הישיבה - דף הבית שלכם להשכלה יהודית

Is the 'Chosen People' Idea Racist? Do Non-Jews Go to Heaven?

How the Seven Noahide Laws Can Transform Humanity

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סיכום השיעור:

Rabbi YY Jacobson & Rabbi Rapps have a joint Instagram Live on Monday evening, 9 Sivan, 5783, May 29, 2023 exploring the topic about what the concept of Jewish choseness really means.

@rabbiraps is a filmmaker, motivational speaker, the unofficial Tiktoker Rebbe as well as a Congregational Rabbi in Atlantic City NJ. With over 300,000 followers and millions of views, his daily videos inspire and educate through joy and humor. He can be followed @rabbiraps on YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, Twitter, Linkdin, instagram

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אנא השאירו את תגובתכם למטה!

Anonymous -1 שָׁנָה לִפנֵי
Dear Rabbi Y.Y. Jacobson,
I listen to your speeches very often and really gain a lot from them. It makes me feel
understood and validated in a way that I have never felt before; maybe the life I am living does
have meaning after all.

Recently, I heard your speech on the chosen nation. My heart skipped a beat as the
topic you were to be speaking about was announced. Literally. It has been killing me, and I say
that with hardly an ounce of exaggeration, for the past 3 years.

It kills me to see how the more ‘frum’ a person is, the more they despise non-Jews.
It kills me to see a nation who claims to be kind and compassionate looking down at
other human beings because they are not chosen.

It kills me to see how my teachers argue whether goyim are wild animals or just a bunch
of little nothings-like banana peels.

It kills me to see how others don’t understand why my heart bleeds when someone who
is human but not Jewish is hurting.

It kills me to picture the scene, that although I know may not be true, I’ve repeatedly
been told about: when moshiach comes, the goyim will be destroyed with barad. They will
freeze to their death and then go up in flames, being brutally tortured by our loving, merciful
father who will at long last take revenge on everyone who, through every fault of their own,
wasn’t born into our elite, supreme nation. Everyone, that is, save for a few individuals. For the
righteous ones who will be worthy of being our slaves. Their mission in life will be to work as
cleaning ladies, fixer men, movers or any other back breaking labor for the sake of serving you
and me, cuz we’re better, after all. Beautiful, no?

Honestly, everyone who knows me knows at least some of my questions on this topic:

Are Jews superior?
Does Hashem love yidden more than goyim?
Does He even love goyim at all?
Does He care about them? Treasure them?
Were they only created so we can fulfill our mission and are going through the hell of this world
for that purpose?
Why does there even have to be such a concept of the chosen nation?
Will they be zoche to moshiach and techias hameisim?
Those are just a few of the questions I’ve been asking over and over again, without ever
being answered satisfactorily. All I’ve received were half chewed answers that weren’t
compatible with other things I’ve always thought were true.
At the beginning of your speech, my heart felt full of hope. I believed, that if anyone
could do it, it’s you. Maybe you would be the one to put all that’s been nagging me for so long
to its overdue death.

But the more I listened, the more disappointed and angry I became. I felt that although
what you were saying was very nice, it was not 100% honest. And I’m done with that. I’m done
with holes and contradictions, with flattery and hypocrisy. Rabbi Jacobson, I like beauty and
flowers and pleasure, but there is something I value even more. Truth. Honesty. Authenticity. I
appreciate when things are fully consistent, without flaws and facades which can so easily be shattered if you only look beyond face value.

Like a wise guy once said, “Better an ugly truth than a beautiful lie.”

First of all, you do quote the Baal Hatanya a lot and seem to go according to him. And,
you cannot pick and choose! Consistency is key! When it’s comfortable, you go according to
him, and when it is not you ignore his words as if they cease to exist? You make it sound like
non-Jews are so great and amazing and sacred, just like the Jews. But what about the words
written in your Tanya? I hope I misunderstood them.

And what about all those simple things that really may not be so simple at all... we may
charge ribbus when it comes to a non-Jew...we so proudly say, חטאת לאומים חסד ...it is
permissible to speak lashon hara about a goy... goyim are held accountable when they intend to
do something bad as oppose to yidden because they are רע בעצם ... ...a blanket statement term
for non-Jews is עכום ...only we are sons of Hashem... goyim are made out of klippos, shells...
never give a gift to a goy unless you have the correct ulterior motives...

Do we really think of them and treat them as lovingly as you made it sound after all?

What would all those Christian followers say if they knew the truth that you keep under lock
and key?

