Unconditional Love
There was a father who was very giving and loved his children. He would truly do anything for them. This father wasn't a man of means, however, whatever he had he most definitely gave to his children.
One of his children, in particular, gave him an exceptionally hard time. He was the aggravation of the house. His son wouldn't discriminate who he disrespected. He was uncooperative on every level. His performance of mitzvos were close to non. And despite all of the humiliation and hardships, his parents always gave him unconditional love.
As the son got older, things got more difficult. It seemed like there was no end in site. One day the son came to his father and asked for a loan to start a buisness. The father really didn't have the money. To show his son that he truly loved him, he went out to borrow the money for his son.
His son thanked his father for the loan and unfortunately lost the money. The son went to his father and cried. He explained he will never be able to pay his father back and apologized for the loss of money. The father was infuriated! That night was Erev Yom Kippur so before he can word a responce, the father stopped himself. He told his son they could discuss the matter after the holiday.
The son saw his fathers pain and he was quite concerned. "How will my father deal with me?" He thought to himself, "I know when he is this upset, it never goes well."
Surprisingly, after Yom Kippur his father did not bring up the situation at all. After much anticipation, the son asked his father for a private meeting.
The son said, "My beloved father, I know that it bothers you what happened with the loss of money but why don't you show any anger to me now?"
The father answered as follows:
"My dear son, you are more precious to me then anything you can dream of. You are right, I was very angry at how you lost the money, but when I went to Shul on Yom Kippur and said the Viduy, I realized something. Look at how much אבינו שבשמים gives me unconditionally. Although I made so many transgressions which caused so many infractions in the עולמות, Hashem still forgives. What you do to me, I do to HaShem on a much higher level. If Hashem could forgive, me I certainly can forgive you."
If we can find mercy, understanding, and compassion for our children who are not on the right Derech, that will cause Hashem to have mercy, understanding, and compassion towards all of Klal Yisrael. It is the parents of troubled children who work timelessly to help them on the right path; this arouses the mercy of Hashem on Klal Yisrael.
By. Rabbi Yosef Churba
Rabbi Yosef Churba is the founder of Sephardic.Org as well as Rosh Yeshiva of Magen Avraham Yeshiva in Brooklyn NY. It is with his guidance that this amazing website remains on the correct path in order to inspire Jewish people around the world.
