Choseness, Monotheism, and Universality

(יד) כֹּה אָמַר יי יְגִיעַ מִצְרַיִם וּסְחַר כּוּשׁ וּסְבָאִים אַנְשֵׁי מִדָּה עָלַיִךְ יַעֲבֹרוּ וְלָךְ יִהְיוּ אַחֲרַיִךְ יֵלֵכוּ בַּזִּקִּים יַעֲבֹרוּ וְאֵלַיִךְ יִשְׁתַּחֲוּוּ אֵלַיִךְ יִתְפַּלָּלוּ אַךְ בָּךְ אֵל וְאֵין עוֹד אֶפֶס אֱלֹהִים. (טו) אָכֵן אַתָּה אֵל מִסְתַּתֵּר אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מוֹשִׁיעַ. (טז) בּוֹשׁוּ וְגַם נִכְלְמוּ כֻּלָּם יַחְדָּו הָלְכוּ בַכְּלִמָּה חָרָשֵׁי צִירִים. (יז) יִשְׂרָאֵל נוֹשַׁע בַּיי תְּשׁוּעַת עוֹלָמִים לֹא תֵבֹשׁוּ וְלֹא תִכָּלְמוּ עַד עוֹלְמֵי עַד. (יח) כִּי כֹה אָמַר יי בּוֹרֵא הַשָּׁמַיִם הוּא הָאֱלֹהִים יֹצֵר הָאָרֶץ וְעֹשָׂהּ הוּא כוֹנְנָהּ לֹא תֹהוּ בְרָאָהּ לָשֶׁבֶת יְצָרָהּ אֲנִי יי וְאֵין עוֹד. (יט) לֹא בַסֵּתֶר דִּבַּרְתִּי בִּמְקוֹם אֶרֶץ חֹשֶׁךְ לֹא אָמַרְתִּי לְזֶרַע יַעֲקֹב תֹּהוּ בַקְּשׁוּנִי אֲנִי יי דֹּבֵר צֶדֶק מַגִּיד מֵישָׁרִים. (כ) הִקָּבְצוּ וָבֹאוּ הִתְנַגְּשׁוּ יַחְדָּו פְּלִיטֵי הַגּוֹיִם לֹא יָדְעוּ הַנֹּשְׂאִים אֶת עֵץ פִּסְלָם וּמִתְפַּלְלִים אֶל אֵל לֹא יוֹשִׁיעַ. (כא) הַגִּידוּ וְהַגִּישׁוּ אַף יִוָּעֲצוּ יַחְדָּו מִי הִשְׁמִיעַ זֹאת מִקֶּדֶם מֵאָז הִגִּידָהּ הֲלוֹא אֲנִי יי וְאֵין עוֹד אֱלֹהִים מִבַּלְעָדַי אֵל צַדִּיק וּמוֹשִׁיעַ אַיִן זוּלָתִי. (כב) פְּנוּ אֵלַי וְהִוָּשְׁעוּ כָּל אַפְסֵי אָרֶץ כִּי אֲנִי אֵל וְאֵין עוֹד. (כג) בִּי נִשְׁבַּעְתִּי יָצָא מִפִּי צְדָקָה דָּבָר וְלֹא יָשׁוּב כִּי לִי תִּכְרַע כָּל בֶּרֶךְ תִּשָּׁבַע כָּל לָשׁוֹן. (כד) אַךְ בַּיי לִי אָמַר צְדָקוֹת וָעֹז עָדָיו יָבוֹא וְיֵבֹשׁוּ כֹּל הַנֶּחֱרִים בּוֹ. (כה) בַּיי יִצְדְּקוּ וְיִתְהַלְלוּ כָּל זֶרַע יִשְׂרָאֵל.

