What should the correct relationship be, according to the Torah, between our identity as human beings and our identity as Jews? How can simple humanity and respect for every person coexist with the idea of a “Chosen People”? Does the mere fact of being born Jewish grant us superiority over others, or must we work to earn and cultivate our Jewishness?
An important teaching attributed to Rabbi Akiva in the Mishnah provides a thread to begin answering these questions:
Beloved is Man for he was created in the image [of God]. Especially beloved is he for it was made known to him that he had been created in the image [of God], as it is said: “for in the image of God He made man.”
Beloved are Israel in that they were called children to God. Especially beloved are they for it was made known to them that they are called children of God, as it is said: “you are children to Havayah your God.”
Beloved are Israel in that a precious vessel was given to them. Especially beloved are they for it was made known to them that a precious vessel, with which the world had been created, was given to them, as it is said: “for I give you good instruction; forsake not My teaching.”
1. Avot 3:14.
2. Genesis 9:6.
3. Deuteronomy 14:1.
4. Proverbs 4:2.
At first glance, Rabbi Akiva distinguishes between two valued levels of existence: first, being a man, a human created in the Divine image; and second, being “Israel.” Yet the fact that the phrase “Beloved are Israel” appears twice hints at a deeper concept: two distinct levels within being part of Israel—being Jewish itself. Thus, the Mishnah points to three overall levels: being “human,” being “Israel” of one kind, and being “Israel” of another kind.
What is the relationship between “Beloved is Man” and “Beloved are Israel”? And what distinguishes the two levels of “Israel”?
Created in the Divine Image
The statement “Beloved is Man, for he was created in the image [of God]” highlights humanity’s unique quality compared to all other creatures. While all other living beings are bound by their natural instincts, human beings were endowed at creation with the “Divine image”—an inner Godly quality that enables them to transcend personal inclinations and participate consciously in shaping and improving the world. This can be understood as a call for humans to let their intellectual and spiritual faculties govern their baser instincts and physical drives. This expectation applies to every human being, Jew or non-Jew alike. For a Jew, it aligns with the principle that “derech eretz [ethical conduct] precedes Torah”—basic human decency (or, as it’s colloquially called, being a mentsch) is a foundation and prerequisite for a life of mitzvot.
Is there a moment in the Jewish calendar that reflects this principle, a time when Jews are called to remember and strengthen it? It seems that this is embodied in Rosh Hashanah, as explained in Jewish tradition. Rosh Hashanah is the day on which, according to the sages, Adam, the first human, was created. In this sense, it serves as the birthday of Mankind. Moreover, it is traditionally understood that on this day, all human beings are judged. And what is the essence of this judgment? Simply put, it is whether they allowed the spiritual side of their being to guide them, or their lower, animalistic side.
Being Called “Children of God”
The second level, “Beloved are Israel, for they are called children of God,” focuses specifically on the Jewish people and expresses the special bond between them and God. The Jewish people are described in the Torah as “children” of God, rather than mere subjects, as it says, “You are children of Havayah your God.”
The relationship between a parent and child is direct and continuous—the child is born from the parent, reflects their traits, and represents them. However, alongside the deep closeness between a parent and child comes higher expectations and demands from the parent.
Where does this elevated status of Israel originate? It is traditionally understood that this closeness stems from the patriarchs of the Jewish people: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The patriarchs were the first to rise above the idolatrous worldview of their time and discover or develop monotheism—the recognition of one transcendent Creator and the possibility of serving Him directly and personally. By serving God with total devotion, the patriarchs forged an unbreakable bond with Him, a bond passed down to their descendants. In essence, because the patriarchs took a special interest in God, He in turn takes a special interest in them and their descendants, preserving an intimate parent-child connection.
This concept is also reflected in the Jewish calendar, specifically in the festival of Pesach or Passover. God’s willingness to intervene in history and redeem the Israelites from Egypt, “a nation from within a nation,” demonstrates His special love for them and His investment in their future. Passover aligns with Rosh Hashanah in that it serves as the national “birthday” of the Jewish people, just as Rosh Hashanah is the universal birthday of humanity.
