God’s Love For His Children

 

 

 

Every Jew must know deep in his heart that he is as precious to God as if he were an only child.  Each person must declare, “The entire world was created only for me,” for upon the souls of the Jewish People.  Each individual is at the center of countless, interconnected, spiritual worlds. Thus, it is as though he alone exists, for no one else can repair those aspects of creation unique to him.  Every individual must work to purify his consciousness, and to make his soul radiate with a pure, clear faith.  In this way, the Jewish People are considered partners with God in the act of creation. 

 

When Adam ate from the Tree of Knowledge, he caused good and evil to become intermingled both in the upper worlds and in the souls of mankind (Sefer HaGilgulim, chapter 59).  The repair, which entails the separation and uplifting of the good, is accomplished through Torah and prayer, and through each word spoken in holiness, be it a blessing or an “amen” or a Kaddish.  Whenever, a person withstands a trial and overcomes the evil inclination, he causes wondrous reparation to occur within himself, and within all the worlds dependent upon him. 

 

The prophet Yechezkel (Ezekiel) prophesied against the nations of he world who denied God’s love of Israel: “Thus says the Lord God; because Ammon and Seir have said, ‘Behold, the house of Israel is like all the nations…’  Therefore I will execute judgment upon Moab…And I will lay My vengeance upon [Seir]” (Yechezkel 25:8-14). 

 

Rashi explains: “They claimed that Israel was like all the other nations, because Gold’s love for them had ceased and that they had become repulsive.”  Yechezkel declared that these nations would be punished for their belief.  God loves His people with a powerful love and whoever denies it even slightly is denying the Creator of the universe. 

 

On the verse, “I am black but beautiful” (Shir Hashirim 1:5) the Midrash says: I may be black in my own eyes, but I am beautiful to my Creator, as it says: ‘Are you not like the children of Cush, to Me, Children of Israel? Says God’ (Amos 9:7).  That is ‘In your own eyes, you may be like the children of Cush, but to Me, you are the Children of Israel.’” (Shir HaShirim Rabbah 1:35).  Even if we consider ourselves black with sin, God forbid, God’s love is still with us, and the covenant that He has made with us is unbreakable. 

 

This applies equally to every member of the Jewish People.  Our Father in Heaven loves every single Jew so powerfully that it is impossible for human beings to comprehend.  As it is written in the Holy Zohar:  “If people only knew the love God has for Israel, they would roar like lions to run after Him” (Zohar 2:5b).

 

This special knowledge, that brings a person close to his Maker, comes about through the influence of the tzaddik.  In every generation, the tzaddik is the one who arouses the heart of all Israel, and of every individual, to draw close to God (See Likutey Moharan I:33 and II:7).  A tzaddik can show a person on the lowest level, who feels the very furthest from holiness, that God is still with him.  The tzaddik wakes him up -–arise and sing, you who sleep in the dust” (Yeshayahu 26:9) – because every single Jew is a portion of God, and God loves each one of them as if he were His only child (Ibid II:7).

 

To be continued…

 

 

(Used with permission from the author. From the book "In all my Ways" Keren Ohr Publications)