Parshas Devarim
My “Father” Loves Me!
Rabbi Akiva said “Beloved is man, who was created in the image (of G-d)…. Beloved are Israel who are called sons of Hashem.” (Avos 3:18)
All people must be treated with respect. Rabbi Moshe Rivkash, the author of the Be’er Hagolah, a commentary on the Shulchan Aruch, writes that a Jew should return the lost object of a non-Jew to sanctify Hashem’s name and to portray Jews as honest people. Similarly, one should have honest business dealings and should not exploit a monetary mistake made by a non-Jew. Rabbi Rivkash personally saw a number of people who became wealthy through dishonest dealings with non-Jews. Yet, their fortunes disappeared, and they had nothing left over for their children. Conversely, he saw others who sanctified Hashem’s name by returning sizeable sums of money through the oversight of non-Jews and who were blessed with great material success.
It says in Pirkei Avos (Avos 3:18), “Beloved is man, who was created in the image (of Hashem).” The creation of Man was the apex of Creation. The Maharal says that man is even more beloved to Hashem than the angels. The Tosefos Yom Tov says that all men, Jews and non-Jews, were created in the image of Hashem. The Rivkash adds that all men, therefore, must be treated with respect.
The Mishna in Avos continues, “Beloved are Israel who are called “sons of Hashem.” Tiferes Yisroel says that although all people are created in the image of Hashem, they can cause the Divine image to leave them due to their misdeeds. Jews are different. We are considered Hashem’s children! Even if a child sins against his father, he is still considered a child. Similarly, Jews can never lose their special status as Hashem’s children.
There are many other sources where we see this concept that even when a Jew sins, he remains a member of Hashem’s Chosen People. The Talmud (Sanhedrin 44A) says that when Hashem explained to Yehoshua the reason for the Jewish people’s defeat at the city of Ai, Hashem said, “Yisrael has sinned” (Yehoshua 7:11). Rabbi Abba bar Zavda says: From here it may be inferred that even when the Jewish people have sinned, they are still called “Yisrael.” Rashi explains that the pasuk could have said that the “nation” had sinned. Yet, Hashem used the more endearing term, “Yisrael”. (Pirkei Avos Treasury by Rabbi Moshe Lieber)
The Talmud (Kedushin 36A) quotes Rabbi Meir who says that even when we do not act like sons of Hashem, we are still called sons. Ben Yehoyada says therefore we should never despair from attaining Hashem’s mercy.
In a similar vein Pesikta D’rav Kahana says that Hashem told the prophet Yirmiyahu to tell the Jews to repent from their sins. The Jews didn’t think that they could do teshuva since they had sinned so terribly. Yirmiyahu brought their message back to Hashem. Whereupon Hashem said to tell the Jews that they would not be doing teshuva before their “Father in Heaven”, for I am a “Father to Yisrael, and Efrayim is my firstborn” (Yirmiyahu 31:9). The Jews had not realized that Hashem’s love for them was as a father to a son. Therefore, they assumed that Hashem no longer loved them because of their wickedness and evil ways. They felt that their repentance would not be accepted. Hashem told Yirmiyahu to tell them that they were mistaken. Hashem would certainly accept their repentance! Hashem’s love for them was, in fact, like the love of a father to a son! As the Metzudas Dovid explains the Jews are as precious to Hashem as a firstborn son is precious to his father. It is an everlasting and permanent love even when the son acts with wickedness to the father.
If we realize how much Hashem loves us, we won’t despair of returning to Him, no matter how far we have distanced ourselves. (Chidushei Halev on Megillas Eichah by Rabbi Binyomin Luban)
Toldos Yaakov Yosef adds that the awareness of one’s specialness in his father’s eyes gives him the strength to bear his father’s occasional harshness and punishment. The Jews can rise above the difficulties, confident that whatever Hashem sends upon them is ultimately for their benefit. (Pirkei Avos Treasury by Rabbi Moshe Lieber)
Hashem came to our forefather Yaakov in a vision at night before he went with his family to Egypt (Bereishis 46:2-3). The nighttime symbolized a time of difficulty. Hashem did so to show Yaakov that though the Jews, at times, may be exiled from their land, they would never be exiled from Hashem.
It says in Micah (7:8), “Rejoice not against me, O my enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, Hashem shall be a light to me.” Metzudas Dovid explains that our enemies should not rejoice when we “fall”. We have “fallen” many times and have “arisen”. Similarly, in our present exile, even though we currently sit “in darkness”, Hashem will be a light for us. We will rise again! As the Maharal says, “the bleaker the darkness, the more brilliant the light”.
The 40 days beginning with Rosh Chodesh Tamuz and culminating with Tisha B’Av are times of enormous tragedy and catastrophe. Yet, the very tragedy holds within it the seeds of redemption. These are days with the potential for the greatest good. Moshiach was born on Tisha B’Av. When Moshiach comes, Tisha B’Av will become the happiest of our Festivals. (Rabbi Nosson Scherman introduction to Megillas Eichah by Artscroll).
We are as precious to Hashem as a firstborn son is precious to his father.
It is an everlasting and permanent love regardless of our actions.
