244. Rabbi Chiya continued with the verse, "Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant; and Israel whom I have chosen, thus says Hashem that made you, and formed you from the womb, who will help you. Fear not O Jacob my servant; and you, Yeshurun, whom I have chosen" (Yeshayah 44:1-2). Come and behold, how many times did the Holy One, blessed be He, promise Israel that He would cause them to inherit the World to Come. For He desired no other nation or tongue for His portion but Yisrael alone. Therefore, the Torah of Truth was given to them, through which to merit and learn the ways of the Holy One, blessed be He, and thus inherit the Holy Land. For whoever merits this Holy Land has a portion in the World to Come, as it is written, "Your people also shall be all righteous, they shall inherit the land for ever" (Yeshayah 60:21). This has already been explained.

245. There are three grades IN THE VERSE BEFORE US, First Jacob, then Israel, and Yeshurun last, AND WE SHOULD KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THEM. Come and behold, we already explained Jacob and Israel, though both grades are the same.

246. HE ASKS, Why is Yisrael called by the name of Yeshurun? HE ANSWERS, Israel and Yeshurun are one. The meaning of Yeshurun, as it is written, "He should then assemble (Heb. yashor) a row of men" (Iyov 33:27), is that he takes a row from the one side and a row from the other side. Because there are two rows, it is called 'Yeshurun,' IN THE PLURAL. Also, Israel IS DERIVED FROM 'ROW' (HEB. SHURAH), BEING THE LETTERS OF YASHOR EL, IN THE SINGULAR.

247. Israel is pronounced WITH THE LETTER SIN, WHICH ALLUDES TO OFFICIALDOM (HEB. SERARAH), for having command and power over all. Yeshurun IS THUS NAMED after the two parts, the RIGHT AND LEFT sides, the two rows already mentioned. They are all one.