Light unto the Jews
That the Jews are light unto the nations does not preclude that the nations can be and are light unto the Jews. Among old examples are rulings whose motivation is avoidance of desecration of the Name, such as Rabbenu Gershom's monogamy ruling. The new and more decisive example is the re-creation of Israel as a free democratic state based on the rule of law.
Two questions may be asked, which of the lights is primary (1) historically and (2) practically.
1. The Jews' light unto the nations is primary historically: the light that has come from the nations is in return for (but not merely a reflection of!) the basic Jewish concept of freedom of will that, in turn, follows from the creation of man in the image and likeness of God.
2. As to practice, there is no primacy to either of the lights. Both are indispensable for the world to come, which cannot be achieved without active participation of both the Jews and the nations.
Two questions may be asked, which of the lights is primary (1) historically and (2) practically.
1. The Jews' light unto the nations is primary historically: the light that has come from the nations is in return for (but not merely a reflection of!) the basic Jewish concept of freedom of will that, in turn, follows from the creation of man in the image and likeness of God.
2. As to practice, there is no primacy to either of the lights. Both are indispensable for the world to come, which cannot be achieved without active participation of both the Jews and the nations.