Given a Precious Vessel
The phrase “Beloved are Israel, for they were given a precious vessel” represents the pinnacle of this teaching, pointing to an additional level of being “Israel.” Here, the focus is not on an innate quality of the Jewish people or on the merit inherited from the patriarchs, but on something acquired: the giving of the Torah. The fact that the Torah was given to Israel—described here as a “precious vessel,” something so cherished that even the angels in heaven covet it—grants them an additional level of distinction.
What does this second level of “Israel” signify? Simply put, while the first “Israel” reflects an inborn trait, Jewishness as a national identity, the second “Israel” reflects an acquired trait—Jewishness as a way of life and thought, achieved through the Torah. Being born Jewish is one thing, but a person born Jewish fulfills only the first and most basic level of their Jewish identity, that of “Beloved are Israel, for they are called children of God.” To realize the second level, one must embrace the precious vessel given to Israel and adhere to it—“Do not forsake My Torah.”
This final element of the teaching is reflected in the Jewish calendar on Shavu’ot, the festival of the giving of the Torah—the day on which we received the “precious vessel through which the world was created.” Unlike Rosh Hashanah and Passover, Shavu’ot does not commemorate a “birth” but rather a wedding: the sealing of a marital covenant between the congregation of Israel, represented as the bride, and God, represented as the groom (with the “precious vessel,” the Torah, serving as the wedding ring). This wedding could also be seen as a kind of second birth: the Jewish people must transcend their ordinary existence and be reborn, transforming from a nation existing independently into one capable of serving as a “home” for God in this world. This is the second “Beloved are Israel.”
Since the revelation at Sinai, the Torah has been our inheritance, as it says, “Moses commanded us the Torah, an inheritance of the congregation of Jacob” (Deuteronomy 33:4). Yet the fact that the Torah is our inheritance does not negate the need for every generation—and every individual—to integrate it into their lives through their own efforts. To complement this verse, the sages taught: “Prepare yourself to study Torah, for it is not an inheritance to you.” While the generation that received the Torah at Sinai may have passed it down to their descendants, it was passed down as a closed book, one that each individual has the choice to open or leave sealed. This second level of “Israel” remains forever an acquired status, one that must be earned through the course of one’s life.
We Are All Converts
The above analysis helps us address an additional profound question tied to the revelation at Mount Sinai: Why do two figures who were not born as part of the Jewish people and were not present at the Exodus from Egypt take center stage in this pivotal moment? We are referring of course to Yitro (Jethro), after whom the Torah portion describing the Giving of the Torah and the Ten Commandments is named, and Ruth, whose story is read on Shavu’ot. Yitro and Ruth are the archetypal converts in the Bible—Yitro the convert of the Pentateuch and Ruth, the convert in the Writings.
The fact that the Jewish people accept converts, integrating them fully into the nation, is well-known, as is the commandment to love and welcome the convert. However, the prominent presence of these two converts at such an “intimate” moment between the Jewish people and God—so much so that the entire celebratory occasion seems to unfold in their shadow—is striking, to say the least.
Understanding the revelation at Sinai as a leap from the first level of “Israel” to the second offers an answer to this puzzle. The placement of these two converts at the heart of the Sinai experience is a reminder that, when standing before the Torah, even native Jews are considered converts. The shift that the Torah demands—from ordinary, free lives (as opposed to the slavery of Egypt) to a life of faith and Divine service through Torah and mitzvot—is so profound and transformative that it effectively “resets” the distinction between someone born Jewish, for whom the Torah is a national heritage, and someone born a non-Jew, who chooses to voluntarily embrace the Torah. Indeed, a convert has an advantage over someone born Jewish: they are entirely free of the illusion that being born Jewish absolves them of the need to actively cultivate their Jewish identity, a misconception that prevents many Jews from fully delving into the depths of Torah.
It turns out, therefore, that the third level in the teaching, “Beloved are Israel, for they were given a precious vessel,” comes full circle to the first level, “Beloved is Man, for he was created in the divine image.” To fully realize our Jewishness, we must return to our shared humanity. We all stand outside the gates of Torah, as it were, and must take an active step to enter. In the face of the Torah, we are all, in essence, converts.
