About MERCY

Hebrew Name

רַחֲמִים

English Name

MERCY

Phonetic Spelling

RA-CHA-MEEM

Little,Girl,Is,Sleeping,In,Arms,Of,Young,Mom,In

What does MERCY mean?

In traditional Jewish prayer, God is often referred to as Av HaRachaman, “Father of Mercy,” for mercy is one of His most central attributes.

טוֹב־יְהֹוָ֥ה לַכֹּ֑ל וְ֝רַחֲמָ֗יו עַל־כׇּל־מַעֲשָֽׂיו׃
Hashem is good to all, and His mercy is upon all His works.
TOV-a-do-NAI la-KOL v'-ra-cha-MAV al-KOL ma-a-SA-yav
Psalms 145:9

כֹּ֥ה אָמַ֛ר יְהֹוָ֥ה צְבָא֖וֹת לֵאמֹ֑ר מִשְׁפַּ֤ט אֱמֶת֙ שְׁפֹ֔טוּ וְחֶ֣סֶד וְרַֽחֲמִ֔ים עֲשׂ֖וּ אִ֥ישׁ אֶת־אָחִֽיו׃
Thus said the lord of Hosts: Execute true justice; deal loyally and compassionately with one another.
KO a-MAR a-do-NAI t'-va-OT lay-MOR mish-PAT e-MET sh'-fo-TU v'-khe-SED v'-ra-kha-MEEM a-SU eesh et-a-KHEEV
Zechariah 7:9

Description about MERCY

In traditional Jewish prayer, God is often referred to as Av HaRachaman, “Father of Mercy,” for mercy is one of His most central attributes. After the terrible sin of the golden calf, Moses returned to Mount Sinai and pleaded with God to forgive His people. After his prayers were accepted, Moses took advantage of this opportune moment and asked God to provide the people of Israel with a way to access His mercy should they fall into sin again in the future. God responded by sharing the secret of the 13 Attributes of Mercy (Exodus 34:6-7). These 13 Attributes are recited by Jews during the holiest moments of the year and form the basis of the holy prayers recited on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. The Talmud states that one who is not merciful is not considered part of the Israelite nation, for mercy is part of the chosen nation’s “spiritual DNA.” Only a merciful people can be the messengers who bring God’s word to humanity. “Keep the commandments of Hashem your God and walk in His ways” (Deuteronomy 28:9). The sages explain that we are commanded to emulate God in our lives: “Just as God is merciful, so must you be merciful.” Rechem, the Hebrew word for “womb,” is linguistically related to rachamim. A fetus in the womb receives everything it needs to grow and to prepare for life in the outside world. The baby’s mother constantly gives of herself for the sake of the life inside of her, making the womb a place of unceasing love and mercy.

Attribute of MERCY

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