Sources
Hope based on Hashem’s chessed means placing our trust in His salvation because of His endless kindness and mercy—not because of our own merit.
The Sefer HaIkkarim teaches that hope rooted in Hashem’s kindness is the highest and most praiseworthy kind of hope. Yet a person may not always feel confident that Hashem will grant their heart’s desire. Why? Because they feel unworthy of receiving such kindness as a free gift. They may think that Hashem might withhold it—and that doubt weakens their hope.
But when hope is incomplete, says the Sefer HaIkkarim, it is not considered true hope. Real hope must be whole and unwavering. If a person truly places full trust in Hashem’s kindness, without hesitation, then Hashem will never withhold His chessed. He desires to give to those who hope in Him.
As the Torah says: “Hashem desires those who fear Him, who hope for His kindness.”
Therefore, when kindness seems delayed or withheld, it is not because Hashem does not want to give. Rather, it is because the person’s hope has not yet reached the level of wholeness and trust that allows them to receive it.
Additional Sources
Yermiyahu’s Hope in Hashem’s Chessed – Sefer HaIkkarim
See Source in HebrewHope based on Hashem’s chessed means placing our trust in His salvation because of His endless kindness and mercy—not because of our own merit. It is the recognition that no matter our shortcomings, Hashem’s mercy is greater than our failings, and His chessed never ceases.
The Sefer HaIkkarim, in Ma’amar 48 (based on his explanation of Yermiyahu in Eicha), illustrates this beautifully. He explains that the prophet Yermiyahu described the intense suffering of the Jewish people during exile, saying, “My soul has forgotten peace and good things.” The hardships were so overwhelming and unrelenting that he could scarcely remember what true peace and blessing felt like. In such despair, it might have seemed that hope was lost entirely.
Yet Yermiyahu does not surrender to despair. He reminds himself: “I will remember Hashem’s kindness; surely His mercies will not end” (חסדי ה׳ כי לא תמנו). He recognizes that Hashem’s kindness never fails and His mercy is truly endless. Even in the darkest times, Hashem never fully abandons His people; rather, He continually contemplates and extends compassion according to His great chesed.
From this, the Sefer HaIkkarim teaches a fundamental lesson: true hope is rooted not in our own worthiness, but in Hashem’s eternal kindness. When a person anchors their hope in His chessed, even the most overwhelming suffering cannot extinguish it. Hashem’s mercies are constant, and His compassion is ever-present.