The kli yakar gives us a great insight into the words Shema Yisrael HaShem (Yud-keh-vav-keh) Elokeinu HaShem (Yud-keh-vav-keh) Echad. The name Elokim represents middas hadin – when HaShem deals with us in a strict way. The name yud-keh-vav-keh represents HaShem dealing with us with middas harachamim – with mercy. (Rashi Bereishis 1;1 ‘bara elokim’) The kli yakar reads this back into the famous pasuk of Shema: ‘Listen Yisrael, HaShem is middas harachamim and middas hadin, and they are one.’ In other words, when everything is going well we can be quick to praise HasHem. But we do not realise that sometimes in life we feel we have been mistreated and bad things happen; that is also min hashamayim. That is also planned out perfectly by HaShem for whatever reason. The middas hadin and middas harachamim come from the same source. That is what the gemarra pesachim (50a) says that in olam haba we will make the same bracha on good news and bad news – because they will then realise that good and ‘bad’ came from the same Source; they are both planned for us by HaShem.
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