israelites’ side in many battles against other nations. The concept of Jews/Israelites as God’s Chosen People.
Our service liturgy reflects the Chosenness of our people, in the Torah service, in the Aleinu, and many other places.
I’d like to raise some problems with the concept of the Chosen People.
These problems with Chosenness have led some Jews - Reconstructionist - to try to change some of the messages in our prayer book from Chosenness –
But of course Chosenness is all over the place, in prayers and in the Torah. Can’t just edit it out.
Discussion on Chosenness?
Conclusion: Is this a competition? We’re the best, the favorite. No we’re the best, the favorite.
Certainly being the Chosen People is a big part of our Jewish heritage. But in these days of conflict, polarization, may we work to interpret our heritage –
to allow appreciation for the unique gifts of the many other religions and nationalities we share this earth with. And may there be peace for us, for all Israel, and for all who dwell on earth.
Judy Jacobson
Genesis 12:1 – 17:27 A very busy portion. Here’s a short summary.
Background: after Noah and the Tower of Babel… Genealogy ending with Abram in the land of Ur of the Chaldeans. Abram’s father Terah takes the family from to Haran en route to Canaan.
This portion: God tells Abram to go from his father’s house to “the land I will show you.” God says, I will make you a great nation, blessing those who bless you and cursing those who curse you. God says, I will assign this land to your offspring. God tells Abram his people will be enslaved for 400 years, then God will cause Abram’s people to go free with great wealth, to return to Canaan.
Sarai is barren, she gives her servant (slave) Hagar to Abram and Hagar becomes pregnant. Sarai sends Hagar to the wilderness. God tells Hagar to submit to Sarai’s bad treatment.
At the age of 99, Abram’s name is changed to Abraham, and Sarai’s name is changed to Sarah. God promises that their offspring will be multitudes. Circumcision ritual set out.
In this portion the Torah opens the story of God’s choice of Abram/Abraham and Sarai/Sarah as the forerunners of God’s chosen people. This people (later called Israelites) are the most important in the world! Other peoples’ fortunes will depend on how they relate to the Israelites. Those peoples who bless the Israelites will be blessed. Those who curse the Israelites will be cursed – by God himself. And in particular, the nation arising from Abraham’s other son, Ishmael, will be inferior to the Israelites.
In later parts of the Torah, God and the Israelites are bound by the eternal covenant, and of course God takes the Israelites’ side in many battles against other nations. The concept of Jews/Israelites as God’s Chosen People.
Our service liturgy reflects the Chosenness of our people, in the Torah service, in the Aleinu, and many other places.
I’d like to raise some problems with the concept of the Chosen People.
- The lessons of actual history – Jews/Israelites are not supreme in the world! The Torah and our tradition explain this as resulting from our misbehavior. If we only are more obedient and observant, the promise will be fulfilled…
- But that same promise was used by the Christian church(es) to show that Israelites were no longer chosen - since Jews were oppressed (by Christians) therefore Christianity superseded Judaism as chosen by God.
- The story of Hagar and Ishmael – used by some Jews to show Israelites are superior to Arabs… And the promised land is ours.
- At worst - arrogance – our people are better than everyone else because of our eternal connection to the supreme God.
These problems with Chosenness have led some Jews - Reconstructionist - to try to change some of the messages in our prayer book from Chosenness –
- Torah blessings:
- Traditional – asher bohar banu mikol ha’amim v’natan lanu et torato. Translated as - Who has chosen us from among all the peoples by giving us the Torah.
- Recon – asher kirvanu lavodato v’natan lanu et torato. Translated as - Who has drawn us to your service and has given us your Torah
- Aleinu:
- traditional – shelo asanu k’goyay ha kol … shelo sam helkaynu kahem v’goralaynu k’cal hamonim – Translated as – God made our lot unlike that of other people, assigning to us a unique destiny.
- Recon: change in wording translated as - who has given us a torah of truth and planted eternal life within us.
- Mourners Kaddish
- Traditional – aleinu v’al kol Yisrael v’nomar Amein. Translated as – let there be abundant peace … for us and for all Israel.
- Recon: v’al kol Yisrael v’al Kol Yoshvei Tevel. Grant peace on us, on all Israel and on all who dwell on earth. (Used in the Conservative Machzor for High Holy Days).
But of course Chosenness is all over the place, in prayers and in the Torah. Can’t just edit it out.
Discussion on Chosenness?
Conclusion: Is this a competition? We’re the best, the favorite. No we’re the best, the favorite.
Certainly being the Chosen People is a big part of our Jewish heritage. But in these days of conflict, polarization, may we work to interpret our heritage –
to allow appreciation for the unique gifts of the many other religions and nationalities we share this earth with. And may there be peace for us, for all Israel, and for all who dwell on earth.
