Joshua Sheena

JDI Position Paper

5/7/2014
What Does it Mean to Be Chosen?

Many think that the concept that the Jews are the Chosen People is a sign of superiority, or
elitism. They (even some Jews) think that it means we are better than the other peoples and
religions of the world. God chose us and he didnt choose you. But why does being Chosen
mean that one is better than the other? And what were we chosen for anyways?

I dont remember where I read it, but my favorite explanation was that we are chosen in the
same way that a child is chosen to clean up the table or do the dishes. The Jewish people are
chosen to clean up the world and to do the right thing. Its not glorious and it doesnt actually
make us fundamentally different from any other human being on the planet.

So what does that mean? We are given the guidelines of how to be good people. We were
given the Torah and the Ten Commandments. We are shown what it is God wants from the
people of the world. It is up to us to not only do it, but to show the rest of the world by example
what it means to be good people. Anyone can do it, but we are tasked to do it.

But were not forced or really even required to do the right thing. We are given free will and are
implored to exercise it in the right and meaningful way. Devarim chapter 30 says that God has
set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil therefore choose life. God wouldnt
have proffered us the choices if we didnt have the free will and opportunities to choose evil.
And some of us do. Just as you can tell a child to clear the table and he can refuse, so can we,
but as there are for the child, there are consequences to all of our choices. We are chosen, we
are not special.