Igeret HaKodesh: Epistle 7 - Part 2

Hello A,

In a sense, if Adam would have sinned, then everyone would have been Jewish. However, not in the sense in which we use it today. Nowadays, Jewishness is a religion and a nation. That is because a specific nation was chosen by G-d for a covenant.

If Adam would not have sinned, that covenant would have been with him, and all who followed in his footsteps would also have been Jews. Jewishness would only be a religion, not also a nation.

Similarly, Abraham is considered the first Jew, even though he predated the Giving of the Torah. His Jewishness was a product of his covenant with G-d, making him a Jew by dint of his religion, not his race.

I would suggest checking out our article on the Jewish status of those who lived before mount Sinai. Reply