Welcome to the daily chizuk (encouragement). The pasuk (verse) says in this week's parasha that when trouble befalls the Jewish people, they will say, "It's because Hashem is not with us that these troubles are happening." The next pasuk says that Hashem says, "On that day, I will conceal myself from us." The mefarshim (commentators) are bothered. Seemingly, the Jewish people just made the greatest teshuvah (repentance). They recognize that Hashem left them because of their sins. So why should they be punished by Hashem concealing Himself?
And Rabbi Bunim says, "Because a Jew is never allowed to say that Hashem is not with him, even if he did the worst avonot (sins)." When the pasuk says that Hashem will conceal Himself, it doesn't mean He is not with us. Hashem is always with us. He just doesn't allow us to see Him as much sometimes, but He is always with us. The greatest heartache comes when a person feels that Hashem has forsaken him. We have to know that the ahava (love) that Hashem has for us is unconditional and eternal and can never be broken.
When the Torah introduced us to Avraham Avinu and described how Hashem came to him and promised to bless him and make him into a great nation, it doesn't say one word about how great Avraham was. There's no description of his virtues. And the Maharal says the reason is that Avraham is the first Jew. Hashem wants to show us that His love for us is not dependent upon our actions. His love is unconditional. The Sefer Torat Avot writes: "If a person did a terrible sin and doesn't feel comfortable coming close to Hashem to pray as if he just did the greatest mitzvah (commandment), then he doesn't know anything about Hashem's love." Of course, we have to feel bad when we'd sin. Hashem feels terrible for us. We are damaging ourselves tremendously. But He still loves us the same. Even if we have to be punished, it's done with love and it's for our best.
The pasuk says at the end of the harsh kelalot (curses) in Parashat Bechukotai that even when the Jewish people will be in the land of their enemies, Hashem says, "I will not be disgusted or repulsed by them to destroy them." And the Zohar writes there that the word lechalotam is spelled chaser (lacking) without a vav (the letter vav), which spells kallah, a bride. What is the pasuk saying? The Zohar gives a mashal (parable) of a groom going through a town of tanners. It smells terrible, but he's going to find his kallah, and to him it smells like perfume. So too, Hashem says that even when we will be in a land of tumah (impurity) and sin, ordinarily Hashem should be disgusted. But, "Lo me'astim velo ge'altim": Hashem is not disgusted because lechalotam, because I am going to my bride. Hashem loves us. Even the word destruction in the Torah is interpreted to mean my bride.
And when the Tanna (sage), Rabbi Yosei, heard this derasha (interpretation), he said, "If I only came today to hear these words, Dayo, it would have been enough." Never feel that you are too distant to come back. Hashem is kulo rachamim (entirely merciful). The words of Rabbeinu Yonah and Mishlei are: "Hashem's kindness supersedes any sin, and anyone who seeks Hashem's mercy will get it." Shabbat Shalom.