We're going through the 13 attributes of mercy, and we are now up to attribute number three, Hanun. Tosafot explains that Hanun is something different than Rachamim/mercy . He explains that rachamim,regular mercy is when a person is not in a time of challenge. Before the challenge comes, Hashem is merciful that he should not come into the situation.
He says that the term Hanun is when a person is in a tight situation; to redeem someone who's crying out for help. He quotes a pasuk is Yeshaya 30, God will be Hanun (we can call it gracious but there is no exact word for it for it) for your cries.
He says that this works. God has mercy when someone cries, even if he’s not correct for screaming out; even if the person doesn't really have a case.
His source, Shemot (כב, ) talks about a man ( we’ll call him Abe) that lent somebody (Joe) a thousand dollars. Joe needs that money, but he has to give Abe collateral because Abe doesn't trust him. So Joe gives Abe his pajamas, but at night he wants his pajamas back.
What is Abe supposed to do? Abe is supposed to give the pajamas back to Joe every night, and take his coat (that Joe doesn’t need at night) as collateral instead. So every night he is supposed to switch back and forth between day clothes and night clothes. If Abe doesn't do that (which is really beyond the call of duty), then when Joe cries out to God, Hashem says, כִּֽי־יִצְעַ֣ק אֵלַ֔י וְשָׁמַעְתִּ֖י כִּֽי־חַנּ֥וּן אָֽנִי
If he cries out to Me, I'm going to hear, Because I have that Middah of Hanun when someone cries out.
Hashem says, “I can't see it. I can't watch somebody crying out and not do something.”
That is Hashem’s Middah.
And again, we also have to use this Middah. It's a big responsibility. Sometimes you're in a situation where someone cries out to you, begging you for help. And you just want to continue on your merry way and say, “I’m not the guy. What are you coming to me for? You have no claim.”
That's basically what it means. You have no claim.
And sometimes we go to God and we really have no claim. But we cry out to God and God says, “Oh, you cried out, I have to use that Middah of Hanun.”
We arouse Hashem’s Middah of Hanun by doing that with other people. When someone cries out to us, even if their cry is unfounded, we still need to respond.
Have a wonderful day.