Shmoop - The Chosen

The title seems simple at first glance, but the deeper we get into the novel, the more it resonates.
The Jewish people are sometimes called "The Chosen People," and the title obviously draws on this often-misunderstood epithet. Here's a link to an article that gives some explanation of the phrase. As the article points out, some people think the term "The Chosen People" means "the chosen race." But it can't possibly mean that, because Judaism is not a race, any more than any other religion is. In fact, there are Jews of all different races. What's more, anyone can choose to become a Jew. Sure, most Jews are born into Judaism, but, even if a person is born into it, he or she must choose to what extent he or she will practice it, if at all.
At its bottom, the phrase "The Chosen People" means that Jews are chosen to try to make the world a better place. Not by trying to turn other people in to Jews, mind you, but by studying and doing good works - be it planting trees or helping the homeless. A person who chooses to become or remain a Jew takes on that burden, to whatever degree.
The title also refers to a Talmudic maxim, which states that a person should choose not only a teacher, but also a friend, as David and Reuven discuss, and with friendship comes great responsibility. When Reuven chooses to befriend lonely, brilliant, and conflicted Danny, the choices he makes can help either free or enslave his friend.
And that's really what the novel is all about - the freedom and responsibility that come with the choices we make. Reuven, David, Danny and Reb Saunders are constantly bombarded with difficult choices, both in terms of each other and in terms of the larger world around them. When World War II ends and its horrors are revealed, their choices take on life-or-death significance. What the characters have chosen will change their lives forever.

The Jewish holiday of Passover, or Pesach, takes on special significance in The Chosen. If you are interested, you can check out this website, which is devoted to the holiday. The story of Passover is found in the book of Exodus, the second book of the Torah, and describes how a community of Jews passed over from slavery to freedom when they left Egypt some three thousand years ago. The holiday commemorates and symbolizes Jewish freedom, and freedom in general. Passover lasts for eight days, beginning on the 15th day of the Jewish month of Nissan (Here's info on the Jewish calendar), usually some time in March or April.
In The Chosen, Reb Saunders chooses to free Danny on the first day of Passover. By freeing Danny, he also frees himself, Reuven, and David.
Let's start with Danny. What exactly is he being freed from? Two very big things: silence and exile. Danny desperately wants to talk to his father, about his life, about things other than Torah. (If you want a deeper discussion of the Reb's mysterious silence, see his "Character Analysis.") He loves his father and doesn't want their relationship limited. On the other hand, he is, arguably, willing to give up everything, including his relationships with his father and with the community, in order to pursue his dreams. Essentially, Danny will be banished if he goes against his father's wishes. If the Reb doesn't release Danny, Danny will be forced to make a horrible choice that will cause pain and suffering for himself and everyone around him, any way you slice it.
Luckily, he doesn't have to choose. The Reb gives Danny everything he wants. The silence is lifted, and Danny is free to do whatever he needs to do to follow his own dreams. How much sweeter this will be with the support of a loving father! And, now that Danny is freed by the Reb's Passover gift, Reuven and David can rest easy and rejoice in Danny's hard-earned freedom, and the Reb himself is free to enjoy a rich and loving relationship with his wonderful son.
In our book, that qualifies as a happy ending. But, what do you think?

"Didactic" is a fancy way of saying "instructive." The Chosen doesn't just tell us a story. It also teaches us about different aspects of Judaism and history. And this is reflected in the novel's style.
At times the didacticism seems like mildly irritating - remember when Reuven tells us over, and over, about how he's nauseous, dizzy, and his eye hurts when he's on his way to the eye ward? But that's just Reuven warming us up to understand more complicated things, like Talmudic passages, which, as we now know, are made up "of thought units." We also know that every "thought unit is a separate stage of the total discussion that makes up the passage." Reuven is a good teacher, though, and he doesn't just drop a bomb like that on us and move on. He takes us through the process of understanding it. As the novel grows along with its characters, we find that Reuven's repetition of basic ideas is not without a point. Eyes, Talmud, silence, Torah, friendship, Zionism - to name a few of the repetitions - come together in a delicate, painful, and exuberant rhythm as we gain intimacy with Reuven's world, and as he becomes more comfortable telling the story.