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  The concept of being considered Hashem’s children carries with it powerful consequences. As the children of Hashem, we are promised redemption from the depths of bondage, persecution, and the many other trials which have marked the chronicles of our tumultuous past. These special guarantees, however, are accompanied by the responsibilities of being Hashem’s children. We are inescapably subject to specific tasks, rigorous standards, and formidable punishment.   Attribution as Hashem’s children implies a sympathetic and personal loving relationship. As the Bechor Shor emphasizes, even when one suffers excruciating loneliness as a result of the loss of a parent or…

The test of the false prophet is a formidable one. We are enjoined to refrain from listening to him even if his “man-made” miracles are impressive. Obviously, it is inherently difficult to withstand such a test. What is the trait which a Jew must possess in order to defeat the evil inclination which seduces him into believing in false prophets? The answer is found in this posuk. Hashem is testing us to see if we love Him. Man can transcend the questions of faith that confront him only through a relationship of love. Love can justify that which evades logical…