Even more, these concepts affect our relationship to HASHEM. When we understand what strict din is, we understand that our very existence is dependent upon mercy. We can then tap into one of the most powerful forces in Creation. Even a slight change in the amount of mercy HASHEM uses in judging me can have a fantastic difference in the outcome. The question I have to ask is: how do I awaken the middah of mercy?
One of the keys is to utilize the power of tefillah, to ask HASHEM for help – not based on my merit or anything that I have done, but out of sheer mercy. Another method is to act toward other people with mercy. Chazal tell us that the way that a person is judged mirrors the way he judges others. Since he established the criteria, that itself is justice, and in Heaven that is the scale they use.
Understanding these ideas greatly impacts the way that we approach others and the way we approach life itself.
