God's governance of the world operates on a delicate, constant balance between absolute justice and a daily, active response to human behavior. The primary approach among commentators is that this absolute justice reflects the very nature of God, who acts as a judge executing perfect, unblemished fairness [רש"י, אבן עזרא, מצודת דוד]. Alternatively, this focus on righteousness can be understood as describing the person standing trial. In this view, God evaluates individuals precisely according to their spiritual state, judging the good according to their goodness and the wicked according to their evil [רד"ק, מאירי, ביאור שטיינזלץ].
Alongside this grand scale of justice, there is a daily reality of divine anger [מצודת ציון]. This constant frustration is directed specifically at the wicked when God observes their harmful actions [רש"י, מאירי, מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. It is deeply tied to their stubborn refusal to repent and change their ways [אבן עזרא, רד"ק]. A historical illustration of this dynamic is King Saul, who relentlessly hunted David day after day to kill an innocent man. By doing so, Saul broke his oath and showed contempt for God's word, triggering this intense divine response [רד"ק].
The sages offer a deeper look into the nature of this daily anger. They explain that while God does experience a moment of wrath each day, it is incredibly brief and aimed only at individuals rather than the public. Furthermore, God's deep kindness is revealed when He chooses to suppress this daily anger entirely. A prime example occurred during the time of Balaam, when God held back His wrath to protect the Israelites from devastating curses [תורה תמימה].
A completely different and comforting perspective views this daily anger as an expression of the specific aspect of God that represents pure kindness. From this angle, a person's daily struggles do not mean they are wicked. Instead, this constant difficulty is an act of divine mercy. Rather than delivering a heavy, overwhelming consequence all at once, God divides the hardship into small, manageable portions. By releasing a slight amount of anger each day, He allows the person to endure the process, survive, and ultimately achieve spiritual purity [אלשיך].