Joy Sweetens Judgment

There are angels that wait to sing their song only once in seven years. Others sing only once in fifty years, or even once in a thousand years. Whatever they say is brief and to the point. Some say, “Holy!” Others say, “Blessed!” Some say a single verse—it is said about certain angels that each one says one verse from the chapter of Psalms that begins, “Give thanks to G‑d for He is good.”

Yet we Jews are permitted to say praises at any time or season, and to draw out the praises, songs and raptures as much as we wish.

The best way to understand this is with a parable of a king, to whom all his servants and officers come and recite hymns of praise. Each one has his appointment and quota of time to speak his praise, each according to his position and importance.

Yet this is only when the king is in a favorable mood. When the king is upset and angered, then all are afraid to provide him any praise whatsoever, as it is written, “Why are you praising the king at the time of fury?”

So, due to the concern that the king may, heaven forbid, not be in the best of moods, or that he may be angered due to something or other, they are accustomed to be as brief as possible at all times, and make a hasty exit.

Yet when the king’s dear and precious son enters, he has no such concerns. For even if the king was in a state of anger, the very sight of his precious son brings him joy and delight. The anger dissipates of its own, and obviously never returns, all the time his son stands before him, as is human nature. The son, therefore, has no worries, and enters at any time he so wishes and exudes praise without end, for he knows that this brings the king, his father, joy and delight.

Why is it this way? Why do anger and fury disappear when joy and love enter? Yes, this is human nature, but nevertheless, we must try to understand how and why.

Possibly what occurs is that when love and joy dominate, they cause anger and fury to ascend upward toward their root. There they are sweetened—as it is known, that forces of strict judgment are sweetened only when they reach their root.
Rabbi Freeman