תהלים, פרק ק״ג, פסוק ו׳

Transitioning from personal gratitude for healing and survival, the focus broadens to God's general governance over all creation. This divine leadership balances two complementary forces: kindness and strict justice, which are applied depending on the nature of human actions.

The primary approach among commentators is that God responds differently to mistakes committed against Him compared to offenses committed against other people. When individuals fail in their direct relationship with their Creator, strict justice demands severe punishment. However, God responds with ultimate kindness and charity, choosing not to enforce the full weight of the law [מלבי״ם]. Even when a person experiences pain or hardship as a result of their actions, God brings about these challenges fairly and faithfully, intending only to guide and correct the individual [אבן עזרא, רד״ק].

In contrast, when dealing with offenses between people, God applies strict and uncompromising justice. For those who fall victim to robbery and exploitation [מצודת ציון], God steps in to save the oppressed and punish the oppressor [רד״ק, המאירי]. In these interpersonal matters, there are no shortcuts or waivers. A wrongdoer's repentance is entirely ineffective until they return what was stolen to the victim [מלבי״ם]. This pursuit of justice is universal, extending beyond any single group; God intervenes on behalf of any exploited person, regardless of their nation [רד״ק]. Ultimately, there is an enduring historical promise that God will judge and rescue all oppressed people from their persecutors [ביאור שטיינזלץ, מצודת דוד].

A different perspective merges these concepts to explain the presence of suffering in the world, particularly the hardships of exile. According to this view, God performs two seemingly opposite actions at once. The pain and troubles experienced by the oppressed are indeed strict judgments for their past mistakes. Yet, through these very hardships, God acts with profound kindness. The suffering clears their spiritual debts in this world, sparing them from much harsher consequences in the afterlife. In this way, God simultaneously delivers both strict justice and ultimate charity to the oppressed [אלשיך].