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Shareכִּי עַם קָדוֹשׁ אַתָּה לַיי אֱלֹהֶיךָ וּבְךָ בָּחַר יי לִהְיוֹת לוֹ לְעַם סְגֻלָּה מִכֹּל הָעַמִּים אֲשֶׁר עַל פְּנֵי הָאֲדָמָה.
For you are a holy people to Adonai your God, and Adonai has chosen you to be His treasure out of all peoples that are upon the face of the earth.
הֵן עַבְדִּי אֶתְמָךְ בּוֹ בְּחִירִי רָצְתָה נַפְשִׁי נָתַתִּי רוּחִי עָלָיו מִשְׁפָּט לַגּוֹיִם יוֹצִיא. לֹא יִצְעַק וְלֹא יִשָּׂא וְלֹא יַשְׁמִיעַ בַּחוּץ קוֹלוֹ. קָנֶה רָצוּץ לֹא יִשְׁבּוֹר וּפִשְׁתָּה כֵהָה לֹא יְכַבֶּנָּה לֶאֱמֶת יוֹצִיא מִשְׁפָּט. לֹא יִכְהֶה וְלֹא יָרוּץ עַד יָשִׂים בָּאָרֶץ מִשְׁפָּט וּלְתוֹרָתוֹ אִיִּים יְיַחֵילוּ. כֹּה אָמַר הָאֵל יי בּוֹרֵא הַשָּׁמַיִם וְנוֹטֵיהֶם רֹקַע הָאָרֶץ וְצֶאֱצָאֶיהָ נֹתֵן נְשָׁמָה לָעָם עָלֶיהָ וְרוּחַ לַהֹלְכִים בָּהּ. אֲנִי יי קְרָאתִיךָ בְצֶדֶק וְאַחְזֵק בְּיָדֶךָ וְאֶצָּרְךָ וְאֶתֶּנְךָ לִבְרִית עָם לְאוֹר גּוֹיִם.
Behold My servant, I will support him; My chosen one whom my soul delights in, I have placed My spirit upon him, He shall spread justice to the nations....He shall not fail nor be crushed, until he has brought justice to the land....I am YHVH [G-d] who has called you in righteousness, and grasped you by your hand and in your land I have given you a covenant to be a light unto the nations.
What is the responsibility of a "chosen" people?
How should someone who believes themselves to be part of a superior group treat those who are different?
עָנִי שֶׁאֵין מַכִּירִין אוֹתוֹ וְאָמַר רָעֵב אֲנִי הַאֲכִילוּנִי אֵין בּוֹדְקִין אַחֲרָיו שֶׁמָּא רַמַּאי הוּא אֶלָּא מְפַרְנְסִין אוֹתוֹ מִיָּד. הָיָה עֵרוֹם וְאָמַר כַּסּוּנִי בּוֹדְקִין אַחֲרָיו שֶׁמָּא רַמַּאי הוּא. וְאִם הָיוּ מַכִּירִין אוֹתוֹ מְכַסִּין אוֹתוֹ לְפִי כְּבוֹדוֹ מִיָּד וְאֵין בּוֹדְקִין אַחֲרָיו:
If a poor person who is unknown in the area says, "I am hungry; please feed me," we do not check into his background lest he be an impostor, but rather we feed him immediately. However, if he was naked and said, "Clothe me," we do check on his background lest he be an impostor, but if he is known, we clothe him according to his honor immediately and do not check on him.
What seems to be the Jewish responsibility towards strangers?
Based on these texts, describe an ideal process for a country to use when processing immigrants and refugees.
"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
Emma Lazarus was a Jewish American author in the 19th century. Her poem, The New Colossus, was selected as the text to be displayed beneath the Statue of Liberty.
How does her poem reflect Jewish values?
The Statue of Liberty sits on Ellis Island - the US's center for immigration.
What does it show about America's attitude toward immigrants that this poem was the text of choice?
Does America act upon the values shown?