Living Torah Archives

The Baal Shem Tov teaches that every single Jew is cherished by G-d. This is even more so during exile, when the Jewish people is “afflicted.” When one reaches out to a Jew who is distant and reveals that he, too, is an “only child” of G-d, then G-d’s kindness and compassion for the entire people become aroused.

When G-d commanded Moses to count the Jews, the “greatest” among them counted as one, and the “simplest” among them counted as one. Every Jew is an equal son or daughter of G-d Himself, and is beloved to Him much more than an only child is loved by a father and mother.