Headlines around the world are consistently fixated on a tiny country, one so small it could fit into Texas 30 times. Why the obsession?
The criticism hurled at it and its people reaches inexplicable levels. Lies are fabricated, hatred is fanned and the double standard is staggering. But why do they hate us?
Some suggest it’s because Jews are smart - a disproportionate number of Nobel Prize winners are Jewish. Others say it’s because they are successful - Israel innovates at levels that the world envies, and the same is true in countless industries. Or perhaps it’s their resilience - no matter how many times we’re knocked down, we rebuild and rise again.
These reasons might explain some of the jealousy and animosity. But if we dig deeper, we’ll discover that what truly sets the Jewish people apart is not something they have but something they don’t.
At Sinai, 3,300 years ago, the Jewish people were given a Divine mission. We received the Torah, tasked with living a G-dly life and serving as a light to humanity, showing how people can live on earth while connected to Heaven.
Why did G-d choose us for this mission? Not because of brilliance or innovation, but, as the Midrash teaches, because of our childlike qualities. Just as a parent loves their child unconditionally, not for accomplishments but simply for who they are, so too G-d loves us. Our greatest strength is not what we achieve, but humility and appreciation we have for what we carry: G-d’s wisdom and G-d’s mission.
It may be subconscious, but ultimately that is the root of the world’s obsession with the Jewish people. Our humility and devotion to G-d’s mission make the world uneasy, but at the same time, they earn us respect. People may resist what we represent, yet deep down they recognize authenticity and moral strength when they see it.
The more we live with humility and carry G-d’s wisdom into our daily lives, the more we will be respected, not because we chase the world’s approval, but because we are true to who we are and who G-d intended us to be.
In these weeks leading up to Rosh Hashana let’s each ask: how can I bring a little more humility, a little more G-dliness, into today than I did yesterday?