The ancient texts suggest a far more compelling narrative.
Let's delve into what Sifrei Devarim, a book of legal exegesis on Deuteronomy, has to say about it. It opens with the verse, "And he said: The L-rd came from Sinai." But the rabbis of old saw much more in those words. They saw a story of divine outreach, of universal opportunity.
The text posits that when God appeared to give the Torah, it wasn’t from one direction alone. No, no. It was "from four," symbolizing God’s presence encompassing all possibilities. And where do we see this hinted at? Well, the text points to Habakkuk 3:3: "G-d came from the south." Which implies, doesn't it, that there must be other directions too?
But here's where it gets really interesting. Sifrei Devarim goes on to say that God didn't appear to Israel alone! The offer of the Torah was extended to all nations. Can you imagine? God, knocking on the doors of every people, offering them the ultimate gift.
First, He went to the descendants of Esav. "Will you accept the Torah?" He asked. They inquired, "What's written in it?" God answered, "You shall not kill." (Shemoth 20:13). And their response? A rejection! They said, "The entire essence of our father is murder," citing Genesis 27:22, "And the hands are the hands of Esav." It was, they claimed, their very nature.
Next, He approached the children of Ammon and Moav. Again, the question: "Will you accept the Torah?" They asked the same thing: "What does it say?" This time, God answered, "You shall not commit adultery." (Shemoth 20:14). Their reply? "Ervah (illicit relations) is our entire essence!" They referenced their origins in Genesis 19:36, the story of Lot and his daughters.
Finally, He turned to the children of Yishmael. "Will you accept the Torah?" The question echoed. "What is written in it?" they asked. God replied, "You shall not steal." (Shemoth 20:15). And their answer? A resounding, "Our father's entire essence is stealing!" They pointed to Genesis 16:12, where it says of Yishmael, "And he shall be a wild man, his hand against all."
The text emphasizes that there was "none among all of the nations" that God didn't approach. Psalm 138:4 states, "All the kings of the earth will acknowledge You, O L-rd, for they heard the words of Your mouth." But hearing isn't the same as accepting, is it? Ezekiel 33:31 tells us, "And they did not do them (the mitzvoth – commandments)." And so, in Micah 5:14, we read, "And with anger and wrath will I take revenge of the nations because they did not accept (the mitzvoth)."
Even the seven mitzvoth that the descendants of Noah (the Noachide laws) took upon themselves – basic ethical principles for all humanity – they couldn't uphold! They eventually "divested themselves of them and ceded them to Israel."
Sifrei Devarim illustrates this with a powerful analogy. Imagine someone sending an ass and a dog to the threshing floor. The ass is loaded with a lethech (a large dry measure), and the dog with three sa’ah (smaller measures). The dog buckles under the weight, so the owner takes a sa’ah from the dog and puts it on the ass. He does this again and again until the ass carries the full load. Similarly, Israel accepted the Torah "with all of its explanations and inferences," while the other nations couldn't even manage the basics.
So, what does it all mean? This story, found within Sifrei Devarim, paints a picture of a God who offered the Torah universally, not just to one chosen people. But the other nations, bound by their own self-defined natures, refused. Israel, in this narrative, didn't receive a special favor so much as accept a profound responsibility. It's a powerful reminder that accepting a gift is often harder than giving one. And that maybe, just maybe, we are all chosen, but choice is only as meaningful as our capacity to change.