חסידות אויף דברים 7:7

And Judah approached him, etc." (Genesis 44:18). Behold, the inspiration of the Shekhinah is only in a lowly place, as our Sages say (see Sotah 5a, Zohar Ruth 98a, Berakhot 99a): "The Holy One, blessed be He, did not rest His Shekhinah on Mount Sinai except because it is lowly, etc." This means that the Shekhinah only rests in a place of humility and meekness, as the Scripture says (Isaiah 57:15), "I dwell with the lowly and the humble spirit," etc. It is also written (Deuteronomy 7:7), "Not because you were more numerous than all the nations did the Lord desire you and choose you, for you are the fewest of all the nations," and our Sages say (Chullin 49b): "Make yourselves small before Him.

The sages of the Gemara designated the days of Hanukkah as yamim tovim, or good days, to be celebrated with the recitation of Hallel and expressions of gratitude. Hashem called the light “good.” According to the Zohar, a "yom tov" (good day) is so called because it radiates the goodness that God has reserved for the World to Come. In response to the Hanukkah miracle, the sages established these days as yamim tovim for praising and giving thanks, so that the inner light within all Jews would shine forth. Each year, these days are designated as occasions for praising and giving thanks, and this is where the term "Yehudim" (Jews) originates. When Leah named her son Judah, she said, "This time I will give thanks," which Rashi interprets as meaning "since I have received more than my fair share [of children]." We, the children of Israel, recognize that everything that God gives us is more than we deserve, as we are "the least of all the peoples" (Deuteronomy 7:7). The midrash explains that this means that when God bestows greatness upon us, we humble ourselves even further, recognizing that it is only through God's kindness that we are so blessed, hence the name "Yehudim."

This love is not dependent on anything, as it says (Deuteronomy 7.7-8), "Not because you are more numerous than all the nations did the Lord want you and choose you... but by the Lord's love for you." That means it is love that is unconditional -- it is simply (Deuteronomy.32.9) "for the Lord's portion is His people."