Ashrei 8

חנון ורחום ה', ארך אפים וגדל חסד – Gracious and merciful is Hashem, slow to anger, and great in [bestowing] kindness.

The Maharal¹  writes that רחום refers to Hashem’s compassion towards us in not punishing us through strict judgment, and saving us from tzaros.  Rabbeinu Yonah² writes that when one humbly asks Hashem for compassion, although he may not deserve it, he should hope that Hashem, in His chesed, will in fact save him from his troubles, despite his not really deserving to be saved.  While it is appropriate for one to feel trepidation for having sinned against the One Who provides all his needs, and for that trepidation to lead to תשובה (return to Hashem), at the same time, Rabbeinu Yonah teaches us that our hope and trust in the kindness of Hashem must be stronger than our trepidation.  Thus, although we may be just at the start of our תשובה process, we hope for and trust in the loving-kindness of Hashem.

חנון goes one step further.  The word חן can mean favor or free undeserved gift (from חנם).  The word רחמים means compassion.  Not only does Hashem save us from our trouble, but He also provides for us, though we are completely undeserving.  The Sheim MiShmuel³ writes that when we plead to Hashem, recognizing that we are completely undeserving, that brings us closer to Him and will itself be a cause for us to receive great reward.

Hashem, in His mercy, delays His anger (ארך אפים), which means that Hashem does not punish us immediately but rather allows even the wicked time to return to Him and be saved from punishment.⁴  Reishis Chochmah quotes the Chovos HaL’vavos⁵ who writes that one of the things that should inspire us to love Hashem is to contemplate His loving-kindness to us in delaying His reaction to our transgressions, allowing us the time to return to Him, and subsequently forgiving us.

The word אפים is plural.  The Gemara in Eiruvin 22a tells us that this means that Hashem delays His reaction both for צדיקים and רשעים.  Rashi and Tosafos there explain that one “face” is a happy face, which symbolizes the delaying of the reward for the צדיק until the next world (where the rewards are infinite), as the last mishnah of the second perek of Avos states: “ודע שמתן שכרן של צדיקים לעתיד לבוא” (“But be aware that the reward of the righteous will be given in the World to Come”).  The other “face” is an angry face, which symbolizes delaying the punishment for the רשע, to allow him the time to return to Hashem and repent.

וגדל חסד refers to Hashem’s constant chesed,⁶ which goes beyond that which we deserve.⁷  Rabbeinu Yonah⁸ writes on the previously quoted mishnah in Avos (“ודע שמתן שכרן של צדיקים לעתיד לבוא”): “When you think about this, you will strengthen your resolve to be involved in Torah and mitzvos.   As a result, you will realize the great chesed of Hashem, thereby increasing your abundant love for Him.  May Hashem place in our hearts to love and fear Him, which will enable us to perform His will with passion and a complete and pure heart.  So should be His will, and let us respond Amein.

^{מהר"ל בחידושי אגדות על מסכת ראש השנה דף י"ז עמוד ב' 1}

^{רבינו יונה על משלי, פרק ג' פסוק כ"ו 2}

^{שם משמואל פרשת ואתחנן תר"ע ד"ה במדבר 3} 

^{רש"י פרשת כי תשא פרק ל"ד פסוק ה' 4}

^{חובות הלבבות, שער אהבת ה' פרק ב' 5}

^{פירוש הרוקח ח"א עמוד קמ"ה, אבן עזרא תהלים מזמור ק"ג פסוק ח' 6}

^{רד"ק תהלים קמ"ה פסוק ח', מאירי על תהלים מזמור קמ"ו פסוק ח' 7}

^{רבינו יונה אבות פרק ב' משנה י"ח וכו' 8}