“תפל עליהם אימתה ופחד בגדל זרועך ידמו כאבן עד יעבר עמך ד’ עד יעבר עם זו קנית”
רש”י: “עם זו קנית” – חבבת משאר אומות, כחפץ הקנוי בדמים יקרים, שחביב על האדם.
Rashi: “This nation that you acquired – You cherished them from all the nations, like an item purchased for a high price, which is cherished by the buyer.”
We know that Hakadosh Baruch Hu acquired Yisroel as His nation through yetzias Mitzrayim, but what was the “price”? And what price could be considered “high” when the buyer is the Borei Olam?
First, let us identify what exactly is the special chavivus – cherishing – of an item purchased for high price. It is possible that in the age of credit cards and deferred payment plans, we no longer appreciate the significance of making an expensive purchase, as we enjoy a high degree of financial flexibility. But bring a young child to a toy store and give him a hundred dollars to spend. He has enough money to buy anything he wants, but not everything; he has to choose. As he walks through the aisles wide-eyed, different toys draw his attention. At first, he selects a Lego rocket ship, only to swap it for a soccer ball, only to swap it back for the rocket ship, and then a tricycle, and so on. He progresses slowly, examining each toy, carefully weighing his options. (If his parents were patient,) When he finally zips out of the store on a new scooter, he will have expressed a singular ratzon. His desire for the scooter prevailed over his desire for every single toy in the store: the silly fun of water guns, the thrill of a tricycle and the “social-status” which accompanies the ownership of a remote-control racing car. And thus, as long as the memory is fresh, he cherishes his scooter as the item that was worth everything.
But let’s say he was not limited to just one store. Let’s say he had access to all stores: candy stores, Judaica stores, sneaker stores – you name it – and he can buy (just) one item. If he chooses the scooter, that would reflect an exceptional ratzon, subsuming all the possibilities which the world offers him.
Such is the dearness of an item purchased for a high price. With money, you can potentially buy anything. Thus, the item is held dear, valued above endless possibilities.
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“חבבת משאר האומות” – You cherished them from all the nations. Each of the nations possesses its unique strengths and attributes; one is industrious, another brave. Each one offered its own, distinct possibility for גילוי כבודו ית’. He could have taken any of the nations, but instead He chose us—that was the “high price”. With that choice, He was expressing that He held Klal Yisroel dearer than the potential of Yishmael and Edom, America and China. He had no limits, His plan for the world could be accomplished in infinite ways, yet He chose Yisroel, cherishing us above endless possibilities.