יְמִינְךָ ה' יְמִינְךָ ה', פְּשׁוּטָה לְקַבֵּל שָׁבִים, שֶׁנָּתַתָּ אַרְכָּה לְדוֹר הַמַּבּוּל לַעֲשׂוֹת תְּשׁוּבָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: לֹא יָדוֹן רוּחִי בָאָדָם לְעֹלָם (בראשית ו, ג). וְלֹא גָּמַרְתָּ עֲלֵיהֶם כְּלָיָה, עַד שֶׁהִשְׁלִימוּ רִשְׁעָתָן לְפָנֶיךָ. וְכֵן אַנְשֵׁי הַמִּגְדָּל נָתַתָּ לָהֶם אַרְכָּה לַעֲשׂוֹת תְּשׁוּבָה, וְלֹא גָּמַרְתָּ עֲלֵיהֶן כְּלָיָה, עַד שֶׁהִשְׁלִימוּ רִשְׁעָתָן לְפָנֶיךָ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְעַתָּה לֹא יִבָּצֵר מֵהֶם (בראשית יא, ו). וְאֵין וְעַתָּה אֶלָּא תְּשׁוּבָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְעַתָּה יִשְׂרָאֵל מָה ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ שֹׁאֵל וְגוֹ' (דברים י, יב), וְעַתָּה יִשְׂרָאֵל שְׁמַע אֶל הַחֻקִּים (דברים ד, א), וְעַתָּה שְׁמַע (ישעיה מד, א). Thy right hand, O Lord (Exod. 15:6). This verse indicates that the Lord’s right hand is stretched out to receive repentant sinners. Though You set a time for the generation of the flood in which to do penance, as it is said: My spirit shall not abide in man forever (Gen. 6:3), You did not decree their destruction until they committed their most evil acts before You. Similarly, You set a time limit in which the men of the Tower of Babel were to repent, yet You did not decree their extinction until they performed their most wicked acts, as it is said: And now nothing will be withholden from them (ibid. 11:6). The expression and now is employed only to signify that they had an opportunity to repent, as is said: And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee? (Deut. 10:12); And now, O Israel, hearken unto the statutes (ibid. 4:1); And yet now hear, O Jacob (Isa. 44:1).
וְכֵן אַנְשֵׁי סְדוֹם נָתַתָּ לָהֶם אַרְכָּה, וַיֹּאמֶר ה' זַעֲקַת סְדֹם וַעֲמֹרָה כִּי רָבָּה וְחַטָּאתָם כִּי כָבְדָה מְאֹד, אֵרְדָה נָּא וְאֶרְאֶה הַכְּצַעֲקָתָהּ הַבָּאָה אֵלַי עָשׂוּ כָּלָה וְגוֹ' (בראשית יח, כ-כא), וְלֹא גָּמַרְתָּ עֲלֵיהֶן כְּלָיָה, עַד שֶׁהִשְׁלִימוּ רִשְׁעָתָן לְפָנֶיךָ. וַה' הִמְטִיר עַל סְדֹם (בראשית יט, כד). עָשׂוּ תְּשׁוּבָה, מָטָר. וְאִם לָאו, גָּפְרִית וָאֵשׁ. וְכֵן בְּמִצְרַיִם לָקוּ בְּמַכּוֹת אוּלַי יַעֲשׂוּ תְּשׁוּבָה. כֵּיוָן שֶׁלֹּא עָשׂוּ תְּשׁוּבָה, לֹא נִשְׁאַר בָּהֶם עַד אֶחָד. You set a time during which the Sodomites were to repent, as it is said: And the Lord said: Verily, the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great and, verily, their sin is exceeding grievous. I will go down now, and see if they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which has come unto Me (Gen. 18:20–21), yet You did not decree their destruction until they performed their wicked acts before You. The Lord caused to rain upon Sodom (ibid. 19:4). Had they repented it would have been just an ordinary rain, but since they did not, it was a rain of fire and brimstone. Similarly, Egypt would have suffered only the plagues if they had repented, but since they failed to repent, not one of them remained alive.
יְמִינְךָ ה' נֶאְדָּרִי בַּכֹּחַ יְמִינְךָ, לָמָּה שְׁנֵי פְּעָמִים? אֶלָּא כְּשֶׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל עוֹשִׂין רְצוֹנוֹ שֶׁל מָקוֹם, עוֹשִׂין שְׂמֹאל יָמִין. וּכְשֶׁאֵין עוֹשִׂין רְצוֹנוֹ, כִּבְיָכוֹל עוֹשִׂין יָמִין שְׂמֹאל, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: הֵשִׁיב אָחוֹר יְמִינוֹ (איכה ב, ג). Thy right hand, O Lord, glorious in power, Thy right hand dasheth in pieces the enemy (Exod. 15:6). Why is Thy right hand repeated in these verses? To indicate that when the Israelites do the will of the Omnipresent, they make His left hand to act as His right hand, but if they fail to do His will, as though that were possible, they make His right hand to become his left, as it is said: He hath drawn back His right hand (Lam. 2:3).
יְמִין ה' רוֹמֵמָה יְמִין ה' עֹשָׂה חָיִל (תהלים קיח, טז). כְּשֶׁהֵן עוֹשִׂין שֶׁל מָקוֹם, הִנֵּה לֹא יָנוּם וְלֹא יִישָׁן שׁוֹמֵר יִשְׂרָאֵל (תהלים קכא, ד). לֹא עָשׂוּ רְצוֹנוֹ, הָעִירָה, אַל תִּזְנַח לָנֶצַח (תהלים מד, כד) וַיִּקַץ כְּיָשֵׁן אֲדֹנָי כְּגִבּוֹר מִתְרוֹנֵן מִיָּיִן (תהלים עח, סה). וּכְשֶׁהֵן עוֹשִׂין רְצוֹנוֹ, ה' יִלָּחֵם לָכֶם. אֵין עוֹשִׂין רְצוֹנוֹ, וַיֵּהָפֵךְ לָהֶם לְאוֹיֵב (ישעיה סג, י). וְלֹא עוֹד אֶלָּא הוֹפֵךְ רַחֲמָנוּתוֹ לְאַכְזָרִיּוּת, הָיָה אֲדֹנָי כְּאוֹיֵב בִּלַּע יִשְׂרָאֵל (איכה ב, ה). תִּרְעַץ אוֹיֵב, זֶה אֱדוֹם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: יַעַן אָמַר הָאוֹיֵב עֲלֵיכֶם הֶאָח (יחזקאל לו, ב). The right hand of the Lord is exalted; the right hand of the Lord doeth valiantly (Ps. 118:16). That is, when they do the will of God, He that keepeth Israel doth neither slumber nor sleep (ibid. 121:4). However, when they fail to do His will, Then the Lord awaked as one asleep (ibid. 79:65). When the people do the will of God, Fury is not in Me (Isa. 27:4), but when they fail to do his will, And the anger of the Lord be kindled (Deut. 7:4). When they act in accordance with His decrees, The Lord will fight for you (Exod. 14:14), But when they fail to fulfill His wishes, He returned to be their enemy (Isa. 63:10). Furthermore, His mercy is transformed into tyranny: The Lord is become as an enemy, He hath swallowed up Israel (Lam. 2:5). Dasheth (tiraz) in pieces the enemy (Exod. 15:6). This alludes to the future, as it is said in the verse Thou wilt march (tiz’ad) through the earth in indignation (Hab. 3:12). Dasheth in pieces the enemy. This refers to Edom, as it is said: Because the enemy hath said against you (Ezek. 36:2).