People vs. Covenant
(1) Adonai said to Avram, “Go forth from your land, from your birthplace, and from your father’s house to the land that I will show you. (2) I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you shall be a blessing. (3) I will bless those who bless you and curse the one who curses you; and all the families of the earth shall bless themselves by you.”
Mt. Sinai - reversal of order
Group of slaves is brought out of Egypt and turned into a nation in order to enter into a covenant with God
Peoplehood (relationship with each other across communities and across time)
Covenant (relationship with God)
Torah can be seen as glue holding both relationships together, though also culture, shared identity, shared history, shared destiny...
Choseness
(3) and Moshe went up to God. Adonai called out to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus shall you say to the House of Ya'akov and declare to the Children of Israel: (4) ‘You have seen what I did to Egypt and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Me. (5) Now, if you will carefully hear (heed) My voice and guard My covenant, you shall be My treasure among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine. (6) And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the Children of Israel.”
(7) It is not because you are the most numerous of peoples that Adonai desired and chose you—indeed, you are the smallest of peoples; (8) but it was because of Adonai's love for you and observance of the oath He made to your ancestors [the patriarchs] that Adonai brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slaves, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
(2) Go proclaim to Jerusalem: Thus said Adonai: I remember on your account the kindness (love, favor) of your youth, your bridal love, how you followed Me in the wilderness, in an unsown land.
Not the only covenant; God has a relationship with other peoples
Role of Jews relative to others - example? one path of many? the one true or the truest path?
יש לצדיקי האומות חלק בעולם הבא
ז׳ מצוות בני נוח
1. ע״ז
2. קללת שם ה׳
3. רצח (שפיכות דמים)
4. גילוי עריות
5. גזל
6. אבר מן החי
7. ״דינים״ - הקמת מערכת משפט
Torah
1. Instruction, Teaching (Christian Bibles - Law)
2. 5 books
3. Tanakh
תיקון - הצורך בתושב״ע, קושי להבחין בין תורה שבכתב ותושב״ע
4. + midrash
מקראות גדולות - חזרה על הבלבול בין תורה שבכתב ותושב״ע
5. + entire interpretive tradition
כרך של תלמוד
6. all human knowledge
[CORRECTION: women and Torah vs. מצוות עשה שהזמן גרמן]
Other Questions
Sinai, new parentage, as if new history
Ways in which this can't be/isn't true; role of time
Some communities where there has been prejudice (forbidden by Jewish law; role of oppression and fear of outsiders)
Movements
responses to "Emancipation"
changing today
question of how much to let go of peoplehood/culture/identity/and Jewish law to gain acceptance
The afterlife (low priority)
Much less of a focus than in Christianity and Islam; a lot of flexibility around it
Biblical: nothing/dust? netherworld?
Late biblical (Daniel/Isaiah): resurrection (probably metaphorical)
Rabbinic: "world to come" vs. "messianic time"
Messianic time: political state (independence, Temple), may or may not include resurrection (alt: reincarnation)
"World to come": = above; heavenly bliss (studying Torah, sex, enlightenment)
Heaven/Hell - not referenced explicitly very often; very little detail