By Rabbi David Cohen:
Just as a father will chastise his son, so Hashem, your G-d, chastises you. (8:5)
We translate the word, ish, as “a father,” but it actually means “a man.” The Torah should have used the word, av, father. Why does the Torah change the wording? The Ben Ish Chai distinguishes between the love manifest by a biological father and that shown by a man who raises a child as a surrogate. The father certainly loves his child, and the discipline and punishment that he must mete out is rooted in love. However, subtle as it may be, there is a hidden agenda – one that the father may not even be aware of: He has a personal stake in his son’s success, because it is a reflection on him.
The individual, who out of the goodness of his heart has raised someone else’s son, is certainly proud of his son’s achievements, but the failures are not necessarily attributed to him. This is why the Torah changes the text. Hashem chastises us as “a man” chastises his “son.” It is purely for the sake of the child. Success and failure are not the result of his biological relationship. It is totally out of objective love for Klal Yisrael – a love that endures and will continue to do so for all time. May we all be Zocheh to feel that love.
Shabbat Shalom