Isaiah 45:14-25

(14) Thus saith the LORD: The labour of Egypt, and the merchandise of Ethiopia, And of the Sabeans, men of stature, Shall come over unto thee, and they shall be thine; They shall go after thee, in chains they shall come over; And they shall fall down unto thee, They shall make supplication unto thee: Surely God is in thee, and there is none else, There is no other God. (15) Verily Thou art a God that hidest Thyself, O God of Israel, the Saviour. (16) They shall be ashamed, yea, confounded, all of them; They shall go in confusion together that are makers of idols. (17) O Israel, that art saved by the LORD with an everlasting salvation; Ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end. (18) For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens, He is God; That formed the earth and made it, He established it, He created it not a waste, He formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD, and there is none else. (19) I have not spoken in secret, In a place of the land of darkness; I said not unto the seed of Jacob: ‘Seek ye Me in vain’; I the LORD speak righteousness, I declare things that are right. (20) Assemble yourselves and come, draw near together, Ye that are escaped of the nations; They have no knowledge that carry the wood of their graven image, And pray unto a god that cannot save. (21) Declare ye, and bring them near, Yea, let them take counsel together: Who hath announced this from ancient time, And declared it of old? Have not I the LORD? And there is no God else beside Me, A just God and a Saviour; There is none beside Me. (22) Look unto Me, and be ye saved, All the ends of the earth; For I am God, and there is none else. (23) By Myself have I sworn, The word is gone forth from My mouth in righteousness, And shall not come back, That unto Me every knee shall bow, Every tongue shall swear. (24) Only in the LORD, shall one say of Me, is victory and strength; Even to Him shall men come in confusion, All they that were incensed against Him. (25) In the LORD shall all the seed of Israel Be justified, and shall glory.

יהושע כ״ד:י״ט-כ״ו

(יט) וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אֶל הָעָם לֹא תוּכְלוּ לַעֲבֹד אֶת יי כִּי אֱלֹהִים קְדֹשִׁים הוּא אֵל קַנּוֹא הוּא לֹא יִשָּׂא לְפִשְׁעֲכֶם וּלְחַטֹּאותֵיכֶם. (כ) כִּי תַעַזְבוּ אֶת יי וַעֲבַדְתֶּם אֱלֹהֵי נֵכָר וְשָׁב וְהֵרַע לָכֶם וְכִלָּה אֶתְכֶם אַחֲרֵי אֲשֶׁר הֵיטִיב לָכֶם. (כא) וַיֹּאמֶר הָעָם אֶל יְהוֹשֻׁעַ לֹא כִּי אֶת יי נַעֲבֹד. (כב) וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אֶל הָעָם עֵדִים אַתֶּם בָּכֶם כִּי אַתֶּם בְּחַרְתֶּם לָכֶם אֶת יי לַעֲבֹד אוֹתוֹ וַיֹּאמְרוּ עֵדִים. (כג) וְעַתָּה הָסִירוּ אֶת אֱלֹהֵי הַנֵּכָר אֲשֶׁר בְּקִרְבְּכֶם וְהַטּוּ אֶת לְבַבְכֶם אֶל יי אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל. (כד) וַיֹּאמְרוּ הָעָם אֶל יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אֶת יי אֱלֹהֵינוּ נַעֲבֹד וּבְקוֹלוֹ נִשְׁמָע. (כה) וַיִּכְרֹת יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בְּרִית לָעָם בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא וַיָּשֶׂם לוֹ חֹק וּמִשְׁפָּט בִּשְׁכֶם. (כו) וַיִּכְתֹּב יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אֶת הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה בְּסֵפֶר תּוֹרַת אֱלֹהִים וַיִּקַּח אֶבֶן גְּדוֹלָה וַיְקִימֶהָ שָּׁם תַּחַת הָאַלָּה אֲשֶׁר בְּמִקְדַּשׁ יי.

Joshua 24:19-26

(19) And Joshua said unto the people: ‘Ye cannot serve the LORD; for He is a holy God; He is a jealous God; He will not forgive your transgression nor your sins. (20) If ye forsake the LORD, and serve strange gods, then He will turn and do you evil, and consume you, after that He hath done you good.’ (21) And the people said unto Joshua: ‘Nay; but we will serve the LORD.’ (22) And Joshua said unto the people: ‘Ye are witnesses against yourselves that ye have chosen you the LORD, to serve Him.—And they said: ‘We are witnesses.’— (23) Now therefore put away the strange gods which are among you, and incline your heart unto the LORD, the God of Israel.’ (24) And the people said unto Joshua: ‘The LORD our God will we serve, and unto His voice will we hearken.’ (25) So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and set them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem. (26) And Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God; and he took a great stone, and set it up there under the oak that was by the sanctuary of the LORD.

