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What It Means to Be God’s Treasured Nation
We are told in this week’s parashah, “You are children to Hashem your God… a treasured nation” (Devarim 14:1–2). We see from here that our status as God’s “treasured nation” stems from the fact that we are His children. One of our greatest privileges is that we are Hashem’s chosen nation, treasured and beloved by Him. We were given the Torah and are fortunate to have a relationship with Hashem, 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 selected us to be His representatives on earth. A loving parent cares deeply for his children, loves them unconditionally, and is always looking out for their wellbeing. So too, Hashem is our loving and caring Father. He constantly watches over us and desires only what is best for us. We should never lose sight of the incredible privilege of being Hashem’s children and strive to appreciate what this truly means.
“These Are the Children of God” – A Lesson Seventeen Flights Up
A religious Jew was once in business with a Jew from Ra’anana, Israel with little Jewish background. They had an important business meeting in China on Sunday, so they arrived on Thursday. The religious partner said, “Since we don’t have anything planned until next week, why don’t we spend Shabbat together?”
“But what do I do?” his partner asked. “What is Shabbat?” Patiently, he explained what Shabbat is all about, and his partner agreed to try it.
There was just one concern. They were staying on the seventeenth floor, and he couldn’t imagine spending an entire day without using electricity, especially the elevator.
The religious Jew explained that before Shabbat they would take the elevator down to the lobby, have their Shabbat meal there, and only walk up the stairs once when they were ready to go to sleep. The next day, they would walk down once and spend the rest of Shabbat 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 God,” 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 Shabbat 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 said, “These are the children of God.”
That experience made a tremendous impression on the not-yet-religious Jew. He could not stop thinking about it. He told his family how he had been treated with such honor simply because he was a Jew. More than anything else, it made him begin asking himself what it truly means to be a child of Hashem. He started learning more about Judaism and gradually began living a life of Torah and mitzvot. Today he supports many important Torah institutions and continues to inspire others through his remarkable journey.
A Gift Called Teshuvah
This message is especially relevant as we approach the month of Elul. Hashem grants us the incredible gift of teshuvah (repentance)—the opportunity to erase our sins, repair our relationship with Him, and begin the new year with a clean slate.
A loving parent always wants what is best for his children. Even when they make mistakes, he longs for them to return to the right path and is eager to forgive them. This is how Hashem relates to us. As our loving Father, He patiently waits for us to return to Him, welcoming us with love and compassion.
As we prepare for the Yamim Noraim (High Holidays), may we strengthen our awareness that we are Hashem’s cherished children. May that realization fill us with confidence, gratitude, and the desire to draw ever closer to our loving Father.
By Rabbi Daniel Shasha, author of “Living Appreciation”
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