After the Children of Israel sinned with the Golden Calf, Moses ascended Mount Sinai and pleaded with God to forgive them. His pleas were successful so Moses considered it an auspicious time to ask God for a way to ensure forgiveness for future generations. God assented, passing before him and revealing the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy which were expressed in the following verses:
The Talmud (Rosh Hashanah 17b) relates that after Israel sinned, Moses felt that Israelās sin was so serious that there was no possibility of intercession on their behalf. At this point, God appeared to Moses and taught him the Thirteen Attributes, saying: āWhenever Israel sins, let them recite this [the Thirteen Attributes] in its proper order and I will forgive them.ā The Talmud is teaching that repentance is always possible and that God simply awaits our return.
Furthermore, Rabbi Yehudah states that āa covenant was established regarding the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy that they will never be returned empty-handed.ā
Jewish mysticism explains the significance in numerical terms. The number 12 signifies constraint and order as expressed in the 12 zodiac signs and the 12 months that make up a year. 13 takes this one step further, signifying the infinite. The fact that there are 13 Attributes of Mercy teaches us that when God shows mercy, He does so without limit.
This is further demonstrated in the word echad (×××), meaning ‘one’, which has the numerical value of 13 (×=4 / ×=8 / ×=1). This signifies that by His oneness in the world, God is beyond any measure and limitation.
It is interesting to note that in Hebrew the word for mercy, rachamim (×Ø××××), is derived from the root rechem (×Ø××) meaning āwomb.ā Mercy is not intended to erase the sin. It is a nurturing process that returns the penitent to his source where he can heal.
There are many different traditions explaining the meaning of each attribute however this is one version:
YHVH – I am God before people sin
YHVH – I am God after people sin if they repent
El – (All-powerful) God
Rakhum – Compassionate
V’Khanun – Gracious
Erekh Apayim – Slow to anger
V’rav Khesed – Abounding in lovingkindness
Veāemet – And in truth
Notzer khesed Laāalafim – Maintaining lovingkindness for 1,000 generations
Nosei avon – Forgiving premeditated sins
Vaāfesha – sins committed in rebellion
Vākhataāah – sins made by mistake
V’nakeh – acquitting the penitent.
Jewish mysticism maintains that these 13 attributes are repeated by the Prophet Micah on an even loftier plane than the ones that were given to Moses:
The Israel Bible explains:
Micha concludes his prophecies by declaring his belief in Godās loyalty to His people and His land. This verse echoes the thirteen attributes of mercy that God presented to Moshe after the sin of the golden calf (see Exodus 34:5-7). By recalling these attributes, the prophet also expresses his confidence in the peopleās ability to repent and return. He is certain that in the future, they will be deserving of forgiveness and restoration to their land. Hashem will trample the sins of Israel underfoot and cast them into the sea, just as He cast Pharaohās chariots to the bottom of the sea so many years earlier.
These Thirteen Attributes of Mercy still play an essential role in Jewish devotion today. Jews recite them as part of Tachanun, a confessional prayer recited twice daily as part of the prayer service. They are also recited on fast days and the days leading up to the High Holidays. And the thirteen attributes are repeated many times during Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.