Who is doing the choosing in this source?

דברים י״ד:ב׳-ג׳

(ב) כִּי עַם קָדוֹשׁ אַתָּה לַיי אֱלֹהֶיךָ וּבְךָ בָּחַר יי לִהְיוֹת לוֹ לְעַם סְגֻלָּה מִכֹּל הָעַמִּים אֲשֶׁר עַל פְּנֵי הָאֲדָמָה. (ג) לֹא תֹאכַל כָּל תּוֹעֵבָה.

Deuteronomy 14:2-3

(2) For thou art a holy people unto the LORD thy God, and the LORD hath chosen thee to be His own treasure out of all peoples that are upon the face of the earth. (3) Thou shalt not eat any abominable thing.

1. Why do you think that chosen-ness is referenced along with the laws of Kashrut?

שמות י״ט:א׳-ח׳

(א) בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁלִישִׁי לְצֵאת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם בַּיּוֹם הַזֶּה בָּאוּ מִדְבַּר סִינָי. (ב) וַיִּסְעוּ מֵרְפִידִים וַיָּבֹאוּ מִדְבַּר סִינַי וַיַּחֲנוּ בַּמִּדְבָּר וַיִּחַן שָׁם יִשְׂרָאֵל נֶגֶד הָהָר. (ג) וּמֹשֶׁה עָלָה אֶל הָאֱלֹהִים וַיִּקְרָא אֵלָיו יי מִן הָהָר לֵאמֹר כֹּה תֹאמַר לְבֵית יַעֲקֹב וְתַגֵּיד לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל. (ד) אַתֶּם רְאִיתֶם אֲשֶׁר עָשִׂיתִי לְמִצְרָיִם וָאֶשָּׂא אֶתְכֶם עַל כַּנְפֵי נְשָׁרִים וָאָבִא אֶתְכֶם אֵלָי. (ה) וְעַתָּה אִם שָׁמוֹעַ תִּשְׁמְעוּ בְּקֹלִי וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם אֶת בְּרִיתִי וִהְיִיתֶם לִי סְגֻלָּה מִכָּל הָעַמִּים כִּי לִי כָּל הָאָרֶץ. (ו) וְאַתֶּם תִּהְיוּ לִי מַמְלֶכֶת כֹּהֲנִים וְגוֹי קָדוֹשׁ אֵלֶּה הַדְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר תְּדַבֵּר אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל. (ז) וַיָּבֹא מֹשֶׁה וַיִּקְרָא לְזִקְנֵי הָעָם וַיָּשֶׂם לִפְנֵיהֶם אֵת כָּל הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה אֲשֶׁר צִוָּהוּ יי. (ח) וַיַּעֲנוּ כָל הָעָם יַחְדָּו וַיֹּאמְרוּ כֹּל אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר יי נַעֲשֶׂה וַיָּשֶׁב מֹשֶׁה אֶת דִּבְרֵי הָעָם אֶל יי.

Exodus 19:1-8

(1) In the third month after the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt, the same day came they into the wilderness of Sinai. (2) And when they were departed from Rephidim, and were come to the wilderness of Sinai, they encamped in the wilderness; and there Israel encamped before the mount. (3) And Moses went up unto God, and the LORD called unto him out of the mountain, saying: ‘Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel: (4) Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’wings, and brought you unto Myself. (5) Now therefore, if ye will hearken unto My voice indeed, and keep My covenant, then ye shall be Mine own treasure from among all peoples; for all the earth is Mine; (6) and ye shall be unto Me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.’ (7) And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and set before them all these words which the LORD commanded him. (8) And all the people answered together, and said: ‘All that the LORD hath spoken we will do.’ And Moses reported the words of the people unto the LORD.

What are the Israelites "chosen" to do/be here?
What is their response to being chosen?

ישעיהו מ״ב:ו׳-ז׳

(ו) אֲנִי יי קְרָאתִיךָ בְצֶדֶק וְאַחְזֵק בְּיָדֶךָ וְאֶצָּרְךָ וְאֶתֶּנְךָ לִבְרִית עָם לְאוֹר גּוֹיִם. (ז) לִפְקֹחַ עֵינַיִם עִוְרוֹת לְהוֹצִיא מִמַּסְגֵּר אַסִּיר מִבֵּית כֶּלֶא יֹשְׁבֵי חֹשֶׁךְ.

