Hashem created the world, and “the world is built on chesed”: ה
נ
ב
ד י
ס
ם ח
ל
עו.
In the Yud Gimel Midos Shel Rachamim, the Thirteen Attributes of Divine Mercy, there are many different aspects of chesed. There is the first word, “Hashem,” which represents His chesed before a person sins. And there is the second word, also “Hashem,” which represents His chesed after a person sins. Then comes 'וגו ,ארך אפים ,וחנון ,רחום ,אל all of which represent different aspects of Hashem’s infinite chesed.
All these forms of infinite chesed were not enough for the repentance of Menashe to be accepted. The angels argued that he is only doing teshuvah because he is starting to boil inside a giant cauldron. This is an extremely low grade of repentance and is in no way worthy of acceptance, in light of his monstrous sins.
But there is something beyond all these expressions of infinite chesed, and that is, “He dug a tunnel in the heavens under His Throne of Glory.” Hashem Himself went and dug out this tunnel for Menashe. And the chesed of Hashem Himself is above and beyond all.
Indeed, each one of the enormously powerful Thirteen Attributes of Divine Mercy fell short of extending clemency to Menashe, but Hashem said: I will save him Myself! “He dug a tunnel in the heavens under His Throne of Glory, and received his prayer.”
This is what happens when Hashem Himself does something.
Only Faith Can Do It
On the night of the 15th of Nisan, in Egypt, there was no way in the world that the Jewish people’s meager merits would result in their redemption from bondage. As the angels said at Yam Suf:
Both these [the Egyptians] and those [the Israelites] are idol worshippers.
The Israelites were firmly interwoven in Egyptian society. Their exodus is described as “A nation from within another nation.” They were likened to a fetus within “Mother Egypt,” and a fetus is considered part of the mother. They worshiped idols along with the Egyptians. All the chesed that exists could not justify taking them out of Egypt, to be “born” from within Egypt and brought out to a new existence.
But Hashem Himself is above all this. He can do as He wishes even if the spiritual rules He set in place do not justify it. Hashem’s chesed is beyond all chesed. He is the Master of the World, and He decided to take them out of Mitzrayim, so He did.
What engendered this overpowering miracle?
Emunah. There was one thing the Jewish people needed to do, and that is to believe. To believe that Hashem can and will redeem them, despite everything. As it says:
י
נ
ת ב
ד ה’ א
ק
י פ
כ
עו
מ
ש
י
ם ו
ע
ן ה
מ
א
י
ו
ל
א
ר
ש
י – The people believed, and they heard that Hashem has remembered the Israelites.
11 Rus Rabba, beginning.
12 Devarim 4:34.
13 Sanhedrin 80b.
14 Shemos 4:31.
