I think that most posters here are operating under a grave misconception that is informing their answers. The statement was put, admittedly, as “Judaism is not a religion of superiority.” But it is clear from the words of HKBH that Judaism is only in part a religion. “V’Atem Tihyu Li Mamleches Kohanim V’Goy Kodosh.” is what we are commanded to BE. A Kingdom of Kohanim, a Holy Nation. A Kingdom. A Nation.
That which defines a nation and its self identification or self determination is vastly different than a singularly religious self concept.
Religiously, an individual has responsibilities, but few communal ones. Given our human nature – the same as everyone else – we are drawn to be competitive, to consider how we behave almost solely in the context of how well we measure up to our fellow Jew, and to identify ourselves and hold our self worth as intimately connected to the conclusion we come to compared to our neighbor.
And yet this ignores almost completely the national responsibilities HKBH set out for us. If I am busy perfecting myself, I have little cheishek to be an Ohr Lagoyim, or to reach out to a Jew who looks, talks, acts and understands differently than me, even though the gemoro mandates both him and me to do exactly that. (Kol Yisroel Areivim…)
If I ignore HKBH’s national definition of Jewishness or Judaism, I also dissociate myself from other responsibilities. I shy away from working the land, giving leket and peah to the indigent as a communal, national responsibility. I look to those responsibilities as a Jew that focus on individual elevation – like exclusively learning Torah bli kemach.
It isn’t difficult to figure out the why and how of this transformation of what it means to be Jewish. In millenia of exile, with expulsions, restrictions, persecutions, and denigration, it is close to impossible to assert national responsibilities. So our leaders shifted the focus onto individual religious observance. They weren’t wrong. We would have disappeared long ago if they hadnt done that. Nonetheless the shift happened – clearly – because of an obvious and compelling change of circumstances. We now have another obvious and compelling change of circumstances, and an opportunity to exercise our national responsibilities again. We must not ignore them.
WHY?
Because if we are to achieve this notional “superiority” that is being discussed, it will be because we have distinctively accomplished our national mission. Every living being HKBH put on earth has a purpose, but no nation is tasked as we are with perfecting the world. In the Jewish context, every individual Jew has a purpose in perfecting themselves and their actions, but none of them is accomplishing enough to be, feel, or regard themselves as superior if they aren’t fulfilling their national responsibilities.
In sum, “superiority” is as wrong a term to use in this conversation as is “religion”. It is not descriptive of the totality of what we are or what we as individuals strive to accomplish. Maybe we should replace “superiority” with “responsibility” or “accountability”. And maybe we should remember Mamleches Kohanim VeGoy Kodosh when we think of how to define Judaism and how it is fulfilled.