הַצּוּר תָּמִים פָּעֳלוֹ כִּי כָל דְּרָכָיו מִשְׁפָּט אֵ-ל אֱמוּנָה וְאֵין עָוֶל צַדִּיק וְיָשָׁר הוּא: (לב, ד)
The Rock, His work is perfect, for all His ways are justice, a G-d of faith, without iniquity. (32:4)
This posuk is divided into three parts, the beginning, the end, and the middle. The middle is the words “G-d of faith,” and it is connected both to the beginning and to the end, each of which speaks of a different situation, and in both of them one must connect to the middle and remember that HaKadosh Baruch Hu is a “G-d of faith,” meaning He is a G-d that even if we do not have understanding in His actions, we are obligated to believe that His actions are upright and faithful.
Behold, the conduct of HaKadosh Baruch Hu is to be long-suffering with the wicked (see Sanhedrin 111a). And since it is so, the yetzer has two opportunities to exploit this conduct for its own benefit. For while HaKadosh Baruch Hu conducts Himself with a man in this way, the yetzer proves to him from this that HaKadosh Baruch Hu is forgiving, and therefore he need not be so afraid of transgressing His word, chalilah.
On the other hand, when HaKadosh Baruch Hu sees that it is no longer possible to extend patience for this man, and there is already a need to treat him with the attribute of judgment and to punish him, the yetzer seeks to add transgression to sin and to arouse in him grievance against Heaven, Rachmana litzlan. And the yetzer does not need to labor hard for this, because already from the outset, in the very agreement of the man to the opinion of his yetzer that HaKadosh Baruch Hu is forgiving, the yetzer already created an entryway for this as well. For as a result of that agreement, the man made light of several mitzvos and was fulfilled in him the statement of Rav Huna in the name of Rav (Yoma 86b): “Once a man has committed a transgression and repeated it, it becomes permitted to him.” And see there in the Gemara which explained that Rav’s intention is that “it becomes to him as if permitted.” And since it became to him as if permitted, the man did not feel that he was doing things that anger his Creator. And now, when they punish him, even if he examines his deeds, he does not raise in his mind that these sins are what brought about his downfall. And since it is so, the yetzer finds an opening to entice him that his verdict is in the category of injustice, chalilah.
It is of these two situations that the posuk spoke. At first it spoke while the yetzer is trying to prove to the man that HaKadosh Baruch Hu is forgiving, and behold it is as if he is saying to him that “His work is not perfect,” meaning, He does not act with uprightness and simplicity, and does not measure conduct precisely measure for measure [midah keneged midah]. And to this the posuk warns that the opposite is the truth, as the language of the Gemara (Bava Kama 50a): “Rabbi Chanina said: whoever says HaKadosh Baruch Hu is forgiving – his life shall be forgiven away, as it is said: ‘The Rock, His work is perfect, for all His ways are justice.’” Indeed, He is long-suffering even with the wicked and does not punish them immediately, but in the end, if they do not repent, they will not escape judgment.
And adjoining to this are the words “G-d of faith,” for even after it is known to a man that HaKadosh Baruch Hu is not forgiving, the yetzer will not let go of him, and this latter one will attempt to deny it. Therefore, they say to the man that there is yet another reason that HaKadosh Baruch Hu does not punish a man immediately, and that is so that free choice will remain in his hand. For if a man would be punished immediately, all creations would recognize that there is law and there is a Judge, and then they would no longer have the trial of doing evil. And in such a situation, man is not worthy of reward, for he passes through no difficulty in keeping the commandments. And Hashem Yisbarach Who desires the good of man, seeks to test him in faith, that if the yetzer provokes him and he will strengthen his spirit to overcome it, he will merit in judgment his reward. Therefore he should not be enticed to the denial of the yetzer, and he should understand that HaKadosh Baruch Hu is a “G-d” Whom we must serve with “faith,” [emunah] that there is law and there is a Judge, and by this he will be saved from the yetzer that comes upon him before the sin.
After the posuk spoke of the faith that a man requires before the sin, it begins to teach what is the obligation of faith after the sin and the punishment. For as stated, in this situation the yetzer seeks to arouse in a man grievance against Heaven, by showing him as if there is some injustice in His measures, chas v’shalom. Therefore, the Torah teaches the man that his obligation at that time also is to strengthen himself that “G-d of faith” – He is a G-d Whose actions require faith, and now the faith is that “there is no injustice, righteous and upright is He!” And these words are said also to those who in the course of time have been aroused to be exacting in light mitzvos as in severe ones. For they also must understand that there exist many transgressions that man is accustomed to trample under his heels, and through much habit he does not at all take to heart that he did not act properly. And even when he began to be careful in the matter, he does not at all remember most of the cases in which he sinned and did not repent over them. And only HaKadosh Baruch Hu, Who remembers all forgotten things, seeks to purify him and cleanse his iniquities.
And in that the man justifies upon himself the judgment, besides that through this he will be saved from heresy, chas v’shalom, he also merits through it a certain repair. For from our words spoken above you learn that every sin is double, for besides the negative act, he also transgressed the commandment of faith. And this he has the ability to repair now, for the weakness of faith at the time of the sin is what causes him now the need to exert himself in faith.
The general rule of the matter: a man must know that upon everything G-d will bring into judgment. And from this he will not be enticed and drawn after sin. And if he did not stand in the trial, he should not complain about the punishment, chalilah.
And even when they know about certain wicked people who did not at all suffer in this world although they sinned greatly, this is no reason not to believe that “The Rock, His work is perfect.” And likewise, if they know about righteous people who suffer though they did not sin greatly, this is no reason not to believe that there is no injustice with HaKadosh Baruch hu. For sometimes they do not punish the sinner in this world in order to drive him away from the World to Come. And likewise, they afflict the righteous greatly in this world so that he will be pure and clean in the World to Come.
And as Chazal expounded (Taanis 11a) on the posuk before us: “‘G-d of faith’ – just as they exact payment from the wicked in the World to Come even for a light transgression that they do, so they exact payment from the righteous in this world for a light transgression that they do. ‘And there is no injustice’ – just as they pay reward to the righteous in the World to Come even for a light mitzvah that they do, so they pay reward to the wicked in this world even for a light mitzvah that they do.”
The conclusion from their words is that a man must be careful that the reality that exists in the world not influence his conduct and his faith. And indeed, this is one of the Thirteen Principles of Faith, “that the Creator, Yisbarach Shemo rewards those who keep His mitzvos and punishes those who transgress His mitzvos.”
And there is no wisdom, no counsel, and no understanding against G-d, only if he will regret his deeds that he sinned, and will confess his sins, and will accept upon himself for the future not to return again to folly, then he will be able to save himself from the punishment of the transgressions. And this is the power of repentance.
