The First Jews
The Torah tells us that when the world’s first Jews, Avraham Avinu and Sarah Imeinu, set off for Eretz Yisrael, they took the “souls they made" with them. Chazal explain that this refers to the people they inspired to follow Hashem. The Rambam adds that Avraham, Sarah, the subsequent Avot, and Moshe Rabbeinu were all missionaries - they aimed to not only raise their own family correctly, but also influence the nations of the world. During the ten generations between Noach and Avraham, the world had lost its way. People became idol worshippers. Avraham endeavored to get the world back on track.
Hashem is concerned with the fate and direction of all people and wants us to offer them direction. Judaism and Jews are meant to impact more than just Jews. As Rabbi Jonathan Sacks writes:
Judaism was never meant for Jews alone. In his first words to Abraham, G-d already said, “I will bless those who bless you, and those who curse you, I will curse; through you all the families of the earth will be blessed" (Gen. 12:3). Jews were to be a source of blessing to the world.
G-d is the G-d of all humanity. In Genesis, He spoke to Adam, Eve, Cain, Noah, and made a covenant with all humankind before He made one with Abraham. In Egypt, whether in Potiphar’s house, prison, or Pharaoh’s palace, Joseph continually talked about G-d. He wanted the Egyptians to know that nothing he did, he did himself. He was merely an agent of the G-d of Israel. There is nothing here to suggest that G-d is indifferent to the nations of the world.
Later in the days of Moses, G-d said that He would perform signs and wonders so that “The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord" (Ex. 7:5). He called Jeremiah to be “a prophet to the nations." He sent Jonah to the Assyrians in Nineveh. He had Amos deliver oracles to the other nations before He sent him an oracle about Israel. In perhaps the most astonishing prophecy in Tanach, He sent Isaiah the message that a time will come when G-d will bless Israel’s enemies:
“The Lord Almighty will bless them, saying, ‘Blessed be Egypt My people, Assyria My handiwork, and Israel My inheritance’" (Is. 19:26).
G-d is concerned with all of humanity.
The First National Covenant - Sinai
We, too, are meant to emulate our ancestor Avraham. The mitzvah to love Hashem includes trying to bring others close to Him. A lover wants everyone to appreciate the one he loves.
The Rambam also understood the mission of impacting others as part of Hashem’s first covenantal words to the Jewish people at Har Sinai, where he destined the Jews to be a “mamlechet kohanim - a kingdom of priests (or ministers)," highlighting their role as leaders who influence the rest of the world.
The Netziv saw this aspect of the covenant as the very reason Hashem chose us as His nation:
Israel was called in His exalted name for His honor and His dominion; in order that His honor and His dominion will be revealed through them across the entire world… He created His world for the express purpose of filling all of creation with His honor… And it is for this purpose that we were taken to be His nation and His servants: so that this purpose would come to fruition through our hands.
The Rambam describes the form of impact as modeling: when we live our lives correctly, we inspire others to follow our lead. Sefer Devarim teaches us that other nations will see our way of life as wise and just. According to the Rambam, this is both intentional and important, as they are meant to be inspired to follow our lead.
Rabbi Sacks continues:
What we do as Jews makes a difference to humanity, not just in a mystical sense, but as exemplars of what it means to love and be loved by G-d. Other nations would look at Jews and sense that some larger power was at work in their history…
We were not called on to convert the world. We were called on to inspire the world. As the prophet Zechariah put it, a time will come when “Ten people from all languages and nations will take firm hold of one Jew by the hem of his robe and say, ‘Let us go with you, because we have heard that G-d is with you’" (Zech. 8:23).
Our vocation is to be G-d’s ambassadors to the world, giving testimony through the way we live that it is possible for a small people to survive and thrive under the most adverse conditions, to construct a society of law-governed liberty for which we all bear collective responsibility, and to “act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly" with our G-d.
The Seforno understands us as responsible to take initiative as well: we should actively educate and seek to inspire others. Though we do not seek to convert non-Jews to Judaism, we are responsible for inspiring them to live their lives as people who understand Hashem properly and observe the seven Noahide commandments.
Light to the Nations
Yeshayahu HaNavi had this in mind when he described the Jewish people eventually serving as a “light to the nations." Chazal saw this role as the reason why Shir HaShirim compares the Jewish people to olive oil. The Jewish people, like olive oil, light up their surroundings.
Sadly, while living in exile, Jews were rarely given the opportunity to impact others. Our host nations and their cultures generally marginalized or even ostracized Jews. Naturally, Jews lived insular lives, struggling to survive physically, religiously, and culturally.
Lord Jacobovits lamented the impact of this reality: “We have become altogether too inward-looking, with our horizons largely limited within the ghetto-walls we have erected to separate us from the rest of our people and from the human society beyond… Preoccupied with the burning problems of our own survival, we have lost sight of our assignment as a light unto the nations."
Baruch Hashem, Jews are now free to live openly and have the opportunity to impact the global village. We also have our own state that is meant to serve as a national role model. We should appreciate the opportunity and responsibility this affords us.
Rav Kook emphasized the importance of being a model nation. We need to show the world that a nation, not just individuals, can live by the principles of justice and righteousness and become holy. The State of Israel is meant to embody this vision.
May the model of Avraham Avinu, our appreciation of the full breadth of the Sinaitic covenant, and the words of Rav Kook inspire us to work towards “tikun olam b’Malchut Shakai" - fixing the world by bringing people and nations closer to His service.
Rav Reuven Taragin is the Dean of Overseas Students at Yeshivat Hakotel and the Educational Director of World Mizrachi and the RZA.
His book, Essentials of Judaism, is available at rabbireuventaragin.com.