Visitor Comments: 12

• (12) Wassim , May 21, 2009

  rebuttal to #11

  That's a nice way to sound less elitist, but it's a piece of political spin not supported by your own analogy. An employee who has no time for his employer, doesn't think about his employer's desires/plans for the company, only tentatively accepts his employer's existence... is of no significant value to his employer. At best case scenario this kind of employee will be used as a pawn in the employer's plans for the company. Use them in whatever way possible, even by allowing them to rebel and then making an example of them as a deterent to other would-be rebelious employees... but most likely they will simply get sacked from the company. Other talents/tasks? like what? business? painting? languages? self preservation? self actualisation? being famous and popular? making coffee? buying shoes?... nonesense. If you persue a self-serving path, there's no logic in any percieved reward from God. God has a plan, if we contribute, we can expect rewards, that's logical and that's what scripture encourages us to do. We are only obligated to tolerate the existence of parasites, not to recognise their social indifference and call it "Individualism and freedom of choice". Off-course they have free will, but that doesn't mean any decision is justified. Most people want to be told that it's OK to be an individual, all the while they stray further and further from their Torah inspired path. or maybe you don't believe in it! Cherish your free will, but an employer of teachers is not interested much in grafitti artists and accountants in general. As for your point about being "more qualified", qualifications aren't heriditary like some people would like to believe. It's more logical that every person in every generation ought to study, think about and actively follow the best path according to their wisdom subject to their free will. Therefore "I choose" to be Jewish, "I choose" to care about God's plan even though I'm not entirely sure what it is. God might have chosen me to "wake up" but "I chose" to hear his voice and give it due weight in my mind, and in my life, in this lifetime. The choice is mine, the credit is mine, the reward is mine... and God is happy for an employee like me to join the company. Happier than with someone who takes their chosenness for granted because they were "born into it"! Why don't you think that God's favour must be earned? Do you take God for granted...

• (11) Dvirah , April 25, 2009

  Chosen

  If a boss choses one of his/her employees for a special task, does this mean he/she does not value his other employees? or is it just that this particular employee is most qualified for the task in question, while the other employees have different talents, and different tasks? It seems to me that this is the way to approach the matter of "chosen people."

• (10) Wassim , April 7, 2009

  "chosen" - who's made the decision?

  When you hear the words "chosen people" you cannot help but think that they were chosen by God... but I don't think that's accurate. I think it was Abraham who chose to think about God (correctly), thereby becoming the father of the chosen people. In other words, I think God was waiting for someone to think about him and whoever it was would have become the father of the chosen people. That way it sounds like a fair reward for a most revolutionary thought (1 God, not an idol). So, I think the Jews are "chosen" but that is merely the reward for a decision made by Abraham (in effect, Abraham did the choosing). Otherwise (if God actually chose Abraham) I don't know why God would wait until Abraham was 95 (or 75, I can't remember) before he would speak to him! And why walk on eggshells guys, being chosen doesn mean we bear a greater responsibility and a closer relationship with God, so yeah, that sort of does make us "better" although better is a misleading word. I don't believe in equality, however I do believe that anyone should have the opportunity to improve their circumstances, so if you want to be chosen, make the choice yourself, who's stopping you? "Equality" per say is actually not fair on those who think and make better choices.

• (9) Anonymous , March 30, 2009

  The Real Meaning of Chosen

  Passover is G-d's way of painting a detailed picture of the redemption story that began at Garden of Eden. He promised a Redeemer to Even and out of all the lineages from the earth He chose Abraham's lineage to produce the Chosen One better known to us as the coming Messiah who is His first born who will establish the Kingdom that Adam abdicated. The story of passover is the complete story of how the redemption would happen in the future by the symbolism of events that gave birth of the nation that will bring about the fulfillment of our great G-d's promises during and after the Adamic period (present age)is fulfilled. By the way, G-d did not mess with Pharoh's mind but rather He knows man's heart and knows how pride will react to circumstances. There is no mystery that Pharoh, who thought he was god in the flesh to his subjects, would not take kindly to a nation of slaves to tell him what to do. Unfortunately, we tend to humanize G-d and ignoring that to Him there is no past or future, He saw Pharoh's actions as past event typical of a self centered monarch.

• (8) Rena , March 30, 2009

  More on Chosenness

  The idea that Hashem does not choose between His children is a x-tian one and has nothing to do with either reality or Judaism. Hashem has chosen His first born nation to serve Him and to teach His Ways to a world that many times does not wish to hear about G-d. It is this desire to wipe Hashem and morality off of the earth so that they can live a life of unfettered evil that has caused the nations of the world to give the Jews a hard time, since we Jews are Hashem's representative here in this world. All of this does NOT mean that Hashem does not love all of His creation -- he does and even reprimanded the angels for being happy when the Egyptians had to be destroyed at the Sea of Reeds, for they too were part of Hashem's creation. Judaism is unique among the religions for stressing the fact that a good person who does good deeds will be rewarded by Hashem and is loved by Hashem, even if he or she is not Jewish. The chosenness of a Jew means that he or she has a "higher calling" and must be a moral example to the world. We must bring Hashem's teachings to the rest of mankind and teach them the way that our Creator wishes His creation to live.

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