As part of the Jewish nation, we take pride in many things, including our intelligence, kindness, righteousness, and holiness. It seems to us that Hashem made a good choice in selecting us from among all the nations.
However, none of these traits alone can fully explain why Hashemchose us. If it were about wisdom, one might argue that He could have chosen the Chinese people, who are also renowned for their intelligence. If it were about wealth, we know that Hashem does not value material riches. The same applies to military strength—there are nations with more powerful armies, yet Hashem does not consider that a determining factor.
This leaves us with the assumption that Hashem chose us for our righteousness. Yet the pasuk in Parashat Ekev
Why, then, did Hashem choose us from among all the nations? Before we examine the answer the Torah provides, let us first explore the message from our parasha.
When Yitro arrives to see Am Yisrael, he presents highly intelligent suggestions to improve the nation's functioning. He offers Moshe Rabbeinu detailed advice, which Moshe accepts and implements.
The Ohr HaChaim explains that the Torah includes this story about Yitro to teach us an important lesson: that gentiles, like Yitro, can be wise, intelligent, and possess other admirable qualities. Yet, despite these virtues, they were not chosen as Hashem’s nation. This teaches us that Hashem is not impressed by intelligence or other such attributes when selecting His people.
The Ohr HaChaim explains that Hashem chose us purely out of His immense love for us, a love that began with our forefathers—Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov—whom He cherished. That’s it. This idea is explicitly repeated in various places throughout the Torah. For example:
This idea is also found in the commentary of the Kli Yakar on Devarim 7:7 (
Consider an analogy: Imagine parents being asked why they love their child. He misbehaves, keeps them up at night, causes trouble at school, and rarely helps around the house. And yet, their answer is simple—there is no specific reason. They love him, just because.
Hashem loves us because we are His children. He chose us because of our patriarchs and matriarchs, and since then, His love for us remains unshaken—whether we misbehave and anger Him or we act righteously and make Him proud. It is irrelevant; His love is not conditional on anything.
Chazal refer to this as a love that is not dependent on anything. Unlike love that is based on a specific reason—where, once that reason is no longer relevant, the love fades—this love is boundless and eternal.
This article was written in cooperation with Shuva Israel