SOURCE: Eisen, Robert. “Conclusions.” In Gersonides on Providence, Covenant, and the Chosen People: A Study in Medieval Jewish Philosophy and Biblical Commentary, pp. 169-83. Albany: State University of New York Press, 1995.

In the following excerpt, Eisen analyzes Gersonides's arguments concerning providence and his thoughts about whether the covenant between God and the Jewish people is conditional or unconditional.

In my introduction, I set out a number of reasons for exploring the theme of the Chosen People in Gersonides' thought. First and foremost, this doctrine is one of Judaism's cardinal principles and is therefore a key issue in any comprehensive philosophy of Judaism. An examination of Gersonides' views on this subject would therefore undoubtedly enrich our understanding of this major medieval Jewish thinker.

I also argued that the question of Jewish chosenness was of particular significance in the study of Gersonides. For one, the concept of the Chosen People...