<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=us-ascii"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div>As usual, R' Micha makes very valid and cogent points.</div><div><br></div><div><font color="#4433ff">I think a more reasonable answer is that we are partnered with Him in a project they</font></div><font color="#4433ff">aren't, and therefore need to be more careful and work beyond "merely"<br>being ideal people.</font> <div><br></div><div>This ties in, I believe, with the concept of<i> l'or goyim</i>. </div><div><br></div><div><font color="#4433ff">After the universal sentiment of "Yotzeir Or" or "HaMaariv Aravim",</font></div><div><font color="#4433ff">the 2nd berakhah before Shema is "Oheiv Amo Yisrael". And this love<br>isn't a *consequence* of our keeping the Torah, but an unconditional<br>love that is the *cause* of our receiving it. </font></div><div><br></div><div>So does it mean because He loves his People Israel that he doesn't </div><div>love people outside of Judaism? And if you say that it means He loves</div><div>His people more than why didn't it say "Who loves His People Israel MORE</div><div>than the other nations? Remember too, the midrash that says: "My creatures</div><div>are drowning and you're singing (rejoicing)!" </div><div><br></div><div><font color="#4433ff">Israel is dear because they were called children of the Omnipresent.</font></div><div><br></div><div>L'havdil, it's interesting that the xtians have applied this concept to their </div><div>messiah and call him the son of G-d. </div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div></body></html>