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How much weight, seriousness and focus does orthodox Judaism give to the prophecy of Isaiah 49:6:

It is too small a thing that thou shall be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and restore the preserved of Israel: I have given thee for a light unto the Gentiles, that thou mayst be my salvation unto the ends of the earth.

In what ways do the Orthodox and Hasidim endeavor to be "a light unto the Gentiles"? I ask this from the perspective of someone to whom it seems the deeper someone is into Orthodox Judaism, the more they try to limit their contact and exposure to Gentiles as much as possible.

Alex
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GottschalkIsrael
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    No source, hence a comment for now. I think that there is a notion that, as we remain in exile, we are not in the position to be "a light unto the gentiles" just yet. Thus it is concluded that contact with gentiles should be minimized to avoid assimilation. There are varying degrees to which this notion is subscribed to, obviously, as evidenced by the different orthodox communities one encounters. – Baby Seal Nov 01 '15 at 21:47
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    Leading by example doesn't necessitate that much contact. – Double AA Nov 01 '15 at 21:49
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    chabad took this pretty seriously https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Laws_of_Noah#Chabad_movement – Baby Seal Nov 01 '15 at 21:50
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    Note that shining a light does not help if someon carefully puts on blinders. Being a "light unto the nations" includes keeping all the mitzvos of the Torah and involves behaving correctly. It does not necessarily involve contact and exposure to the nations. – sabbahillel Nov 01 '15 at 21:52
  • The sun does not have to be told to shine. By virtue of How God created it and its purpose, it does shine. –  Jun 26 '16 at 18:30
  • I eat a kazayis of uranium every day – mroll Oct 09 '17 at 10:24
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    You should provide a source that that's even what the text means. How do you know God isn't saying this about Isaiah? – Shimon bM Oct 10 '17 at 00:34
  • Shimon bM - while I cannot cite Rabbinical authority, the meaning I used is the common understanding of the text. PM Netanyahu invoked it last month in his speech at the UN. Ben Gurion invoked it. If you google the phrase, you can find this meaning assumed in many quarters, from hasidic (Chabad) to secular. The idea that God is speaking just about Isaiah is hindered by the magnitude of what is entailed:". . . and you will bring my salvation to the ends of the earth." How could one guy in those days bring God's salvation to the ends of the earth ? Plus, it didn't happen. – GottschalkIsrael Oct 13 '17 at 18:39
  • sabbahillel - you are right that shining a light does not help if someone puts on blinders. But shining a light from inside an opaque box doesn't help either. With all due respect, I think the comment that being a light unto the nations "does not necessarily involve contact and exposure to the nations" is illogical on its face. Doesn't the exact opposite make much more sense - that being a light unto the nations NECESSARILY involves contact and exposure to the nations? – GottschalkIsrael Oct 13 '17 at 18:49
  • Double AA - "Leading by example," logically, would necessitate contact. Please see my response to sabahillel re shining a light from inside an opaque box. But how are Orthodox Jews leading gentiles by example, anyway? Please don't answer by looking in the mirror and complementing yourself, metaphorically speaking, but from the perspective of gentiles, i.e., the 99.9% of humanity that is not Jewish. You can safely assume they are not interested or impressed by the practices of Orthodox Judaism. – GottschalkIsrael Oct 13 '17 at 19:20
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    Related: "Do we have a right to not be ambassadors?" "Being a light to the nations - what does it mean?" – Tamir Evan Nov 08 '17 at 05:47
  • @BabySeal still do. – SAH Jan 07 '18 at 07:05
  • I've never gotten how the preposition crept in between the phrase "א֥וֹר גּוֹיִֽם" in so many translations. The standard Aramaic doesn't have it: "נֵיהוֹר עַמְמִין". Rashi and others interpret it without need for the preposition or the definite article that appear in many translations: "כל שבט קרוי גוי לעצמו". Interpreting translations like these does seem to influence the phrase's interpretation. – WAF Mar 08 '18 at 07:43
  • @GottschalkIsrael IMHO your choice of words "How serious does Orthodox Judaism take/How much weight, seriousness and focus does orthodox Judaism give to - the prophecy of Isaiah..." Is a bad choice of words. When referring to the words of a holy prophet , Orthodox Judaism always takes them very seriously, and gives them very much weight, seriousness and focus. – RibbisRabbiAndMore Jun 06 '18 at 08:57
  • @GottschalkIsrael (cont. from previous comment) If for one reason or another the words of the prophet are not aplicable to a certain era or situation, or even if the orthodox Jews of a certain era do not act in accordance with a specific prophecy, this is by no means because Orthodox Jewery does not "take the words of the prophet seriously", or because "Orthodox Jewery does not give much weight, seriousness and focus to the words of that holy prophet. – RibbisRabbiAndMore Jun 06 '18 at 09:01

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This verse is not a command for Israel to be a light unto the nations. Its speaking about Isaiah, not Israel. G-d is telling Isaiah not to be upset that he didn't complete the job of returning the Jews to G-d, because his job will now be even greater: to prophecy the prophecies of the Messianic Age which will affect all the nations of the earth.

Malbim.

, לכן אמר לי ה' אל תדאג על שלא השגת התכלית שבעבורו נוצרת, ולא נשלמה העבודה שיחדתי לך שהוא להשיב ישראל בתשובה, כי לגדולה מזה אתה מוכן עתה, ויחדתי לך עתה תכלית גדול ועבודה נכבדת מאד, על כי "נקל מהיותך לי עבד להקים את שבטי יעקב", העבודה המיוחדת לך עד עתה להקים שבטי יעקב, הוא דבר נקל וקטן וכאין נחשב נגד העבודה שנתתי בידך עתה, כי עתה "ונתתיך לאור גוים", עתה לא יהיה תכלית שליחותך ענין פרטי שהוא להשיב הדור ההוא בתשובה רק ענין גדול כללי, כי אתה נמשחת לבשר ענוים הבשורות הגדולות והנחמות העתידות, בעת הישועה הכללית שתהיה באחרית הימים, אשר לאור נבואתך ילכו גוים רבים...‏

Y K
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