In a significant turn of events within Israel's Orthodox Jewish community, Rabbi Avraham Deutsch, the Chief Rabbi of Ma'ale Adumim, has publicly retracted his previous criticism of the popular religious song "Hashem Loves Me" (God Loves Me) following a clarification about its authorship.
The controversy, which had gained media attention, centered around Rabbi Deutsch's initial condemnation of the song in his published works, where he had labeled it as "corrupt" and said that no one should listen to it. However, in a dramatic reversal, Rabbi Deutsch withdrew his criticism after discovering the song's true religious authorship.
The song was written by Rav Arush.
Apparently, Rabbi Deutsch thought that the song's lyrics "it will be even better," implied that the present situation isn't good, but that's not what he was saying at all.
In fact, for the last 40 years, Rabbi Arush has consistently taught that everything happening in the present moment is absolutely the best it could be. His core message has always been that there is no true evil in the world and that everything God does is for the good. When he says "it will be even better," he's specifically talking about the future, not criticizing the present.
This aligns perfectly with traditional Jewish teachings. The Chazon Ish, Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin, and other respected rabbis all write about the commandment of faith - the obligation to believe that God will resolve our problems and that things will improve even further in the future. This concept of having faith in future improvement doesn't contradict the belief that the present is already perfect in God's plan.
Rabbi Arush's message is actually very straightforward: whatever is happening right now is the best possible thing, AND it will get even better in the future. This is a fundamental belief that all agree on - it's part of the basic commandment to have faith in God's ongoing goodness.
In addition to this, Rabbi Deutsch explained that "I was under the mistaken impression that the lyrics were written by a secular person [but] Now that I understand they were composed by a respected religious authority, I completely withdraw my previous statements. In fact, it's now a mitzvah [religious duty] to share this song widely."
The Rabbi emphasized that his original comments were taken out of context by media outlets, leading to unnecessary controversy.
The song "Hashem Loves Me" has become increasingly popular in Orthodox Jewish communities, with its message of divine love resonating across various religious sectors. This retraction is expected to further boost its acceptance within more traditional circles.
Rabbi Deutsch, who also serves as a senior religious court judge, acknowledged that he continues to study the works of the song's author and expressed regret for his earlier misunderstanding.
CBN contributed to this article.