Devarim Rabbah, a compilation of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Deuteronomy, offers a powerful parable about just that – the relationship between God and Israel. It's a story of love, loss, redemption, and ultimately, a renewed commitment.
Rabbi Shimon ben Ḥalafta frames it like this: imagine a king marrying a noblewoman. She brings two precious gems to the marriage, and the king, wanting to match her devotion, provides two gems of his own. A balanced exchange, right?
But what happens when things go wrong? The noblewoman loses her gems. And in response, the king withdraws his. Ouch. It sounds like a breakup waiting to happen. But this isn't the end of the story.
Later, the noblewoman works hard, applies herself, and finds her lost gems. The king, seeing her renewed dedication, brings his back too. It’s a moment of reconciliation, a chance for something new. The king then declares: "These and those shall be crafted into a crown and placed on the noblewoman’s head." A symbol of their unified commitment.
So, what do these gems represent? According to this midrash, Abraham gave his descendants two gems: righteousness and justice. As it says in Genesis 18:19, "For I love him, that he will command his children and his household after him, [and they will observe the way of the Lord, to perform righteousness and justice]." These qualities are the foundation of a moral and just society.
And what about God's gems? God provides kindness (chesed) and mercy (rachamim), as we find in Deuteronomy 7:12: “The Lord your God will maintain for you the covenant and the kindness,” and Deuteronomy 13:18: “He will give you mercy, and He will be merciful to you, and He will multiply you…”. These are divine attributes that offer solace and support.
But, as the story implies, this balance can be disrupted. Israel lost their gems, their commitment to justice and righteousness. The prophet Amos laments in Amos 6:12: “For you have transformed justice into hemlock and the fruit of righteousness into wormwood.” As a result, God withdrew His: “For I have withdrawn My peace…kindness and mercy” (Jeremiah 16:5). A painful separation.
The good news? Redemption is possible. Israel can, and does, work to restore those lost virtues. The prophet Isaiah offers hope in Isaiah 1:27: “Zion will be redeemed with justice and its penitents with righteousness.” And when Israel returns to justice and righteousness, God responds in kind, restoring His kindness and mercy. As Isaiah 54:10 promises: “For the mountains will move and the hills will collapse, [but My kindness will not move from you and the covenant of My peace will not collapse, said the One who has mercy on you, the Lord].”
Once both Israel and God have restored their gems, something beautiful happens. The Holy One says: “These and those will be crafted into a crown and will be placed on Israel’s head.” This is the ultimate symbol of their renewed covenant, a promise of everlasting love and devotion. The prophet Hosea captures this beautifully in Hosea 2:21–22: “I will betroth you to Me forever; I will betroth you to Me with righteousness, with justice, with kindness and with mercy. I will betroth you to Me with faithfulness and you will know the Lord.”
So, what does this all mean for us? This midrash isn't just a story about God and Israel. It’s a story about relationships, about responsibility, about the potential for both loss and redemption. It reminds us that the qualities we bring to our relationships – our commitment to justice, righteousness, kindness, and mercy – are precious gems. And when we lose sight of them, we have the power to find them again, to rebuild and renew our connections with each other and with the Divine. It's a call to action, urging us to actively cultivate these virtues in our own lives and in the world around us. What gems will you bring to the world today?