February 13, 2012 Binyamin Rose: Back to the Bunker: How a life-risking act by a Christian family during the Holocaust saved a family and built a thriving community a world away Danielle Kurtzleben: The Peace Process is over. Finally Susan Johnston: The Myth of Economic Inequality Menachem Wecker: Business Schools Teach Real Estate Despite Troubled Housing Market The Kosher Gourmet by Diane Rossen Worthington: Farro Salad: An ancient grain is now new again as the base of a tasty tangle of flavorsome vegetables, chickpeas and salami February 10, 2012 Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo: The biblical case against small-mindedness involved diminishing His precious prophet Caroline B. Glick: The Peace Process is over. Finally Lisa M. Krieger: Man with defibrillator demands access to his own heart's information David G. Savage: Why activists may not be in a hurry to have High Court rule on alternative marriage Rachel Koning Beals: Gen X Women Continue to Shrink Gender Investing Gap The Kosher Gourmet by Faith Durand: Who Says You Can't Make Restaurant Favorites at Home?: MANGO AND STICKY RICE February 9, 2012 Jeff Strickler: An argument a day keeps the divorce away, they say Clifford D. May: CAIR's Crusade against The Third Jihad Melissa Healy: Study finds jolt to the brain boosts memory Laura McMullen: 10 Least Expensive Public Schools for Out-of-State Students Kimberly Palmer: How to actually enjoy -- relaxing, financially -- your vacation Emily Brandon: 10 Necessities for a Great Retirement Spot The Kosher Gourmet by Diane Rossen Worthington: Winter Squash and Red Swiss Chard Risotto is Colorful Cozy Cold Weather Fare (includes detailed dos and don'ts) February 8, 2012 Rivy Poupko Kletenik: Tree hostility: The auspicious history of the evolution of Tu B'Shevat Steven Emerson: Planting Trees is Racist?! Warren Richey: Why momentous Prop. 8 ruling might not satisfy gay-rights groups Anne Applebaum: Russia's Potemkin democracy Menachem Wecker: Though Controversial, LL.M.'s Can Lead to Specialized Legal Jobs Emily Brandon: 10 Necessities for a Great Retirement Spot The Kosher Gourmet byDana Velden: Going to the bother of making soup? You know it better be good. This CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP certainly is! And it's a cinch to make, too (Includes techinques and serving secrets) February 7, 2012 Kathleen Hennessey and Christi Parsons: Obama not worried that birth-control move will hurt his re-election chances with Catholics, other faithful Caroline B. Glick: Obama's rhetorical storm Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Caught off-guard? President's Super Bowl interview with Matt Lauer gives those who need a reason not to vote for him, a darn good one Suzanne Bohan: Leaping lizards! Tiny reptiles advancing robot design David Francis: How to Avoid an IRS Audit The Kosher Gourmet by Emma Christensen: These homemade energy bars (3 recipes) are far better workout fuel than commercial ones, packing power and taste February 6, 2012 Scott Peterson: Iran's top ayatollah: We're trumping the West Jonathan Tobin: Iran Threatens Israel With Destruction, But the New York Times Doesn't Hear It Jeffrey Fleishman: In newly democratic Egypt, tens of democracy activists jailed, to stand trial; their groups are 'threatening the stability of the homeland' Julie Deardorff : Researchers say antioxidants may not be that effective and could do more harm than good Philip Moeller: Where Smart Investors Put Their Money Mark Clayton: How did Anonymous hackers eavesdrop on FBI and Scotland Yard? The Kosher Gourmet by Joseph Erdos: Vegetable Frittata --- leftovers never tasted so scrumptious February 3, 2012 Rabbi Dr. Warren Goldstein: Living with ideals --- in reality Caroline B. Glick: Fool me twice Jonathan Tobin : Adelsonphobia Strikes in Nevada Caucus Edmund Sanders : Israeli official says Iran is creating missile that could reach East Coast of US Kimberly Palmer : 8 Ways to Get Ready for Retirement Now Victoria Kim: Immigrant-smuggling ring used black drivers to avoid racial profiling The Kosher Gourmet by Faith Durand: A quick cookie recipe: Hazelnut and Olive Oil Shortbread: Sweet, Nutty, and Savory February 2, 2012 Rabbi Yaakov Rosenblatt : Welcome Home, Governor Perry Jim Carney: Wrong number call may have saved her life Reza Kahlili : Ex-CIA spy in Iran's Revolutionary Guard: What Obama doesn't grasp about striking deals with Tehran Kelsey Sheehy : 5 Tips for Choosing an M.B.A. Concentration Rachel Koning Beals : Investors Increasingly Tap Social Media for Stock Tips Tina Susman: For woodchuck rescuer, every day is Groundhog Day The Kosher Gourmet by Leela Cyd Ross : Savory vegetable pie is a taste of European bistro with minimal effort and maximal flavor February 1, 2012 Nara Schoenberg: What to do when you've been dissed Michelle Malkin: First, They Came for the Catholics Brian Bennett: US officials see increasing threat of domestic attack from Iran Lisa M. Krieger: Possible breakthrough in preventing Alzheimer's Emily Brandon: How to Take Advantage of New 401(k) Fee Disclosures Susan Johnston: 5 Apps for Organizing Your Expenses at Tax Time The Kosher Gourmet by Mario Batali: The famed chef's Broccoli and White Bean Soup can easily be a lunch in itself, or a nice antipasto --- and is hard to mess up January 31, 2012 Paul Greenberg: Separation of Church and State works two ways Caroline B. Glick: Hamas and the Washington establishment Frank J. Gaffney Jr.: Uncle Sam is joining in efforts to crack down on Islamists' critics Danielle Kurtzleben: The 10 Worst Cities for Finding a Job Laura McMullen: 3 Tips to Overcome a Bad Grade in College The Kosher Gourmet by Faith Durand: Orzo dish mixes plump, chewy grains with caramelized onions, garlic, mushrooms and sweet potato January 30, 2012 Rabbi Avi Shafran: Blind faith and physics Paul Richter and Ramin Mostaghim: Misreading Teheran's limits -- deadly and economically devastating as they may be -- is a risk administration, Europe seem willing to take Suzanne Bohan: Warning: Nap-deprived tots missing more than sleep, study finds Meg Handley: Banks Revamping Rewards Programs to Woo Customers Menachem Wecker: 3 Do's and Don'ts for Healthy Studying in College The Kosher Gourmet by Diane Rossen Worthington: Butternut Squash Gratin with Tomato Fondue is a combination of the sweet and creamy January 27, 2012 Rabbi Berel Wein: What Pharaoh can teach us sophisticates about being stubborn Caroline B. 