Sunday, January 4, 2009

E - lo - hei - nu Melech HaOlam

B"H

The following teaching I heard from Rabbi Mordechai Machlis last Shabbat:

When we Jews say a blessing on the food, we always say:
" ... E - lo - hei - nu Melech HaOlam - ... our G - d, King of the World".

Sometimes you find this group of people (Jews) who are too much into the "E - lo - hei - nu" concept. They only think of G - d as the G - d of the Jews but overlook that G - d is there for all people and all creation. He also created the other nations (Gentiles) and is not there exclusively for the Jews.

Then there is this group of Jews concentrating too much on the "King of the World" concept. They think that Israel and the Jews are just like all the other nations and we all have to be together and globalized. These Jews are so far from Judaism that they don't realize the special task in the world G - d gave the Jewish people which is being a light to the nations. Through our behaviour we have to influence the world to the better.

These two groups of Jews should try to combine both concepts: Realize that G - d is there for all creation but also that we Jews do have a special role in this world.

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