תהלים, פרק ק״ל, פסוק ד׳

The profound relationship between divine forgiveness and human awe lies at the heart of the spiritual experience. Paradoxically, it is the capacity to pardon, rather than the threat of uncompromising punishment, that inspires genuine fear of Heaven. True forgiveness involves completely uprooting a sin and removing it as though it never existed, an act that only God can perform [מלבי"ם]. The primary approach among commentators is that God reserved this power exclusively for Himself. While He granted heavenly beings authority over various worldly matters, He never transferred the ability to pardon to any angel or messenger [רש"י, רד"ק, מצודת דוד, מאירי].

This exclusivity ensures that humanity maintains a proper sense of fear and awe [מצודת ציון]. If angels were authorized to forgive, people might try to appease them, assuming they would yield easily, which would ultimately diminish the reverence for God. Knowing that forgiveness rests solely with God leads a person to understand that He alone must be feared [רש"י, רד"ק, מצודת דוד]. Furthermore, human forgiveness relies on the offender making an effort to satisfy the person they wronged. Divine forgiveness, however, flows directly from God's very essence, as the world simply cannot survive without His mercy [מלבי"ם].

How exactly does forgiveness lead to awe? The primary explanation focuses on human nature, which naturally leads people to make mistakes. If there were no possibility of being pardoned, a person who sinned would fall into deep despair, feeling completely beyond repair. This hopelessness would drive them to abandon all moral boundaries and fall into even more wrongdoing. Therefore, the very promise of forgiveness is what encourages individuals to repent, carefully avoid future wrongs, and maintain their fear of God [אבן עזרא, מאירי, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Another perspective contrasts God with a human ruler. A mortal king establishes fear through harsh penalties and a reluctance to pardon. The fear of God, however, stems from recognizing His absolute greatness, which is most powerfully revealed and magnified precisely when He chooses to forgive [מלבי"ם].

In contrast to the explanations that view forgiveness as the cause of fear, a unique interpretation reverses this dynamic entirely. According to this view, forgiveness is currently withheld by God and remains inaccessible to humanity. This is because people lack the proper fear of Heaven, which is the necessary condition required to receive that pardon in the first place [אלשיך].