Chazal tell us before Hashem offered the Torah to the Jewish People, He first asked all of the other nations if they wanted it. After they all turned it down, Hashem then asked us and we said we would happily accept it. We know Matan Torah was considered the marriage between us and Hashem. It is an eternal bond that can never be broken no matter what the circumstances are. The question was asked, imagine a groom under the chupah telling his bride he really wanted to marry other girls, but they all turned him down and so he was marrying her. For sure she would want to walk away. So why should we feel special, like Hashem’s bride, if it only turned out this way because everyone else turned Him down? The mefarshim tell us, Hashem decided from the outset that He wanted us and only us. He also knew that the other nations would, in fact, reject the Torah. But He also knew that, in the future, after they see how special our relationship is with Hashem, and how much He does for us, they were going to complain out of jealousy and ask why they don’t get that same relationship. So Hashem offered them the Torah first, just so that they would not be able to make this claim later on. And indeed, the other nations do recognize our special relationship and wish that they could have it as well. A couple of weeks ago, around 1300 missiles were fired from Gaza into Israel and it seemed like the majority of them were sent without any aim. Those that did land went into open fields and many of them didn’t even cross the border into Israel. One of the heads of the operation was asked, “With modern technology, the missiles should be laser guided to hit exact targets. So why are they so far off?” The man answered, they do send the missiles with exact targets in the hope of hitting heavily populated areas, but the G-d of the Jews is rerouting the missiles off to the side. The man was then asked why they keep firing if they aren’t having any success. And he said, they are hoping that their G-d will be angry at them and let the missiles hit. Even the goyim recognize thatHashem is protecting us and they wish they could have what we have. It is incumbent upon us to appreciate Hashem and what He does for us every moment of the day. Although He masks Himself in nature so well, we have to see beyond what meets the eye and understand that everything that takes place comes only from Him. Rabbi Menashe Reisman pointed out that today more than ever we are faced with the great challenge of thinking כוחי ועוצם ידי עשה לי את החיל הזה . A person can easily fall prey to the feeling that it is him who is earning his money and it is him who is achieving all of his accomplishments. Hashem hides so well, it really does look as if we have power. Thirty years ago, if there was a lack of rain in Israel, there would be signs hung up on every street corner urging everyone to pray for rain. Everyone felt as if Hashem was speaking directly to them and they needed to improve. All the more so a hundred years ago. Without rain there was literally no water to drink and everyone cried out to Hashem from the depths of their hearts. But today, massive machinery was created that can take the salty sea waters and turn them into pure drinking water. And in Israel, most of the drinking water that is produced comes that way. And therefore, this past winter, when a drought ensued in Israel, the people were not as fearful as they used to be and the prayers were not as intense as they used to be. We have to strengthen our belief that every drop of water that we drink is only because Hashem is giving it to us. If one missile, chas v’shalom , landed on that machinery that purifies the water, we would easily feel how much we need Hashem. The job today, more than ever, is to understand how much we do need Hashem and how much He does for us and, hopefully, not have to go through the difficult experience of actually lacking. Hashem has blessed us and the world at large with so much beracha . He is O