Why the Holy One Cannot Stop Naming Israel

"The children of Israel." Rabbi Yudan in the name of Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachmani gave a parable of a king who had a precious garment (epikorisin). He commanded his servant, saying to him, "Shake it out, fold it, give your attention to it." The servant said to him, "My lord the king, of all the garments you possess, you command me only about this one?" He said to him, "Because it clings to my flesh." So Moses said before the Holy One, blessed be He, "Master of the universe, of the seventy nations that are yours, you command me only concerning Israel" — "And to the children of Israel you shall say" (Leviticus 20:2), "And to the children of Israel you shall speak" (Exodus 30:31), "Say to the children of Israel" (Exodus 33:5), "Speak to the children of Israel," "Command the children of Israel" (Leviticus 24:2), and "you shall command the children of Israel," "When you take a census of the children of Israel." He said to him, "Because they cling to me, as it is said (Jeremiah 13:11), 'For as the loincloth clings to the loins of a man, so I made the whole house of Israel cling to me.'" Rav Avin said a parable of a king who had a purple robe (porphyrin) and commanded his servant, "Air it, fold it, give your attention to it." He said, "My lord, and so forth." He said to him, "Because I wore that one at the hour I first became king." So Moses said before the Omnipresent, "Of the seventy great nations you have in the world, you command me only concerning Israel." He said to him, "Because they crowned me king over them at the Sea and said (Exodus 15:18), 'The LORD shall reign forever and ever.'" Rabbi [Yehuda the Prince] said a parable of an elder who had a cloak (ma'aforet), and so forth. He said to him, "Because I wrapped myself in it at the hour I was appointed an elder." So Moses said, and so forth. He said to him, "Because they accepted upon themselves the yoke of my kingship at Sinai and said, 'All that the LORD has spoken we will do and we will hear.'" Rabbi Yudan said, "Come and see how greatly the Holy One, blessed be He, loved Israel, that he mentions them five times in a single verse." This is what is written in the portion of Beha'alotcha (Numbers 8:19), "And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons," and so forth. It was taught. Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai says a parable of a king who handed his son over to a tutor and kept commanding him, saying, "Did my son eat? Did my son drink? Did my son go to the schoolhouse? Did my son come from the house of study?" So the Holy One, blessed be He, longs to mention Israel at every hour. Rabbi Yehuda son of Rabbi Simon said a parable of a man who sat making a crown. Someone passed and saw him and said, "What are you sitting and making?" He said, "A crown." He said to him, "Whatever good stones and pearls you are able to set into it, set, for it is destined to be placed on the head of a king." So the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, "Whatever you are able to praise Israel before me, praise; to glorify, glorify, for I am destined to be glorified in them," as it is said (Isaiah 49:3), "Israel, in whom I will be glorified."