Bnei Yisrael had sinned by worshiping the golden calf. Moshe Rabbeinu interceded on behalf of Bnei Yisrael and begged Hashem for forgiveness. The Pasuk states: “And Hashem passed before him and [Moshe] proclaimed: Hashem, Hashem, benevolent G-d, Who is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abundant in loving kindness and truth...” (Exodus 34:36)
Rav Yitzchok Hutner ZT”L, the Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Chaim Berlin, poses a fundamental question. Why did Moshe appeal to Hashem’s attribute of Emes – truth, when asking for forgiveness? In truth, from a strict justice perspective, people do not deserve to be forgiven. When dealing with forgiveness, we ask for Hashem’s kindness and mercy. Why did Moshe include Hashem’s attribute of Emes when praying for their forgiveness?
Rav Shneur Kotler ZT”L (Noam Siach p. 251) explains that although the very foundation of forgiveness when one repents (Teshuva) emanates from the attribute of Chessed – kindness, once the concept of Teshuvah was presented in the Torah (the Midrash quotes Kayin telling Adom that he did Teshuva for killing Hevel) it becomes part of Torah, and as a consequence, it is Truth itself, because everything in the Torah is true. In addition, because it is now part of Torah, it is eternal and unchanging which are defining characteristics of truth. Therefore, Moshe was correct in including Hashem’s attribute of Emes when praying for Hashem to accept Bnei Yisrael’s Teshuva.
As an example of Teshuva’s eternal nature and efficacy, Rav Kotler further explains that Hashem will always provide us with the opportunity to have our sins forgiven when we do Teshuvah and that in a similar vein, Rabbeinu Yonah writes (Shaarei Teshuvah 1:9) that for every Teshuvah that one does, there is always at least some form of forgiveness.
