(א) אַתָּה בְחַרְתָּנוּ מִכָּל הָעַמִּים אָהַבְתָּ אותָנוּ וְרָצִיתָ בָּנוּ וְרומַמְתָּנוּ מִכָּל הַלְּשׁונות וְקִדַּשְׁתָּנוּ בְּמִצְותֶיךָ וְקֵרַבְתָּנוּ מַלְכֵּנוּ לַעֲבודָתֶךָ וְשִׁמְךָ הַגָּדול וְהַקָּדושׁ עָלֵינוּ קָרָאתָ:
וַתִּתֶּן לָנוּ ה' אֱלהֵינוּ בְּאַהֲבָה מועֲדִים לְשמְחָה חַגִּים וּזְמַנִּים לְששון...
TRANSLATION By Jeff Hoffman:
You chose us from all the peoples. You loved us and desired us. You exalted us above all the tongues and sanctified us with your commandments. You brought us close to you, our King, to serve You, and you proclaimed Your great and holy Name upon us.
And you gave us, YHVH, our God, in love, festivals for joy and holidays and times for rejoicing...
COMMENTARY OF THE ROKEI'AH, 13TH C. GERMANY: "And exalted us above all tongues" - You gave us the holy language that the angels speak... and through which the world was created, and which was used (by everyone) until the Tower of Babel when the 70 languages were given (to the rest of the world) and the holy language remained for Israel His people.
COMMENTARY OF RABBI SAMSON RAPHAEL HIRSCH, 19TH C., GERMANY: "You chose us" - You have found our character not entirely in contradiction with the sanctity of Your own Being.
"You have exalted us (above all the tongues)" - Among all the languages of mankind, it is our tongue that You have chosen as the best suited vehicle for the revelation of Your Torah and the message of Your prophets.
"You have brought us close to You" - By giving us Your Law, You have become our King and so have permitted us to draw near to You as Your loyal servants.
ARTSCROLL SIDDUR (ORTHODOX), 1984. P. 662, COMMENTARY:
"You chose us" - ...God has chosen Israel to be the bearers of His mission on earth.
"Above all tongues" - Human language is capable of capturing sublime thoughts and complex ideas, but Israel was granted the language of the Torah, which encompasses God's own wisdom and which is uniquely suited to expressing concepts of holiness.
"And proclaimed your great and holy name upon us" - We are proud and grateful that God wished to be known as the God of Israel.
SIDDUR LEV SHALEM (Conservative), 2016, p. 309:
You have chosen us among all peoples, loving us, wanting us. You have distinguished us among all nations making us holy through Your commandments, drawing us close to Your service, and calling us by Your great and holy name.
Lovingly, You have bestowed on us, ADONAI, our God, festivals for joy holidays and occasions to delight in.
COMMENTARY: "You have chosen us" - Jewish understanding is that the ritual law and ethical law we observe is a special gift.
Same Hebrew as in traditional Siddurim
SIDDUR MISHKAN T'FILAH (REFORM), 2007, p. 478:
You have chosen us, in love and favor, by making us holy through your mitzvot and drawing us close to Your service, that through us Your great and holy name may become known in all the earth.
אתה אהבתנו ורצית בנו וקדשתנו במצותיך וקרבתנו מלכנו לעבודתך ושמך הגדול והקדוש עלינו קראת.
SIDDUR KOL HANESHAMAH (RECONSTRUCTIONIST), 1994, pp 340-341:
You have loved us, and have taken pleasure in us, and have made us holy with your mitzvot, and have brought us, sovereign one, near to your service, and have called us to the shelter of your great and holy name
SIDDUR EIT RATZON, 2006 (HAVURAH MOVEMENT), p. 62, COMMENTARY:
As with other passages in the traditional Siddur, this prayer... focus(es) on God's special relationship with the Jewish people, and particularly on a special gift that God gave us... the festivals. Some of the language of the prayer makes comparisons between the people of Israel and other peoples, comparisons that may have been appropriate when they were written, but are no longer appropriate, since people of many faiths have high moral standards and strive for spiritual growth.