קבלה אויף אסתר 1:12

I now must enlighten your eyes to the great secret of this Divine quality called Long Tempered-Erech Apayim-ארך אפים. Know that when the Upper Court of Law (Beit Din Shel Ma’alah) issues a verdict, once the emissaries have been sent out from the anger-Af-אף to execute the decree, they do not wait for a person to repent. Rather, when they come out of the anger-Af-אף, they immediately inflict the sentence on the one worthy of punishment. However, when in His Divine quality as the Benevolent God-E”l-א"ל, HaShem-יהו"ה wishes to have mercy upon His creatures, though they are unworthy and undeserving of either His Mercy-Rachum-רחום or His Graciousness-Chanun-חנון, His quality of Long Tempered-Erech Apayim-ארך אפים, then lengthens her nose-Chotem-חוטם, also called “Af-אף-nose (anger),”¹⁷See Exodus 15:8, “And with the breath of your nostrils-Ru’ach Apecha-רוח אפיך the waters were heaped up.” Rashi gives a lengthy explanation here, as follows: “This refers to the breath that issues from the nostrils. The Torah speaks, as it were, of the Indwelling Presence of HaShem-יהו״ה, blessed is He, the Shechinah, in the same manner as it does a human monarch, to enable the ears of people to understand the matter as it is in man, so that they may thereby understand how it is spiritually. When a person becomes angry, breath comes out of his nostrils. We see this in the verse (Psalms 18:9), “Smoke went up from His nostrils-Apo-אפו,” and similarly (Job 4:9), “And from the wind of His nostrils-Apo-אפו they will be destroyed.” Similarly, this is the meaning of the verse (Isaiah 48:9), “For the sake of My Name I defer My anger-A’areech Apee-אאריך אפי” [which literally means, “I lengthen the breath of My nostrils”]. That is, when a person’s anger subsides, he takes longer breaths, whereas when he becomes angry, his breaths become short. [The verse thus continues,] “And for My Praise I restrain My wrath-Echtam-אחטם for you,” which can be rendered, “I put a [bridle] ring-Chotem-חטם in my nostril-Apee-אפי to block the anger and breath, so that it should not come out. The word “for you-Lecha-לך” of this verse means for your sake. The word nose ring-Echtam-אחטם of this verse is like “a camel with a nose ring-Chitam-חטם” mentioned in Tractate Shabbat (51b). This is as the matter appears to me. With respect to every expression of anger-Charon Af-חרון אף found in Torah, I say as follows: The expression “anger was kindled-Charah Af-חרה אף” is like the verse (Job 30:30), “And my bones dried up-Charah-חרה from the heat.” That is, “Charah-חרה” is an expression of fire and burning, for in a time of anger, the nostrils flare up and burn. “Burning-Charon-חרון” is of the root “burn-Charah-חרה,” just as “will-Ratzon-רצון” is of the root “desire-Ratzah-רצה.” Likewise, the term “wrath-Cheimah-חמה” is an expression of “heat-Chamimoot-חמימות.” Scripture thus states (Esther 1:12), “His anger burned-Chamato-חמתו within him,” and when anger subsides, we say, “His mind cooled-Nitkarerah-נתקררה דעתו.” [Thus, when one is in a state of anger, he should take long breaths-Ma’arich Af-מאריך אף and his anger will subside.] to great length. Then, even though the emissaries of the Court have already gone out to execute the judgment to completion, though he deserves it, they are incapable of punishing him. This is because the nose-Chotem-חוטם – also called the nose-Af-אף (anger) – was extended, and they are restrained within it. As long as the nose-Af-אף (anger) is restrained from bringing them out, they are incapable of punishing him, though he is deserving of punishment, and during that time, he has the opportunity to repent and return to HaShem-יהו"ה and be saved. This is the secret of the “Long Nostrils-Erech Apayim-ארך אפים.” Understand this very well.