Are we the Chosen People?

Today our discussion was about how we are supposed to see the people of other cultures and communities. Ahaz began the discussion by describing his experiences.

Ahaz: Rabbi, I have had a chance to see a large part of the world.  I have worked with some people engaged in international trade. I have visited most of the places around the Mediterranean Ocean. I have found that the people living at different places have their own ways of life. They speak different languages, dress differently, eat different kinds of food, and they are different even in their physical appearance. They do not share our religious beliefs. They have not even heard about Yahweh, or about our Holy Scriptures. I don't understand why there is such wide variety among the people of the world.

Rabbi: Well, you have brought an interesting topic for discussion from your experience. Though I haven't traveled as widely as you have, I have had a chance to meet several foreigners in this land.  As soon as we meet some foreigners, we realize that they are different from us in a number of ways. We may not understand even a word they utter. What we call good might be bad, and what we call bad might be good in their eyes. Thus we begin with utter disagreement and misunderstanding. If we can't eventually overcome the misunderstandings, it can lead to unfortunate consequences. Most of the fights and bloodsheds in the world are caused by misunderstandings and lack of communication. Hence, overcoming misunderstandings is essential to the well-being of the human race.

Our forefathers also faced this problem, and they have suggested a solution. In our Holy Scriptures we read that God made a man and a woman at the beginning and they became the parents of all people in the world. If all people in the world originated from the same parents, we have to conclude that the whole of human race is a family. Thus this story provides a basis for the unity of the human race.  It affirms that the human race is one at a deep level in spite of all the superficial differences that separate people from people.

Let us suppose that someone has two children. They will be different from each other to some extent in appearance and behavior. When he has grandchildren, the differences among them will be even more. After hundreds of generations, the differences will be so wide that they can't understand or communicate with one another. Today the human race exists upon the earth speaking a variety of languages, and holding diverse beliefs. But we all belong to one family, born of the same parents. Though we cannot understand the ways of life of a lot of people on the earth, we should not forget that they are our brothers and sisters. We have blood-relationship with them.

The differences exist only at the surface. By going deeper, we see harmony and unity. Let us consider the example of language. If you learn one or two languages in addition to your native language, you will understand that all languages have much in common in spite of all the superficial differences. That is why it is possible to translate from one language to another. All languages serve the same function of communication, and all are made of sounds produced from our mouth. This is true about all aspects of human culture.

Ahaz:  But rabbi, how can we accept them as our brothers and sisters if they do not accept our Yahweh and our scriptures?

Rabbi: Suppose you have a brother who refuses to believe in Yahweh. Will your relationship disappear just because he has a different faith?  Nothing can affect blood-relationship. Yahweh is a name we call in our language. Others have their own words in their languages to speak of Yahweh. Our scriptures record the faith, experiences, and wisdom of our ancestors. Others may have their own scriptures in their languages recording the experiences and wisdom of their ancestors. We have also inherited a tradition in which God is called Elohim. The river of our culture today has within it at least two different sources—a Yahweh tradition and an Elohim tradition.

Ahaz: Our forefathers believed that we, Hebrews, are the chosen people of God.  If it is true, aren't we superior to others?

Rabbi: What you said first is true. Our ancestors believed that we are chosen by God. But it doesn't make us superior to others. Are we sure that God hasn't chosen others as well?  I shall explain this idea with an example. Suppose your father sends you somewhere to deliver a message. Does it make you superior to your brother?  Just as you were chosen for that job, your brother might have been chosen for some other job. We have to believe that God is like a loving parent, and that he loves all people in the world equally without any partiality to any particular caste or race. Any race or nation has the right to believe that they are chosen by God. This faith gives them a sense of purpose for existing. But, if this faith makes them feel superior to others, it is certainly a harmful faith.

Ahaz: Let me summarize what I have learned today. In spite of all the differences of color, race, language, and culture, all people on earth are members of a family. We are all the children of Adam and Eve. Although our forefathers believed that we are chosen by God, we should not make the mistake of claiming that we are superior to the others.

It was a long discussion. We all were convinced of the need to be open to the others and to get rid of the kind of beliefs that make people unable to live together peacefully. 


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