Three Dimensions Of Chosenness

בפסוק בנים אתם כו' עם קדוש אתה כו' ובך בחר ה'

Regarding the verses, "You are children [to Hashem your God]" (Devarim 14:1), and "you are a holy nation" (Devarim 14:2), and "and Hashem has chosen you" (Devarim 14:2).

The Sfas Emes opens by citing three phrases from these verses in Re'eh, each describing Bnei Yisrael with a different title.

והם ג'

These are three.

He notes that there are exactly three such descriptions.

בחי' בבנ"י

They correspond to three aspects within Bnei Yisrael.

Each of these three titles points to a distinct level or aspect within Bnei Yisrael.

והוא כמ"ש קוב"ה ואורייתא וישראל כולהו חד

And this is in accordance with what is written, that the Holy One, Blessed is He, and the Torah, and Yisrael are all one.

He grounds this in the teaching that Hashem, the Torah, and Yisrael are bound together as one unified reality.

בנים אתם מצד חלק ה' עמו והיא נשמת אלקי ממעל מצד זה נק' בנים

"You are children" refers to the dimension of being a portion of Hashem within His nation, which is the neshamah, a portion of God from Above; from this perspective they are called children.

Being called "children" reflects the neshamah, the actual portion of Hashem within a Jew, which makes the relationship one of father and child.

עם קדוש אתה הוא מצד קדושת התורה ומצותי' שמביאין קדושה ופרישות לאיש ישראל להיות נבדלים במאכלם ובכל מעשיהם מכל האומות

"You are a holy nation" is from the perspective of the kedushah of the Torah and its mitzvos, which bring kedushah and separateness to a Jew, so that he is set apart in his food and in all his deeds from all the nations.

Being a "holy nation" comes through the Torah and its mitzvos, which sanctify a Jew and set him apart from the other nations in his eating and in all his conduct.

ובך בחר ה' הוא בחי' עצם נפשות בנ"י שהם מוכנים לעבודת הבורא ית' לכן בחר ה' בהם וג' בחי' אלו הם נשמה ורוח ונפש:

"And Hashem has chosen you" is the dimension of the very essence of the souls of Bnei Yisrael, who are prepared and fit for the avodah of the Creator, may He be blessed; therefore Hashem chose them. And these three dimensions correspond to neshamah, ruach, and nefesh.

Being "chosen" reflects the essential nature of the souls of Bnei Yisrael, which are inherently ready for serving Hashem, and these three titles align with the three levels of the soul: neshamah, ruach, and nefesh.

Summary: The Sfas Emes examines three descriptions of Bnei Yisrael in the verses of Parshas Re'eh: "children," "a holy nation," and "chosen." He explains that these correspond to three distinct aspects of the bond between Bnei Yisrael and Hashem, rooted in the principle that the Holy One, Blessed is He, the Torah, and Yisrael are all one. "Children" reflects the neshamah, the very portion of Hashem within a Jew; "a holy nation" reflects the kedushah drawn from the Torah and its mitzvos, which set a Jew apart from the nations; and "chosen" reflects the essential readiness of the souls of Bnei Yisrael for the avodah of the Creator. These three titles ultimately parallel the three levels of the soul: neshamah, ruach, and nefesh.