Jews As A Chosen People

Jews As A Chosen People

In Judaism, "chosenness" is the belief that the Jews are the chosen people, chosen to be in a covenant with God. This idea is first found in the Torah (the five books of Moses, which are also included in the Christian Bible) and is elaborated on in later books of the Hebrew Bible. Much is written about these topics in rabbinic literature. The three largest Jewish denominations—Orthodox Judaism, Conservative Judaism and Reform Judaism—maintain the belief that the Jews have been chosen by God for a purpose.

Read more about Jews As A Chosen People:  Chosenness in The Bible, Rabbinic Jewish Views of Chosenness, Modern Orthodox Views, Conservative Judaism Views, Reform Judaism, Alternative Kabbalistic and Philosophical Views, Reconstructionist Criticism, Influence On Relations With Other Religions, Ethnocentrism and Racism

Famous quotes containing the words jews as, jews, chosen and/or people:

    “That the Jews assumed a right exclusively to the benefits of God will be a lasting witness against them & the same will it be against Christians.”
    —William Blake (1757–1827)

    “No doubt Jews are most obnoxious creatures. Any competent historian or psychoanalyst can bring a mass of incontrovertible evidence to prove that it would have been better for the world if the Jews had never existed. But I, as an Irishman, can, with patriotic relish, demonstrate the same of the English. Also of the Irish.... We all live in glass houses. Is it wise to throw stones at the Jews? Is it wise to throw stones at all?”
    —George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950)

    “For you are a people holy to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on earth to be his people, his treasured possession. It was not because you were more numerous than any other people that the LORD set his heart on you and chose you -for you were the fewest of all peoples.”
    —Bible: Hebrew, Deuteronomy 7:6,7.

    “Then the American flag was saluted. In general, in the United States people always salute the American flag.”
    —Friedrich Dürrenmatt (1921–1990)