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Based on your genetic beliefs of superiority, Id like to see if I could clarify a few things that Im struggling in hopes of gaining more clarity. If the above it true, then how do you reconcile all humanity is from the same parents, both Adam & Noah? When I read the Torah, I see that sin is what separated people. You bring up Cain who was separated by his own sin, Then you mention Noah. Noah had 3 sons, who had wives One sinned,was cursed, leaving 2 others one the eldest and one the younger correct? Now this is also a little confusing. According to Genesis, Noahs sons each had a wife and accordingly they all had decendants. In the writings of those descendants, they were presented as Ham, Shem and Japheth. Howver, Noah states Ham as the youngest, even though he is named first in the line of Noahs decendants. Ham got himself into trouble and his son was cursed for it, which may have dropped him a peg or two, leaving the 2 sons Shem & Japheth. Genesis 9:27 says, "May God enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem". This verse appears after Noah curses Canaan to be a servant to Shem and Japheth. In the geneologies, of Genesis 10:1 the list goes to Shem Ham & Japheth, then to the chapter 10:2, they list the genealogies starting with Japheth, Ham and Shem. Then, in 10:21 the Torah states basically Sons were also born to Shem, whose older brother was Japheth; Shem was the ancestor of all the sons of Eber. This is interesting considering Genesis 9:24 and Genesis 6:10. Then, you list Abraham as a decendant from Terah. Abraham and his wife were Chaldeans, he was not a believer nor was he circumsized, but God called him out from his country before there was even a Jewish nation, let alone all the mixed marriages going on between Noahs decendants up until Abraham. It was not until Genesis 12:2 that God would make him a great nation..... vs. 3 And in you (Abraham)ALL the families of the earth will be blessed ( see also Gen. 22:18). Let me also take you back to Chapter 15 2And Abram said, "O Lord God, what will You give me, since I am going childless, and the steward of my household is Eliezer of Damascus?" בוַיּ?ֹאמֶר אַבְרָ?ם אֲדֹנָ?י יֱהֹוִה? מַה־תִּתֶּן־לִ?י וְאָֽנֹכִ?י הוֹלֵ?ךְ עֲרִירִ?י וּבֶן־מֶ?שֶׁק בֵּיתִ?י ה?וּא דַּמֶּ?שֶׂק אֱלִיעֶֽזֶר: 3And Abram said, "Behold, You have given me no seed, and behold, one of my household will inherit me." גוַיּ?ֹאמֶר אַבְרָ?ם הֵ?ן לִ?י לֹ?א נָתַ?תָּה זָ?רַע וְהִנֵּ?ה בֶן־בֵּיתִ?י יוֹרֵ?שׁ אֹתִֽי: 4And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, "This one will not inherit you, but the one who will spring from your innards-he will inherit you." דוְהִנֵּ?ה דְבַר־יְהֹוָ?ה אֵלָיו? לֵאמֹ?ר לֹ?א יִירָֽשְׁךָ? זֶ?ה כִּי־אִם? אֲשֶׁ?ר יֵצֵ?א מִמֵּעֶ?יךָ ה?וּא יִֽירָשֶֽׁךָ: 5And He took him outside, and He said, "Please look heavenward and count the stars, if you are able to count them." And He said to him, "So will be your seed." הוַיּוֹצֵ?א אֹת?וֹ הַח?וּצָה וַיֹּ?אמֶר? הַבֶּט־נָ?א הַשָּׁמַ?יְמָה וּסְפֹר? הַכּ?וֹכָבִ?ים אִם־תּוּכַ?ל לִסְפּ?ֹר אֹתָ?ם וַיּ?ֹאמֶר ל?וֹ כּ?ֹה יִֽהְיֶ?ה זַרְעֶֽךָ: 6And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him as righteousness. ווְהֶֽאֱמִ?ן בַּֽיהֹוָ?ה וַיַּחְשְׁבֶ?הָ לּ?וֹ צְדָקָֽה: 7And He said to him, "I am the Lord, Who brought you forth from Ur of the Chaldees, to give you this land to inherit it." Before that, what did it make Abraham? A Gentile! Please help me to reconcile all of this. Thank you.
Answer
Shalom, The title you gave your question does not reflect what I wrote in my answer, but rather, to the earlier question sent to me, to which you refer your question to. I can only explain my position, not that written by others. I choose not to use terms of superiority or inferiority, but rather terms of the Jewish people being “The Chosen People” and what that entails. Furthermore, mentioning “genetics” makes the discussion one of “race,” which has to do with physical traits, and the issue of the Jewish people being chosen by God is not a physical genetic issue. This is simply because, if that would be the case, people of different races would not be able to join the Jewish people, and this is not the case. There are Jews of Chinese descent, for example, as well as black Jews, Indian Jews, and others. The Jewish people are not a race, but a nation with a special spiritual trait, which indeed is passed on by physical lineage through birth or by joining the Jewish people through conversion. If I understood your question correctly, you are asking how did the issue of being “chosen” cling to one descendant while skipping over another. This issue is specifically addressed in the book “The Kuzari,” or in some translations, the king of Khazar, which was composed by the 10th-century Rabbi, philosopher, and poet, Rabbi Yehuda Halevy. In short, Rabbi Yehuda Halevy says in his book that although many descended from Adam, not on all of them was a special Divine element bestowed. Among the descendants of Adam, Abel was chosen, then Seth, Enosh. Then, from Noah to Abraham, not on all was the Divine element bestowed. It was on Ever, but not on Terah, Abraham’s father. Then only Isaac was chosen from Abraham’s children, and then Jacob, only from Isaac’s children. From Jacob’s children onward, all those born were born with the Divine element bestowed upon them. I hope that I have clarified that which has been bothering you. Copy
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