Man, I hated being the oldest child in my family. On one hand, I was expected to resist all bad behavior and set a good example for my two younger siblings. On the other, this additional responsibility seemed to come with no extra benefits--ok, unless you count being allowed to watch 90210 in my parents' room every Wednesday night. Whenever I was reminded that more was expected of me because I was the oldest, I was happy to retort that I didn't wanna be the oldest anymore (with extra whining and syllables, natch).
Of course, as I grew older and more mature, I recognized that it was a privilege to have my brother and sister looking up to me, and I tried harder to be a good role model for them. As an adult, I witnessed some of my friends becoming parents and realized that I had been the one to give my Mom and Dad every first experience of parenthood. While I know they loved all of us equally, I was their first love. I was the first one to call them "Mommy" and "Daddy", and I was the first one to learn everything they had to teach me.
I've been coming across a lot of "Not Fair!" sentiments in the Jewish world recently, expressing frustration over the fact that the media loves to zero in on Jews behaving badly, particularly among the more observant. And they're not wrong; it definitely happens. But I guess my question is: Why are we surprised? Shouldn't it be blindingly obvious to us, that as the light unto the nations, this is precisely how it should go down? The Torah describes Israel as G-d's firstborn; like it or not, more is expected of us. We know it, G-d knows it, and on some level, the world knows it, and they will call us out when we fall short.
We can stomp our feet and say we don't want the responsibility anymore, as some Jews do, which is about as futile as me trying to change my birth order. We can cry "Not Fair!" and accuse the media of bias. Or, we can recognize our special status and all of the ways it manifests itself. We are the first who knew G-d as a Parent. We are the first to learn everything He wanted to teach the world, to take on "the work which He created to make." No, we don't get bonus points or an article in the Post when we do good, because as the firstborn, that should be status quo for us. What we do get is the knowledge that every mitzvah, every good deed, is bringing light into this world and bringing us one step closer to the world G-d intended. We get the satisfaction of being role models for others, of demonstrating what a good and fulfilling life looks like. I don't know about you, but I don't want to trade places with anyone else.
cbg