Justice and Mercy in Judaism: Why God Delays Punishment and Tests Our Faith

Isaac asks: “Hello. I have two somewhat deep questions:

1. If God is merciful toward sinners, patient, and does not punish us immediately for our wrongdoings, then where is justice? Justice and mercy seem to contradict one another. If God shows mercy, isn’t He withholding absolute good from His creatures?

2. I heard in a lecture by Rabbi Zamir Cohen that God cornered the Israelites between the Red Sea and the Egyptians in order to bring forth a sincere prayer from them. He caused them a very unpleasant sense of fear. Couldn’t this have been avoided?”

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Shalom Isaac, and thank you for your thoughtful questions.

Mercy arises from understanding another’s circumstances. A person who cannot understand another cannot truly have mercy on them.

True justice also requires such understanding. Justice that ignores context is not real justice; it is blind and harsh. That is why the Sages taught that God does not place unfair demands upon His creatures, and only measures people according to their abilities and circumstances. Conversely, they also said that with the righteous, God is exacting “to the width of a hair,” since they are capable of more.

God’s mercy, then, is not the opposite of justice, but is what makes His justice complete and balanced. Without mercy, justice would be unjust. The Sages taught that at first God intended to create the world with the attribute of strict justice (midat ha-din), but since the world could not endure this, He joined it with mercy (midat ha-rachamim).

Mercy does not mean that God overlooks sins, but that He grants delay and leniency, allowing space for repentance and atonement. Ultimately, everyone receives reward and consequence for their deeds, but mercy ensures that this happens in proportion to each individual’s spiritual level, challenges, and capacity.

A small vessel cannot be filled with more water than it can hold, and a large vessel should not be filled with only a drop. Likewise, each soul is judged and rewarded according to its spiritual “size.” Mercy is God’s personal attention to each creature: “His compassion is upon all His works” (Psalms 145:9).

In addition, mercy multiplies our reward beyond measure. Even the smallest act of choosing good earns a person tremendous reward. As it says in Pirkei Avot: “It is not upon you to finish the work, but neither are you free to desist from it.” Rabbi Ovadia of Bartenura explains that God did not assign you the whole task so you would lose your reward if you cannot complete it. Rather, even a small step in the right direction earns boundless merit.

Why Did God Cause Fear at the Red Sea?

This principle also answers your second question. God wanted Israel’s salvation at the Red Sea to be associated with their own merit, not given entirely as a free gift. That is why before the Exodus they were commanded to perform the mitzvah of the Passover offering — a relatively small action, but one that attached the miracle of redemption to their credit.

Similarly, the fear at the Red Sea was not pointless cruelty, but intended to elevate their faith. Notice that only after the sea split does the Torah state: “They believed in the Lord and in Moses His servant” (Exodus 14:31). Before that moment, their faith was incomplete. The fear pushed them to cry out from the depths of their hearts, and through that prayer they merited salvation.

Thus, the fear they felt was itself part of the divine plan for their spiritual growth. It exposed their need for stronger faith and gave them the chance to achieve it. In this way, God ensured that their redemption would come not only through His kindness, but through their own merit — giving them greater reward in justice as well.

God’s mercy does not cancel His justice — it completes it. Mercy allows each person to be judged with perfect fairness, according to their own level, while still giving space for repentance and magnifying reward. Even fear and struggle, as at the Red Sea, are not meaningless, but are opportunities to grow in faith, so that salvation comes through both mercy and justice together.