What Are the Chosen People Chosen For? (Nitzavim)

What does it really mean to be G-d’s chosen people—and does chosenness imply superiority, privilege, or something far more demanding? This class explores the Jewish people’s unique bond with G-d, from the inherited connection of Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov to the deeper choice and mission revealed at Sinai. Students will examine how being chosen means becoming G-d’s servants, charged with bringing holiness into the physical world through Torah and mitzvos. The class also confronts a vital question: where do the nations fit? Far from diminishing others, Jewish chosenness includes recognizing every person’s Divine value and helping humanity fulfill its own moral mission.