God is Gracious, Not Angry
转诇诪讜讚 讘讘诇讬 讘专讻讜转 讝
讜讗诪专 专讘讬 讬讜讞谞谉 诪砖讜诐 专讘讬 讬讜住讬: 诪谞讬谉 砖讗讬谉 诪专爪讬谉 诇讜 诇讗讚诐 讘砖注转 讻注住讜 志 讚讻转讬讘: (砖诪讜转 诇状讙) 驻谞讬 讬诇讻讜 讜讛谞讞转讬 诇讱止 讗诪专 诇讜 讛拽讚讜砖 讘专讜讱 讛讜讗 诇诪砖讛: 讛诪转谉 诇讬 注讚 砖讬注讘专讜 驻谞讬诐 砖诇 讝注诐 讜讗谞讬讞 诇讱. 讜诪讬 讗讬讻讗 专转讞讗 拽诪讬讛 讚拽讜讚砖讗 讘专讬讱 讛讜讗? 志 讗讬谉, 讚转谞讬讗: (转讛诇讬诐 讝壮) 讜讗诇 讝讜注诐 讘讻诇 讬讜诐. 讜讻诪讛 讝注诪讜? 志 专讙注. 讜讻诪讛 专讙注? 志 讗讞讚 诪讞诪砖转 专讘讜讗 讜砖诪讜谞转 讗诇驻讬诐 讜砖诪谞讛 诪讗讜转 讜砖诪谞讬诐 讜砖诪谞讛 讘砖注讛, 讜讝讜 讛讬讗 专讙注, 讜讗讬谉 讻诇 讘专讬讛 讬讻讜诇讛 诇讻讜讬谉 讗讜转讛 砖注讛, 讞讜抓 诪讘诇 注诐 讛专砖注, 讚讻转讬讘 讘讬讛: (讘诪讚讘专 讻状讚) 讜讬讜讚注 讚注转 注诇讬讜谉. 讛砖转讗 讚注转 讘讛诪转讜 诇讗 讛讜讛 讬讚注 志 讚注转 注诇讬讜谉 讛讜讛 讬讚注? 讗诇讗: 诪诇诪讚, 砖讛讬讛 讬讜讚注 诇讻讜讬谉 讗讜转讛 砖注讛 砖讛拽讚讜砖 讘专讜讱 讛讜讗 讻讜注住 讘讛, 讜讛讬讬谞讜 讚讗诪专 诇讛讜 谞讘讬讗 诇讬砖专讗诇: (诪讬讻讛 讜壮) 注诪讬 讝讻专志谞讗 诪讛志讬注抓 讘诇拽 诪诇讱 诪讜讗讘 讜讙讜壮. 诪讗讬 (诪讬讻讛 讜壮) 诇诪注谉 讚注转 爪讚拽讜转 讛壮? 讗诪专 专讘讬 讗诇注讝专: 讗诪专 诇讛诐 讛拽讚讜砖 讘专讜讱 讛讜讗 诇讬砖专讗诇: 讚注讜 讻诪讛 爪讚拽讜转 注砖讬转讬 注诪讻诐 砖诇讗 讻注住转讬 讘讬诪讬 讘诇注诐 讛专砖注, 砖讗诇诪诇讬 讻注住转讬 志 诇讗 谞砖转讬讬专 诪砖讜谞讗讬讛诐 砖诇 讬砖专讗诇 砖专讬讚 讜驻诇讬讟
R. Johanan said in the name of R. Jose: From where [do we learn] that we do not try to placate a man in the time of his anger? . . . The Blessed Holy One said to Moses: “Wait till My countenance of wrath has passed and then I shall unburden you.” Is anger then a mood of the Blessed Holy One? Yes, for it has been taught: ” . . . God has indignation every day.” (Ps. 7:12) How long does this indignation last? One moment. And how long is that moment? One 58,888th part of an hour-and none has ever been able to fix precisely this moment except the wicked Balaam, of whom it is written: ” . . . one who obtains knowledge of the Most High” (Num. 24:16). But [Balaam] did not even know the mind of his animal; how then could he know the mind of the Most High? The meaning is rather that he knew how to discern precisely the moment in which the Blessed Holy One is angry, and this is just what the prophet [Micah] said to Israel: “My people, remember what Balak king of Moab devised, and how Balaam son of Beor responded to him . . . and you will recognize the gracious acts of the Lord” (Micah 6:5). What does it mean that “you will recognize the gracious acts of the Lord”? R. Eleazar says: The Blessed Holy One said to Israel: See now, how many righteous acts I performed for you in not being angry in the days of the wicked Balaam, for had I been angry, not one surviving remnant would have been left from Israel.”
So much for fire and brimstone! Not only does this talmudic midrash undermine notions of a wrathful biblical God, but the passage above conveys a crucial spiritual message about our own human emotions: if the Eternal One does not have more than one thousandth of a second each day available for anger, how many moments can we mortals afford to spend being irritated?
Of course, that logic about our time and conduct is easier to comprehend than to internalize, especially since our ancient prophets so often expressed their righteous indignation through effective public protest. But the final teaching above鈥攖hat God withheld legitimate anger for the greater good鈥攄emonstrates how we actually have control over our emotional lives. We can limit our negative reactions to life’s conflicts and disappointments when we remind ourselves of our visceral response to acts of kindness. That sense of relief is our natural guide to choosing graciousness over resentment. We don’t have time for anything else.
