We are Hashem's children, as it states (14:1) אלקיכם 'לה אתם בנים, "You are children of Hashem, your G-d." The Alshich HaKodesh explains that each Yid, individually, is Hashem's child. Not only as a group are we considered and referred to as Hashem’s children, but each of us, individually, is called Hashem's child.
What will be if we don’t act as a Yid should and transgresses the laws of the Torah? Are we still called Hashem's children? The Gemara (Kiddushin 36.) states, "When you act like [Hashem's] children, you are called 'children.' If you don't act like [Hashem's] children, you aren't called children. This is Reb Yehudah's view. Reb Meir says, בנים קרוים אתם כך ובין כך בין, regardless of whether the Jewish nation is acting properly or not, they are always called Hashem's children."
The Rashba (teshuvah 194) writes that although we generally follow Reb Yehudah's view over Reb Meir's, in this instance, the halachah is like Reb Meir, and regardless of how we act, we are always Hashem's children.
Rebbe Bunim of Pshischa zt'l said that this is alluded to in the word אתם (in the pasuk אתם בנים) because the Gemara (Rosh Hashanah 25.) says, אפילו אתם מזידין אפילו אתם שוגגין אפילו אתם מוטעין, that the word אתם implies to when you sin by accident, on purpose, or when you make mistakes. We can therefore explain that אלקיכם 'לה אתם בנים means at all times, no matter what you do, you are Hashem's children.
When we know and believe that we are Hashem's children, this will result in an improvement of our actions and mindset or how we view things. One example is the belief that everything is for the good. Sometimes, a parent must take his child to a doctor or dentist. It hurts the child, but the child trusts his parents that it is for his benefit. This is how we should be with our trust in Hashem.
The Ibn Ezra says that this is the meaning of the pasuk ולא תתגדדו לא אלקיכם 'לה אתם בנים למת עיניכם בין קרחה תשימו, "You are children of Hashem, your G-d. You shall neither cut yourselves nor make any baldness between your eyes for the dead." The Ibn Ezra writes, "Now that you know you are Hashem's children, and you know that Hashem loves you more than a father loves his son, do not injure yourself when something distressing occurs because everything is for the good. If you don't understand, it can be compared to a child who doesn't understand the ways of his parents but, nevertheless, relies on them. That's how you should be with your emunah in Hashem."
Knowing that we are Hashem's children also encourages us to daven to Him. A child knows that he can always turn to his parent, and we can also always turn to Hashem.
The Power of Tefillah
The segulah of tefillah is that Hashem also listens and answers the tefillos of goyim. Kal v'chover that Hashem listens to the tefillos of His children, the Jewish nation.
Reb Moshe Feinstein zt'l (Igros Moshe, Orach Chaim vol.2, 25) writes, "When goyim have a need, such as when someone is sick, or they need parnassah, I think that at these times they are obligated to pray. Don’t ask, if so, why isn't prayer among the seven mitzvos of Bnei Noach? It is because [one of the seven mitzvos is to have emunah, and] emunah means to believe that Hashem alone gives parnassah and heals the sick, etc. When one doesn’t turn to Hashem with bitachon and prayer, this means he doesn’t believe in Hashem and believes in other powers ch”v. Even non-Jews are obligated to believe in Hashem. Therefore, they must also turn to Hashem for parnassah, refuah, and all their needs."
Binah l'ittim (Drush 61) writes, "The segulah of tefillah is wonderful... With tefillah, a person can attain all his needs, regardless of whether he is righteous and deserves that his tefillos be answered or not. His tefillos will never be returned emptyhanded. Even if a person is a sinner, if he davens to Hashem, his tefillos won't return empty."
This is written in the pasuk (Tehillim 22:25) שמע אליו ובשועו ...עני ענות שקץ ולא בזה לא כי, "For He has neither despised nor abhorred the cry of the poor...and when he cried out to Him, He hearkened." This refers to someone poor in deeds. Even so, when he calls out to Hashem, Hashem will answer his tefillos.
In parashas Korach, Moshe prayed to Hashem (Bamidbar 16:15) מנחתם אל תפן אל, "Don't heed their offering." (This refers to the 250 people who rebelled against Aharon HaKohen, and they wanted to be the kohen gadol.) The Ramban explains that Moshe prayed that Hashem shouldn't accept the ketores and that Hashem shouldn't listen to their tefillos.
Reb Yechezkel Levenstein zt'l says that we learn from this that Moshe was afraid that Hashem might accept their tefillos, although they were sinning and were asking for something that wasn't Hashem's will. This reveals to us the greatness of tefillah. One can be wrong; his tefillos can be ill-intended, he might be perpetuating one of the gravest sins of history, and yet, even then, Hashem might accept his tefillos. This is the power of tefillah. Hashem listens, regardless of who is davening and what he is davening for.
It states (Tehillim 34:17-18) צעקו ...רע בעשי 'ה פני שמע 'וה, "Hashem's face is to the evildoers... They cry out, and Hashem hearkens." The Pele Yoetz says that the pasuk is referring to רע עשי, to people who sin. Even to them, צעקו, when they call out to Hashem, Hashem listens.
There was a person named Reb Berele Cohen, and some of his children were niftar. Reb Pinchas Koritzer told him, "Meiner (dear friend), how do you allow this to continue? Don't you believe that even the greatest rasha, if he invests in tefilla, can receive everything he wants?"
We see that every Yid can daven to Hashem, and his tefillos will be answered. To a large extent, this is because we are Hashem's children, and a father wants to do the will of his children and grant them their requests.
The realization that we are Hashem's children results in other behaviors and lessons, and we will discuss some of them in the upcoming section.
