Yisro

The need for a chosen nation

Author: Rabbi Moshe Pruzansky

In this week’s parashah Hashem gave us the Torah, thereby setting us aside as His chosen nation, one that would be required to keep His Torah forever. Before this point in time there was no concept of a Jew. Adam and Chavah were not Jewish. Noach was not Jewish. In fact, even Avraham, yitzchak, and yaakov were not “Jewish,” in the same sense as after the giving of the Torah. (According to most Sages, they kept the mitzvos although they were not required to do so.*) Only now, with the giving of the Torah, did Hashem officially choose us as His special nation who would be required to keep the Torah forever and ever and thereby always represent Him.

Why was it necessary to have a “chosen nation” that would forever be required to keep the Torah? Also, if it was so important, why didn’t Hashem choose one sooner?

*Da’as Zekeinim, Bereishis 37:35, Shut Rama, Siman 10. Also, see Ramban, Bereishis 26:5, where he explains that in a few select instances the Avos did not keep the Torah outside of eretz yisrael. See Rambam, Hilchos Melachim 9:1. See Maharal, Gur Aryeh, Bereishis 46:10).

Let us explain with a powerful parable told by Rabbi Benzion Klatzko:

There once lived a kind and benevolent king who only wanted the best for his kingdom. Unfortunately, his kingdom was filled with crime and corruption. This bothered the king tremendously. one day he gave his subjects the following ultimatum: act with morality and kindness toward each other, or else I will leave. Nobody believed the king would ever leave. after all, who ever heard of a king leaving his kingdom? however, after many weeks of no improvement, the king indeed left. he was independently wealthy, and he brought all of his money with him. He decided to start over. he bought a huge plot of land, and built from scratch the most beautiful city imaginable. all of the residents from the nearby villages approached the king with the desire to live there. The king welcomed them, with one simple rule: You may live here in happiness, and I will take care of your every need as long as you promise to be kind and moral. The offer was pleasing in everyone’s eyes, and the new kingdom quickly filled to capacity. Everyone lived in harmony, which brought the king immense joy. After a couple of months however, things began to deterio- rate. one day the news of a shoplifting hit the streets. a couple of days later there was a mugging. Before the king knew it, crime started to take root in his brand-new kingdom.

The king was distraught. he called in his top advisor, desper- ately seeking advice. “I can’t make a new kingdom every time an issue arises. What should I do? Why won’t my citizens behave justly and morally?” The advisor responded, “My king, you are moral and kind, and simply want everyone to follow in your ways. The problem is that the public never see you, because you live in your castle on top of a tall mountain, and rarely go out in public. This makes it difficult for your subjects to learn from your shining example.

My advice is as follows: Find the most moral of men in your kingdom, and train them in how to represent your ways. Give them royal purple jackets to wear so that your subjects will know that they represent you. If the people have living role models of your will spread out throughout the kingdom, you can effectively direct them in how to be moral and kind just like yourself.”

We are The “Purple Jacket People.” When Hashem first created the world, the inhabitants became so corrupt that Hashem had to give them the following ultimatum: repent, or I will have to start over. They didn’t believe He would follow through on His threat. After many years, Hashem had to bring the mabul and start over. When Noach and his children left the teivah, they followed in Hashem’s ways. It looked as though the world was finally headed in the right di- rection. But yet again, it was not long before corruption was rampant. Hashem decided that the most effective way to direct His world to follow in His proper ways was to handpick the “Purple Jacket People.” We should represent His will in every aspect of life, and serve as role models to all of the world regarding proper morality, honesty, and conduct. The world is supposed to be able to look at us and say, “That must be the way G-d wants me to act.” every mitzvah that we per- form is supposed to display Hashem’s model of perfection, and to augment and strengthen every positive character trait that we possess. May we all live up to our tremendous privilege and responsibility of representing Hashem’s will and truly be a light unto the nations.