[Avodah] ohr lagoyim

[Lisa Liel via Avodah]

On 5/31/2016 9:40 PM, Saul Guberman via Avodah wrote:
> A quick search shows that Ohr La Goyim is mentioned 3 times in 
> Yishayahu.  It is a real concept.

No, it is not.

> when did this concept in chazal begin?  to which generation could it 
> practically have been implied?
> was it ever taken seriously?

The phrase ohr l'goyim doesn't exist.  There are three verses where 
something similar exists.

Isaiah 49:6 says that Hashem has placed us l'ohr goyim.  Isaiah 42:6 
also says that Hashem placed us l'ohr goyim.  And Isaiah 60:3 says that 
nations will walk in our light.

There's a big difference between ohr l'goyim and l'ohr goyim. The former 
implies some sort of responsibility to reach out to the nations of the 
world.  The latter says that we are a nation among nations, but what 
kind?  A light.  They come to us.  And it's not for any specific 
generation, I don't think, but all of them.  We are the example.

Whenever I hear "ohr l'goyim" it irks me, because it's such a mistake.

Lisa