תהלים, פרק קי״ט, פסוק קל״ז

Belief in perfect justice often wavers when the world seems deeply unfair. Yet, absolute faith in Divine fairness remains possible even when everyday life presents confusing moral challenges and painful realities. God is entirely faithful, guiding the world with truth and acting without any trace of injustice [מאירי]. The primary approach among commentators highlights that every single one of His judgments, viewed on its own, is completely fair and entirely free of distortion.

This unwavering trust addresses one of the most difficult questions of human existence: why good people suffer while the wicked prosper. God always operates with truth and justice, even when His methods remain hidden from limited human understanding [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. To make sense of what we see in the world, commentators explain that God guides creation through two distinct approaches.

The first approach is rooted in Divine mercy and kindness. Paradoxically, this kindness is sometimes visible when God grants success to the wicked in this world. He provides them with an immediate, temporary reward for the few good deeds they may have done. In contrast, the second approach is driven by strict justice, operating from an eternal perspective. Out of this exact and careful justice, God may bring suffering upon the righteous in the present world to cleanse them of their mistakes. By doing so, He protects and preserves their true, eternal reward for the World to Come, while the wicked exhaust their reward in this passing world and lose their share in eternity [אלשיך, מלבי״ם, חומת אנך].