Cherished Children
Written by Daniel Shasha
We are told in this week's parashah, “You are children to Hashem your G-d... a treasured nation" (Devarim 14:1-2). The Torah is teaching us something profound: our status as Hashem's "treasured nation" begins with the fact that we are His children. One of the greatest privileges we have is that we are chosen, treasured, and beloved by Hashem. He has given us the Torah and the extraordinary opportunity to have a relationship with Him, enabling us to live lives filled with purpose, meaning, and spirituality.
Although we comprise less than 0.2% of the world's population, we were chosen to be Hashem's treasured nation. What an extraordinary gift! Out of billions of people, the King of the universe chose us to be His representatives in this world. We should pause and truly appreciate what that means. A loving parent cares deeply for his children, loves them unconditionally, and constantly looks out for their well-being. So too, Hashem is our loving and caring Father. He watches over us, cares about us, and desires what is best for us. We should never allow the incredible privilege of being Hashem's children to become something we take for granted.
A remarkable story brings this idea to life.
A frum Jew was once in business with a Jew from Ra'anana who had little Jewish background. They had an important business meeting in China on Sunday, so they arrived on Thursday. The frum partner suggested, "Since we don't have anything planned until next week, why don't we spend Shabbos together?"
"But what do I do?" his partner asked. "What is Shabbos?” Patiently, he explained what Shabbos was all about, and his partner agreed to try it. There was, however, one concern. They were staying on the seventeenth floor, and he could not imagine spending an entire day without using electricity, especially the elevator. The frum Jew explained that before Shabbos they would take the elevator down to the lobby, have their Shabbos meal there, and then walk up the stairs only once, when they were ready to go to sleep. The next day, they would walk down once and spend the rest of Shabbos in the lobby.
"Okay," he agreed.
As they were sitting in the lobby on Friday night, they struck up a conversation with another guest, who turned out to be the hotel manager. When he heard that they were Jewish, he became very emotional.
"You're the children of G-d," he said. "The Chosen Nation. How fortunate you are."
He continued speaking with great admiration about the Jewish people. During the conversation, they casually mentioned that because it was Shabbos, they could not use the elevator.
"Don't worry," the manager replied. He immediately called over several of his workers. To their amazement, the strong hotel staff picked up their chairs and carried them all the way up seventeen flights of stairs. They did it because, as the manager explained, “These are the children of Hashem."
The experience made a tremendous impression on the not-yet-frum Jew. He could not stop thinking about what had happened. He told his family how he had been treated with such honor simply because he was a Jew. More than anything, it caused him to begin asking himself a powerful question: What does it truly mean to be a child of Hashem?
He began learning more about Yiddishkeit and gradually started living a life of Torah and mitzvos. Today, he supports many important Torah institutions and continues to inspire others through his remarkable journey.
Perhaps this is one of the messages we should take to heart as we approach the month of Elul. Being Hashem's children does not mean that we will never make mistakes. It means that even when we do, we always have a way back.
Hashem grants us the incredible gift of teshuvah—the opportunity to leave our mistakes behind, repair our relationship with Him, and begin the new year with a clean slate. A loving parent does not stop loving his child when the child makes a mistake. On the contrary, he longs for his child to return to the right path and is eager to welcome him back.
Lehavdil, this is how Hashem relates to us. He is our loving Father, patiently waiting for us to return to Him. He does not push us away because of our mistakes; He allows us to come closer.
As we prepare for the Yamim Noraim, may we strengthen our awareness of the extraordinary privilege of being Hashem's cherished children. May this realization fill us with confidence, gratitude, and a renewed desire to draw ever closer to our loving Father. And may we enter the new year not only with a desire to improve, but with the deep awareness that we are always Hashem's children and that the door to return to Him is always open.
