דברים, פרק ל״ב, פסוק י״ח

The divine rebuke highlights the profound blindness and ingratitude of the Israelites, who turn their backs on their Creator precisely after receiving His close, maternal care. God is likened to a father or creator who gave birth to, raised, and educated the nation from its very inception [רשב״ם, תורה תמימה]. This birth is not merely a physical formation, but represents the spiritual perfection God granted the Israelites through the giving of the Torah and the miracles He performed for them [רלב״ג]. Additionally, this imagery may trace back to their origins, hinting at Abraham, the patriarch from whom the nation was initially carved out [שפתי כהן].

The nation's abandonment is understood in two primary ways. The straightforward approach suggests a simple act of forgetting and leaving, where the people lose sight of their Creator because they turn their attention toward physical and material pleasures [ספורנו]. In contrast, a deeper perspective views their actions as a source of spiritual exhaustion. When God desires to do good for the Israelites and they sin, they effectively weaken His power in the heavenly realms, preventing Him from showering them with abundance [רש״י, שפתי חכמים]. Philosophically, when the receiver becomes unworthy of receiving good, the power of the giver withdraws and diminishes. The divine abundance is blocked, ultimately being redirected toward emptiness or outside forces instead of benefiting the nation [גור אריה, אלשיך].

The severity of this betrayal is amplified by the image of God as a mother experiencing birth pangs, suffering to bring the nation into existence [רש״י, אבן עזרא, חזקוני]. This raises a painful question: How could the people abandon God while they are still in a constant, ongoing process of formation? They have not yet reached total independence and are still being carried by His providence at every single moment [רש״ר הירש, מלבי״ם]. Alongside this maternal imagery, other perspectives highlight different aspects of God's relationship with the Israelites. He is the God who transformed them into a glorious ornament, elevating them above all other creations, even the angels [אור החיים]. He is also recognized as the One who constantly forgives their sins [נחל קדומים, שפתי כהן], and the One who brought them out of Egypt with great joy, songs, and dances [חזקוני].

This forgetfulness is not a simple lapse in memory, but a conscious rejection that undermines the very justification for humanity's creation. When God originally debated the angels over the creation of humanity, He defended mankind's potential. However, the sins of the Israelites weaken His defense, seemingly justifying the angels' claim that humanity is a hopeless endeavor [אור החיים]. As a result, God, who wished to treat His nation with the mercy of a loving father, is forced to hide His face and withhold open miracles. This withdrawal creates a tragic cycle: the absence of visible miracles only deepens the forgetfulness and distance of the generations that follow [צרור המור, נחלת יעקב].