Isaiah 42:6-7

(6) I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, And have taken hold of thy hand, And kept thee, and set thee for a covenant of the people, For a light of the nations; (7) To open the blind eyes, To bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, And them that sit in darkness out of the prison-house. .

What is the mission of those who are chosen in this source?

ישעיהו מ״ג:כ״א

(כא) עַם זוּ יָצַרְתִּי לִי תְּהִלָּתִי יְסַפֵּרוּ.

Isaiah 43:21

(21) The people which I formed for Myself, That they might tell of My praise.

What is the mission here?

בבא קמא ל״ח א:י״א-י״ב

והתניא ר"מ אומר מנין שאפילו נכרי ועוסק בתורה שהוא ככהן גדול ת"ל (ויקרא יח, ה) אשר יעשה אותם האדם וחי בהם כהנים ולוים וישראלים לא נאמר אלא אדם הא למדת שאפילו נכרי ועוסק בתורה הרי הוא ככהן גדול אמרי אין מקבלים עליהן שכר כמצווה ועושה אלא כמי שאינו מצווה ועושה דא"ר חנינא גדול המצווה ועושה יותר ממי שאינו מצווה ועושה

Bava Kamma 38a:11-12

But didn't we learn: Rabbi Meir said: How do we know that even a non-Jew who is involved in Torah is like a High Priest? For we learned: “that a person should perform them and live by them (Leviticus 18:5),” it does not say, “priests,” or “Levites,” or “Israelites,” but rather “a person,” so we learn that even a non-Jew who is involved in Torah is like a High Priest! It was said in response: They do not get a reward like one who is commanded to perform and obeys, but rather like one who is not commanded to perform, for Rabbi Chanina said: One who is commanded and performs the commandments is greater than one who is not commanded and performs the commandments anyway.

דברים ז׳:ז׳-ח׳

לֹא מֵרֻבְּכֶם מִכָּל הָעַמִּים חָשַׁק יי בָּכֶם וַיִּבְחַר בָּכֶם כִּי אַתֶּם הַמְעַט מִכָּל הָעַמִּים. כִּי מֵאַהֲבַת יי אֶתְכֶם וּמִשָּׁמְרוֹ אֶת הַשְּׁבֻעָה אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּע לַאֲבֹתֵיכֶם הוֹצִיא יי אֶתְכֶם בְּיָד חֲזָקָה וַיִּפְדְּךָ מִבֵּית עֲבָדִים מִיַּד פַּרְעֹה מֶלֶךְ מִצְרָיִם.

Deuteronomy 7:7-8

Adonai did not set His love upon you, nor choose you, because you were more numerous than all other people-- for you were fewer than all other peoples-- but because Adonai loved you, and because God would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers-- for Adonai to bring you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

If the Jews are chosen to serve for all eternity as a light unto the nations, it is because God, in the words of the theologian Michael Wyschogrod, “sees the face of his beloved Abraham in each and every one of his children as a man sees the face of his beloved in the children of his union with his beloved.”

עבודה זרה ג. 3-8

והתניא היה רבי מאיר אומר מנין שאפילו עובד כוכבים ועוסק בתורה שהוא ככהן גדול תלמוד לומר (ויקרא יח, ה) אשר יעשה אותם האדם וחי בהם כהנים לוים וישראלים לא נאמר אלא האדם הא למדת שאפילו עובד כוכבים ועוסק בתורה הרי הוא ככהן גדול אלא לומר לך שאין מקבלין עליהם שכר כמצווה ועושה אלא כמי שאינו מצווה ועושה דאמר ר' חנינא גדול המצווה ועושה יותר משאינו מצווה ועושה

Avodah Zarah 3a:2-3

Is it not taught: R. Meir used to say. ‘Whence do we know that even an idolater who studies the Torah is equal to a High Priest? From the following verse: Ye shall therefore keep My statutes and My ordinances which, if a man do, he shall live by them. It does not say "If a Priest, Levite, or Israelite do, he shall live by them," but "a man"; here, then, you can learn that even a heathen who studies the Torah is equal to a High Priest!’ What is meant, then, is that they are rewarded not as greatly as one who does a thing which he is bidden to do, but as one who does a thing unbidden. For, R. Hanina said: He who is commanded and does, stands higher then he who is not commanded and does....