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Jewish World Review May 30, 2008 / 15 Iyar 5768, The Divine's eternal, unconditional love By Rabbi A. Henach Leibowitz No matter how far or how low we have fallen, He is always waiting for us “And the Divine spoke to Moshe in the desert of Sinai …”                         —   Numbers 1:1 The Midrash (Bamidbar Rabbah 1:2) tells us that the Jews in the time of the prophet Jeremiah had sinned greatly. The people felt that they had created such a wide chasm between themselves and the Divine that it was impossible for them ever to ever repent. Jeremiah prophetically gave the Divine's answer: "Have I been a desert to the Jewish Nation? A land of darkness? Why do My people say, 'We have been separated from You, we will come no more to You'?" (Jeremiah 2:31). The Midrash explains the Divine's response. He was telling the Jewish people that they are still beloved. By using the example of a desert, the Divine was reminding them that when they had been a fledgling people in the Wilderness of Sinai they could not even tell that they were actually in a forbidding desert. The Divine provided them with manna to eat; the Clouds of Glory shaded them, killed the snakes and scorpions, and smoothed out the path before them by flattening the mountains and raising up the valleys. The Divine was in essence telling Jeremiah's generation, "I have shown you how much I love you — you are close to Me and repenting is certainly possible." The miracles the Divine performed for Jewry in the desert were outstanding indicators of the Divine's love for the generation He saved from slavery in Egypt. How, though, did those wonders prove that the Divine's love and closeness would still exist so many years and a myriad of sins later? The Jews of Jeremiah's time knew quite well the story of the Exodus from Egypt, yet they felt that their generation was far less worthy than the generation that stood at Sinai. Jeremiah's contemporaries despaired that the closeness The Divine once felt for them had disappeared due to their sins. How did The Divine's statement convince them that His love would still allow them to return to Him? The people of Jeremiah's generation originally felt that the Divine's love for the Jewish people was dependent upon our national level of religiosity and righteousness. They metaphorically looked in their mirror, saw their low spiritual state of affairs, and became despondent. When the Divine reminded them of His kindness to our forefathers in the desert, He was showing them that His abundant kindness far surpassed even that which these great people deserved. The message is that the Divine's love for the Jewish people is unconditional — like that of a father to a son. His love for us never wanes and is not dependent on our spiritual level. Just as a father loves his child under any circumstances, so too, the Divine loves us beyond what we deserve, even when we are mired in the depths of sin. As the Chovos HaLevavos states in Shaar HaBitachon (Chap. 3, First Principle): "The sixth [condition to have trust in the Divine] is that one should be aware of the Divine's overwhelming goodness to him, and that due to His great kindness and beneficence, the Divine bestowed good upon him from the very beginning, not because the person deserved it, and not because the Divine had any need to do so, but rather out of generosity, goodness and kindness …." Often we find ourselves in a time of difficulty, perhaps faced with an illness, the loss of a job, or any type of suffering. A caring friend reminds us to trust in the Divine, to have bitachon (faith) that the Divine will save us in any circumstance. When we try to focus on that message of hope, our vision often becomes blurred by feelings of despair. "What if I don't deserve the Divine's kindness? I have committed so many sins, why would He want to save me?" At these times of hopelessness we must remind ourselves of the Divine's unconditional love. It would be very shortsighted and even naïve to believe that the kindness the Divine has shown us throughout our lives extends only to what we deserve and not well beyond. No one can look into himself and honestly think that he has been so righteous that the Divine owes him health and happiness. Rather, just as our parents' love for us is unqualified and constant, so too, the Divine's love is absolute, and we can rely on His salvation under any circumstances. At the same time we can apply Jeremiah's pasuk, and his message, to ourselves. We shouldn't let our past mistakes discourage us from attempting to change and improve ourselves. We are never separated from the Divine. No matter how far or how low we have fallen, He is always waiting for us, like a patient, loving father, to turn back to Him in sincere teshuvah. If we internalize this message of the Divine's eternal, unconditional love, we will feel, in turn, feelings of love towards the Divine, which will provide a powerful motivation to begin the first steps of genuine repentance. Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes inspiring articles. Sign up for our daily update. It's free. Just click here. INSPIRED BY THIS ARTICLE? BUY THE BOOK ... at a discount by clicking HERE . Comment by clicking here. One of America's senior Torah sages, Rabbi A. Henach Leibowitz has been the dean of the Rabbinical Seminary of America, in Queens, New York for more than 50 years. The institution has branches and affiliates all across North America and Israel. This article was prepared by two of the sage's disciples, Rabbi Aryeh Striks and Rabbi Shimon Zehnwirth, and excerpted from the just released book, "Pinnacle of Creation: Torah insights into human nature". Previously: Perverting sincerity Do 'clothes make the man'? Divine vindictiveness? © 2007, Mesorah Publications, Ltd.