The Jewish People's Greatest Contribution

Torah Reading: Be'halot'cha

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Published: May 19, 2007

Visitor Comments: 14

(14) alma, February 25, 2011 3:36 PM

hey justin bieber fans rock !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(13) S malka, June 17, 2009 11:49 PM

so true, it is us who need the mitzvos and prayers, it's all for our benefit.

(12) Catherine Manna, June 1, 2007 4:04 PM

Does God need anything?

I love your writings, and i was thinking does God need anything?
Hmmmmmm? If he is our God, and we are his people,....and there is a covnant a bond of love and understanding between us, and he can be my friend and i can connect with him and he can answer my prayers...is there something i can give back to him? Can i make him happy? Make him feel good? I think i can! by following his ways and his words, im sure that that Gives him some sort of happiness, good feeling. that is what i think that i can give to God. Love! Thats the first thing he said, to love him with completness. thats what he wants from his people...Shalom!

(11) Yacov Rubin, May 26, 2007 4:19 PM

G_d gave us the Torah over any other people

The true one G_d chose the jewish people to receive the law of Torah. G_d offered the Torah to other peoples who missed the opportunity. All the while, G_d wanted us to receive his gift and that is our greatest contribution to the world. That is why we must follow the law of Torah as an example to the rest of the world which G_d created. We serve him, he does not have to serve us.

(10) Wil, May 26, 2007 9:13 AM

Gods other greatest contribution to the world was and is the Jew, a people
created and set apart to proclaim His Di
vine message of deliverance. THANK YOU!!

(9) JBerkowicz, May 24, 2007 9:08 PM

Jews discovered Mt. Everest (but it was already there)!

To Ariel, let me respond that, in fact, you are right. Jews only introduced the idea of a G-d of Goodness to the world--but did not, G-d forbid--'create' that G-d themselves. This is why I concluded that G-d was the 'discovery' of the Jews, not their 'invention'. I leave it to the Biblical minimalists and others of the 'higher anti-Semitism' to try to assert otherwise, ie, that Jews 'created' their deity out of a melange of ancient Middle Eastern demons and demigods. Unfortunately, from time to time, and from place to place, there are many who still reject, and fight, the idea of a G-d of Goodness and Lovingkindness, so Jews' work of introducing this Truth to the world is not completed, even now.

(8) Barry Rosen, May 24, 2007 12:06 PM

Impressive

Lori - you are truly an inspiring speaker!
I like forward to watching more of your outstanding videos.
Thanks!

(7) Ariel, May 22, 2007 2:05 PM

God is not an idea

I think you had a fine point, but Judaism did not "introduce" anything, but rather made known what was already existing. It is true that there is one God whether it is "good" or not, and if theoretically there was more than one God that would also be the truth. God is truth. It does not matter that it sounds better or that it is "better" for us, but the fact that it is true is all we need to know. If it would be less convenient it would still be the truth. We did not introduce anything. As the joke goes "what was the tallest mountain before Mount Everest was discovered? Answer: Mount Everest."

(6) Anonymous, May 22, 2007 12:19 PM

Utterly remarkable, please keep up the good work

Lori Palatnik is a talented treasure.
Her 2 to 3 minute video presentations are utterly remarkable. They are short, profound and piercing. I wait for her eyes to open wider, the slight wave of her head, and her powerful pauses to help her message better penetrate my spirit.
I have also read a number of her humorous pieces for Aish and thoroughly enjoyed them. I feel it is important to say "thank you" to Lori and to Aish and to let you now that your work is deeply appreciated.
Please continue doing your good work.

(5) JBerkowicz, May 22, 2007 8:31 AM

Ethical monotheism

I suggest that what the Jews 'originated' was the concept of ethical monotheism, not monotheism itself. There were others, such as some Egyptians (the Aten cult) who had an idea of the unity of Power. Perhaps they were receptive to this idea because their own national power was unified in the person of the Pharaoh. Others, such as ancient Sumerians/Babylonians, had ideas of a major Baal; but the idea that G-d, and the way He creates and acts in the world, the ultimate structure of reality, is goodness, lovingkindness, what we came to regard as morality--that was the discovery of the Jewish people.

(4) Suzy, May 22, 2007 1:20 AM

Great message, He doesn't need our prayers and mitzvos, it's us who need it.

(3) Anonymous, May 21, 2007 8:16 PM

there where other people before jewish people that love GOD like Noah and there is other people that love GOD now, but HE wanted jewish people to be the conection, the bridge the samlpe to lorne how to find HIM and to love and obey HIM and we love jewish people for that.

(2) Malka Bando, May 21, 2007 1:15 PM

G-d has no needs but to give

Excellent, resounds intellectually, incorporates commonsense and the familiar instead of the supernatural.

(1) Anonymous, May 21, 2007 6:13 AM

G.d's greatest gift to the world

Yes, Monotheism is certainly the greatest gift of the Jewish people to the world, but shouldn't we -non jews- also ask what the greatest gift of G.d to the world is?

The answer is simple, it's His people, it's the Jewish people.

You are our gift from Him to us. Thank you.

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About the Author

Mrs. Lori Palatnik

More by this Author >

Lori Palatnik is a writer and Jewish educator who has appeared on television and radio, and is the author of "Friday Night and Beyond: The Shabbat Experience Step-By-Step," "Remember My Soul - What to do in Memory of a Loved One," and co-author of "Gossip: 10 Pathways to Eliminate It From Your Life and Transform Your Soul." She is a much sought-after international speaker, having lectured in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, U.K., Central America, South America, South Africa and Israel, including featured talks at Yale, Brown and Penn. She lives in the Washington D.C. area, with her husband, Rabbi Yaakov Palatnik. Lori is the Founder of The Jewish Women's Renaissance Project, an international initiative that brings over 1,000 women to Israel each year from ten different countries on highly subsidized programs to inspire them with the beauty and wisdom of their heritage. She is the busy mother of five children, ages 24 to 14; and her son, Zev, just finished serving as a sharpshooter in the IDF. Her weekly video blog, "Lori Almost Live" is a popular feature on aish.com, viewed by over 50,000 people each month.

Follow Lori on Twitter, @LoriAlmostLive

May 20, 2013 / 11 Sivan 5773

The Jewish People's Greatest Contribution

Why monotheism is so important.

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