The Gift of Mercy
It's raining in northern Arizona this morning, a nice gentle rain, the kind I love. It reminds me of my favorite passage from Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice." Portia is pleading for mercy for her friend the merchant, eloquently saying to the court "The gift of mercy is like the gentle falling of the rain--it is twice blessed. It blesses the one who gives, and it blesses the one who receives."
I have paraphrased Shakespeare for clarity. The rain cleanses the heaven and the earth--twice blessed. Mercy is bestowed by God on all his creation--to those who are worthy and to those who are less worthy. Nevertheless, all of us are recipients of God's generous gift of mercy. We cannot earn it, we do not deserve it, but God grants it to us nonetheless. Blessed be the name of the LORD--Baruch HaShem.
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