Are Jews A Superior Race?

Shalom Aleichem Chevra, so glad you're here with us today! Are the Jewish people a superior race — or is something far deeper and more beautiful going on here? In this shiur we dive deep into two of the most powerful verses in all of Devarim — the mutual choosing between the Jewish people and Hashem. We unpack what it really means that the Jewish people declared God as their one and only, and that God in turn declared us His cherished, special nation. This is not about superiority. It is about responsibility. The Elyon — being elevated — means you are the lifeguard on the tower, watching over everyone below, responsible for their wellbeing. That is the mission of the Jewish people. We trace the roots of this covenant all the way back to Bris Bein HaBesarim — the Covenant of the Parts in Bereishis chapter 15 — where Hashem appeared to Avraham in a deep, almost spooky prophetic dream and sealed the destiny of the Jewish people. We talk about what it means that Hashem took Avraham above the stars, beyond the mazalos, and told him: your descendants are a people who begin after the impossible. Sara had no womb. And yet a nation was born. That is who we are. We also revisit the incre