On the upcoming Yom Tov of Sukkos, we will say the berachah of “Ata Bechartanu,” the blessing thanking Hashem for having chosen us from among the nations. Interestingly, that very closeness has been the cause of terrible persecution the Jews have experienced. Rav Yaakov Kamenetsky would say that those who have made us suffer for calling ourselves the “chosen” people do not realize that being chosen comes with extraordinary responsibilities as well, as we say in Selichos, “Ashamnu m’kol am – We are guiltier than all of the nations.”
As the am hanivchar, it is our responsibility to uphold human dignity, to preserve the tzelem Elokim, the image of God in humans). It is a responsibility that does not always come easy. We often pay a price for taking moral stands that are no longer widely accepted in the society around us.
This thought comes to mind when contemplating the situation in which we find ourselves in galus America in the year 2015.
In America today we are witnessing the moral collapse of a once great society. The basic notion of human dignity, of the preservation of the tzelem Elokim, has been compromised. When a great nation enshrines into law behavior that not long ago was recognized as reprehensible by every segment of civilization, it should give us all pause.
It is therefore time for us to start galvanizing the forces of kedushah and taharah in order to strengthen among ourselves the cherished principles and fundamentals of our faith that are under attack. Part of our mandate as the am hanivchar is to uphold these timeless principles and through our actions have a positive influence on both our fellow Jews and the world at large.
We must also recognize that the changing societal norms are having an unmistakable influence on Jewish religious society as well. Sadly, there are those who call themselves Orthodox who revel in this newfound openness. What should concern us is the realization that we and our children are being affected by a surrounding society that seems to have enshrined self-indulgence as the overarching goal and principle of our time.
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There is much inspiration we can derive from the Yom Tov of Sukkos in how to confront these unprecedented challenges.
In the time of the Beis HaMikdash seventy bulls were sacrificed as korbanos on Sukkos. Chazal teach that the 70 bulls corresponded to and were sacrificed on behalf of the 70 nations of the world. Finally, on Shemini Atzeres, the special Yom Tov that signifies our unique relationship with Hashem, we sacrifice one bull that corresponds to Bnei Yisrael, Hashem’s singular nation. The question arises: Why do we sacrifice bulls on behalf of the nations of the world in the Beis HaMikdash?
This is not the only time in Jewish ritual where we demonstrate that as Jews we have a clear interest in involving the world at large in our avodah. The recent tefillos recited on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are full of references to the nations, depicting how important it is to us that the nations also understand who Hashem is, His supremacy and who we, His people, are.
For example, in the Yamim Noraim Amidah we said, “Hashem, reign over the entire world in Your glory…. And appear in Your majestic might over all who dwell in the world…. So everything that has been made will know that You have made it and it will be understood that You have formed it…and they will say with their every breath, ‘Hashem the God of Israel is King and his Kingship rules all over…’ ”