זכריה ג׳:ט׳

(ט) כִּי הִנֵּה הָאֶבֶן אֲשֶׁר נָתַתִּי לִפְנֵי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ עַל אֶבֶן אַחַת שִׁבְעָה עֵינָיִם הִנְנִי מְפַתֵּחַ פִּתֻּחָהּ נְאֻם יי צְבָאוֹת וּמַשְׁתִּי אֶת עֲו‍ֹן הָאָרֶץ הַהִיא בְּיוֹם אֶחָד.

Zechariah 3:9

(9) For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone are seven facets; behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the LORD of hosts: And I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.

מלאכי א׳:י״א

(יא) כִּי מִמִּזְרַח שֶׁמֶשׁ וְעַד מְבוֹאוֹ גָּדוֹל שְׁמִי בַּגּוֹיִם וּבְכָל מָקוֹם מֻקְטָר מֻגָּשׁ לִשְׁמִי וּמִנְחָה טְהוֹרָה כִּי גָדוֹל שְׁמִי בַּגּוֹיִם אָמַר יי צְבָאוֹת.

Malachi 1:11

(11) For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same My name is great among the nations; And in every place offerings are presented unto My name, Even pure oblations; For My name is great among the nations, Saith the LORD of hosts.

מיכה ד׳:א׳-ה׳

(א) וְהָיָה בְּאַחֲרִית הַיָּמִים יִהְיֶה הַר בֵּית יי נָכוֹן בְּרֹאשׁ הֶהָרִים וְנִשָּׂא הוּא מִגְּבָעוֹת וְנָהֲרוּ עָלָיו עַמִּים. (ב) וְהָלְכוּ גּוֹיִם רַבִּים וְאָמְרוּ לְכוּ וְנַעֲלֶה אֶל הַר יי וְאֶל בֵּית אֱלֹהֵי יַעֲקֹב וְיוֹרֵנוּ מִדְּרָכָיו וְנֵלְכָה בְּאֹרְחֹתָיו כִּי מִצִּיּוֹן תֵּצֵא תוֹרָה וּדְבַר יי מִירוּשָׁלָ‍ִם. (ג) וְשָׁפַט בֵּין עַמִּים רַבִּים וְהוֹכִיחַ לְגוֹיִם עֲצֻמִים עַד רָחוֹק וְכִתְּתוּ חַרְבֹתֵיהֶם לְאִתִּים וַחֲנִיתֹתֵיהֶם לְמַזְמֵרוֹת לֹא יִשְׂאוּ גּוֹי אֶל גּוֹי חֶרֶב וְלֹא יִלְמְדוּן עוֹד מִלְחָמָה. (ד) וְיָשְׁבוּ אִישׁ תַּחַת גַּפְנוֹ וְתַחַת תְּאֵנָתוֹ וְאֵין מַחֲרִיד כִּי פִי יי צְבָאוֹת דִּבֵּר. (ה) כִּי כָּל הָעַמִּים יֵלְכוּ אִישׁ בְּשֵׁם אֱלֹהָיו וַאֲנַחְנוּ נֵלֵךְ בְּשֵׁם יי אֱלֹהֵינוּ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד.

Micah 4:1-5

(1) But in the end of days it shall come to pass, That the mountain of the LORD’S house shall be established as the top of the mountains, And it shall be exalted above the hills; And peoples shall flow unto it. (2) And many nations shall go and say: ‘Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, And to the house of the God of Jacob; And He will teach us of His ways, And we will walk in His paths’; For out of Zion shall go forth the law, And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. (3) And He shall judge between many peoples, And shall decide concerning mighty nations afar off; And they shall beat their swords into plowshares, And their spears into pruninghooks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, Neither shall they learn war any more. (4) But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig-tree; And none shall make them afraid; For the mouth of the LORD of hosts hath spoken. (5) For let all the peoples walk each one in the name of its god, But we will walk in the name of the LORD our God for ever and ever.