I Will Choose the King: Section 1

Bamidbar 7:72. [This verse introduces the passage describing the sacrifice brought by the prince of Asher for the dedication of the altar at the time of the construction of the Sanctuary that accompanied the Jewish people on their journey through the desert. On each of the first twelve days of Nissan, the princes of the tribes brought sacrifices for the dedication of the altar. On the eleventh day, the prince of the tribe of Asher offered his sacrifices.]

Bamidbar Rabbah 14:10. [The Midrash explains that each of the princes of the tribes had a different motivating rationale for his offering. Although the princes from every tribe each brought the same number and type of animals and articles as an offering, the intent with which the prince offered them reflected the Divine service connected with that specific tribe.]

Malachi 3:12.

[This praise is associated with redemption, because it is only in the era of the Redemption that the nations will wholeheartedly praise the Jewish people.]

Tehillim 144:15.

[Ashrei, “fortunate” in Hebrew, shares the same root letters as the name Asher.]

Devarim 26:17.

Devarim 14:2.

This is also reflected in the prooftext used to illustrate the point: “Fortunate is the nation whose G‑d is the L‑rd.” This is comparable to the Jews’ choice of the Holy One, blessed be He, “to be their G‑d.”

[I.e., if one entity is clearly preferable over the other, it is not appropriate to say that the preferable entity is chosen; one is forced, as it were, to select it because of its superiority. Doing otherwise would not make sense. The term “choice” is appropriate only where there is no reason compelling one to choose one article over the other.]

[Obviously, there is no comparison between the two.] Note Rashi’s commentary to Devarim, op. cit.:“I have separated you from false gods,” [indicating that there is a clear distinction].

Ch. 49 (p. 70a).

[From the daily liturgy.]

[I.e., it is inappropriate to use the term “choice” with regard to the souls of the Jewish people, because the Jews’ souls are obviously higher. The Jews’ bodies, however, resemble those of the non-Jews and, hence, in that context, the term “choice” is relevant.]

[There is a fundamental difference between the bodies of the Jewish people and the bodies of non-Jews. The source of the life-force of a Jewish bodyis kelipas nogah, i.e., the source of the existence of permissible substances whose G‑dly spark can be revealed in a direct manner by utilizing them for a holy purpose. The source of the life-force of a body of a non-Jewis the three impure kelipos, the source of those substances whose G‑dly spark cannot be revealed in an ordinary manner (Tanya, chs. 6 and 7; Likkutei Sichos, Vol. 2, p. 603).

Now, for a person on the physical plane, it is appropriate to say that the selection of one body over the other stems from choice because we are not capable of distinguishing between entities on the basis of their spiritual source. G‑d, however, obviously perceives this distinction. Why then is His selection of the Jewish people termed “choice”? Seemingly, the positive quality they inherently possess necessitates their selection.]