Eternal Love: Do You Know How Much Hashem Loves You?

"Is Ephraim my dear son? Is he a delight? Whenever I speak of him, I remember him fondly" (Jeremiah 31:19).

Blessed is the child who knows and recognizes the delight his father feels in him. How happy this child is at every moment, knowing he has a loving father for whom he is precious, a father who listens to him always with love, shares in his sorrow, is concerned about his fate, and does everything for him, especially when this father is capable, wise, and immensely rich, especially when this father can solve any problem.

On the contrary, how unfortunate is the child who does not realize he is his father's delight and feels his father is indifferent or distant, feeling himself to be a burden. Especially when speaking about a father who is capable in all areas.

Such a child undoubtedly feels lonely and miserable. When life's troubles fall upon him, with whom will he speak? Where will he turn for help and support? He withers like a leaf blown away by the wind with no one to gather...

Therefore, let us consider the true relationship of the Creator toward His children - 'You are children to Hashem your God.' On this, the righteous sage, the beloved of Israel, the Chafetz Chaim, gave a parable:

A citizen had to present a request to his king, who ruled over the land where he was a subject. He scheduled an appointment to enter the king's palace and waited eagerly for his turn, which was set for another three months.

When the day arrived, he entered with his appointment card given by the king's attendant, who was responsible for ushering in the citizens for their requests. The citizen sat in the waiting room, marveling at the beauty and splendor of the palace, his excitement growing. As he waited just beyond the door leading to the hall where the king sat, he went up to the keyhole to peek through at the king's hall, and, upon seeing it for a few seconds, nearly fainted...

Right before him, he saw the king in all his glory, seated on his grand, bejeweled throne, a crown of gold set with pearls, an awe-inspiring sight causing fear among all who saw it. Immediately, the citizen sat on his chair in the waiting room, trying to calm himself and regretting ever seeking this audience.

After a moment, he thought, perhaps if I look through the keyhole again, the fear will leave me, and I will better prepare myself before entering to see the king. He peeked again through the keyhole, observing the happenings in the hall's right and left, and his eyes darkened: dozens of ministers and dignitaries stood in lines on the king's right and left, all silent in fear, not daring to open their mouths from fear of the king.

And then the citizen decided: That's it! I'm going home! There's no way I'm entering a place as terrifying as this! Especially when he felt his legs and body trembling from excitement and fear, he decided to cancel the meeting. However, as he was contemplating his return, that very moment, the attendant approached him, opened the door to the hall, and invited him inside, for his turn had arrived...

Having no choice, he found himself inside the hall facing the king seated in all his beauty, glory, and splendor, and he realized that all he had seen so far was nothing compared to what appeared before his eyes from the king's glory and his ministers standing in rows in fear and dread, and then he felt his knees lock, unable to move.

The king looked at him, smiled gently and motioned with his finger for him to approach. This smile somewhat calmed his storm of emotions, and then he felt a bit of strength return to him, beginning to slowly drag his feet toward the king. After several steps, he felt once again powerless to continue walking to the king, and then the king again smiled at him and instructed the attendant to bring a chair beside him for the citizen to sit.

The citizen sat on the chair provided to him, but his speech was stuck, unable to utter a word, and then the king ordered him to be given a drink until he calmed down. As time went by, he felt somewhat restored as the king sensed his feelings and tried to soothe him.

And then the king raised his hand, placing it on the citizen's shoulder to show his affection, and asked him about his request.

Although confused, the citizen felt confident because the king was conveying that he liked him and wanted to help. Then he opened his mouth, stating his request, to which the king replied: I will fulfill your request because you have found favor in my eyes...

The citizen attempted to stand from the chair and leave the palace, and then the unbelievable happened: the king asked him to continue sitting because he wanted to chat with him and conveyed that it was quite enjoyable for him to sit and converse. The king chatted with him about this and that for about a quarter of an hour, and naturally, the citizen felt uncomfortable because, in front of ministers and dignitaries, the king was sitting and talking with him.

When they finished their conversation to the citizen's comfort and he was about to rise and leave, the king said: See, it was very pleasant for me to sit with you, so I request that you might come again tomorrow...

The citizen left the palace, not knowing if what he had just experienced was a dream or reality... What did the king see that made him delight in me amidst ministers and dignitaries, heads and leaders, engaging with me in high and lofty matters, and yet he chose to delight in me, even inviting me to come again?! Isn't this a wonder!!!

Rabbi Chafetz Chaim zatzal says:

The Creator, blessed be He, sits in great honor, surrounded by angels, seraphim, and celestial beings, each one capable of burning the world with their breath, all holy and distinguished. However, Hashem's true delight comes from a person. When the Creator is surrounded by angels honoring Him with awe, He silences them when the people of Israel, His children, praise Him below. The Creator's main delight is when a Jew rises and blesses His Creator for the goodness He grants, thanking and praising Him with morning blessings, praying before Him, blessing over every bite and drink. This is the primary delight of the Creator!

When a person finishes conversing with the Creator in the morning, the Creator invites him to come again for the afternoon, and when afternoon is over, invites him again for the evening, and so the next day... for seventy years... Day after day, a person is invited to converse with the Creator, and every day three times, aside from additional blessings and thanksgivings - even if a person fills his mouth all day to thank the Creator, it is praiseworthy. And as the Gemara says (Berakhot 21a): "If only a person would pray all day long."

How happy we would be if we believed these things mentioned, for then we would perceive that the Creator, blessed be He, as great as His greatness is, so too is His humility, and how much our hearts would be drawn to Him, yearning and longing in thirst for His closeness. In this way, we see Him as our Father always beside us, rejoicing in us. With these bonds of love, we are tied to Him, for the King of kings desires us and delights in us! How can our souls not be moved by such love for Him.

On the contrary, how miserable we would be without this knowledge and recognition within us, for this would make us feel distant and lonely, sometimes even abandoned and forsaken. Therefore, it is our duty to recognize our "Father" and feel His closeness and love within us.

And the conclusive proof of this is that it's clear through the great investment in means that we understand the value and preciousness of the goal. The Creator invested, so to speak, in the means - the sun, the moon, the inanimate and animate creations formed in the six days of Creation, all as a means for this goal for man to come into the world and recognize his Creator, how much more elevated and purposeful is the human being.

The article is from the book "Living in Faith." To purchase Rabbi Yaakov Yisrael Lugasi's book click here.