And don’t tell me that Judaism isn’t at all racist. Maybe not nowadays, but the truth is
that Amonim, Moavim, and Mitzriyim can’t just convert. And don’t even get me started on
Amalek! No? We’re not racist? We are mechiyuv (only if we can etc.) to murder an INNOCENT
amaleki baby, who never hurt a fly in his lifetime, simply for the crime of being born with
Amaleki blood flowing through his veins. Are we any different than other nations who have
tried to destroy us in the past? I’m sure they too, had all the right answers. I’m sure they also
tried killing us to make this world a better place. We make ourselves sound so righteous and
holy and pious and them stupid and evil and cruel. Oh, I just thought of such a good idea to kill
out Amalek. How do gas chambers sound?

And now I’m hearing you say, so passionately and persuasively, “the life of every person
is sacred! Absolutely sacred!” Oh yeah? I suggest you double check that.
There is a reason why the whole topic of non-Jews bothers me so, and why it is so much
more than just a question. Because if the answer is what I am afraid it is, and what I am most
often told it is, then G-d cannot be who they say He is. To me, it’s either or. If G-d can do
something like create billions(!) of beings who have lives and pain and endless suffering, and
then view most of them as shells, then He cannot be a loving G-d. He cannot be a merciful G-d.
He cannot be a kind G-d. And He cannot be my G-d.

Thank you for taking the time to read my letter. I know that perhaps I have, but I did not
mean to come across harsh or biting in any way. Forgive me. And please, please, respond.
Please give me even a miniscule taste of the one gift I so desperately crave: clarity.
השיבו לתגובה זו.סמן את התגובה הזו.
- YJ
  YY Jacobson -1 שָׁנָה לִפנֵי
  I read your letter. Thanks for sharing candidly.
  But I was actually honest, at least I was trying to be.
  I think you are confusing two things:
  1. The reality of the gentile world many of our sages were confronting for millennia, vs. the potential existing in each person, and which will be revealed fully with the Geulah.
  2. The difference between Chasidei Umos Haolam, and the Pagan world, or even later the non-Jews who sadly remained etched in promiscuity and violence.
  If you go through all the sources, and you see it all in context, you will see how honest my answers were.
  You need to know the full picture. Does it make sense that Chassidus teaches that Ein Od Milvado, even rocks are manifestations of the Divine, and people not?!
  With many blessings.YYJ
  השיבו לתגובה זו.סמן את התגובה הזו.
Anonymous -1 שָׁנָה לִפנֵי
Live your life with Jewish values . Feel motivated to being one with h HaShem and you will find the answer .
השיבו לתגובה זו.סמן את התגובה הזו.
M
Menachem -1 שָׁנָה לִפנֵי
Dissapointed
I was disappointed.

Usually, when discussing how Judaism is not racist, rabbis focus on the "chosen people" idea. They jump to explain how "chosen" isn't racist, it just means chosen for a bigger job than others. Or "to show others that their chosen." How romantic.

The question remains: WHY were Jews chosen for a bigger job? Is it not true that according to the Torah Jews are infinitely holier and more beloved to G-d than non-Jews? Isn't it true that Jews are a completely different entity that is completely inseparable from G-d, unlike non-Jews?

When I saw the original title to the video, I got excited.
"Does G-d Love the Jews More? Do Non-Jews Go to Heaven?"
This time, I thought, there's no beating around the bush.
The question "Does G-d love Jews more" has only one tough answer (according to Torah): Yes. I hoped that you would finally explain this.

Later, I saw that the title was changed:
"Is the 'Chosen People' Idea Racist? Do Non-Jews Go to Heaven?"
This class continues to beat around the bush. Talking about "chosen people" - "chosen to do hard work" instead of getting to the point: Does G-d love Jews more? Is that racist?
השיבו לתגובה זו.סמן את התגובה הזו.
Anonymous -1 שָׁנָה לִפנֵי
Hi i am always amazed by Rabbi JJ,just amazing amazing wisdom and speaks the language of the heart !!!

השיבו לתגובה זו.סמן את התגובה הזו.
SL
Sara l -1 שָׁנָה לִפנֵי
So, how are we doing
with our task of teaching the people of the world how to live, how to be, and that each person is valuable etc. etc?
השיבו לתגובה זו.סמן את התגובה הזו.
- Anonymous -1 שָׁנָה לִפנֵי
  Rabbi YY, you talked around the question of how we are doing? Rabbi Rapps also wants to know. Are we succeeding as a people in our mission that you say we have as the chosen people? You really didn't answer the question. I would like very much to hear what your answer is. I of course have my opinion, which I could share, but I'm interested in what you think.
  השיבו לתגובה זו.סמן את התגובה הזו.