Commentary: On the Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Avodah Zarah

This is not difficult, etc. [4a]—The meaning is as follows: the Holy One is angry at one specific moment each day, on account of the sins that are committed before Him by either the Jews or the nations of the world. At the time of His rage, He is angry with those who are guilty before Him and punishes them for their transgressions. We learn from this verse that He grows angry with those who are guilty before Him only when the community or most of it are liable. Furthermore, even though He becomes angry with them, they are not destroyed because of their sins, as the prayers of a community have great merit and they bring much mercy upon them, which protects them from the rage, so that they are not consumed by it, as demanded by their iniquities. By contrast, if it is an individual or a minority of a community who is guilty, while the majority of the community is not guilty, God does not grow angry with the minority at that hour of rage, despite the fact that they are guilty before Him. The reason is that if He were to grow angry with them and be enraged at their deeds, who would raise a cry and pray on their behalf [see Jeremiah 11:14]? Rather, they would dissipate like smoke in the anger of God. Therefore, the Holy One does not allow His anger to reach individuals, even at the hour of rage, but rather He treats them with the attribute of mercy, and all hours are a time of divine goodwill for them.

It is impossible for flesh-and-blood creatures to retain these two attributes simultaneously in this manner. It is written regarding the Holy One: The Lord is a man of war; the Lord is His name (Exodus 15:3), and it is taught in the Mekhilta that in the case of a mighty man of war, if he is overwhelmed by a spirit of jealousy and might, even when it comes to his father or his beloved he will go and smite in rage. However, the same is not true for the Holy One. Rather: The Lord is a man of war for He fights the Egyptians; The Lord is His name for He still has mercy upon the creatures, as it is stated: The Lord is a merciful God (Exodus 34:6).