The Thirteen Attributes of Mercy

The Thirteen Attributes of Mercy

III. The introduction of the thirteen attributes

• After the Cheit Ha'Egel, G-d, teaches Moshe how to call out to G-d- through these thirteen attributes.
• After the Cheit HaMeraglim, Moshe uses a modified form of these attributes to ask G-d for their forgiveness.
• The Gemara (Rosh HaShanah 17b) states that when the thirteen attributes were presented, G-d (כביכול) wrapped Himself in a talis like a shaliach tzibbur and told Moshe that when the Jewish people sin, they should follow this order.
• The meforshim discuss why Moshe Rabbeinu didn't follow the exact order after the cheit hameraglim. These answers provide insight into the thirteen attributes:

1. Ramban (1194-1270) writes that after the cheit hameraglim, Moshe Rabbeinu didn't ask for total forgiveness. He just wanted אריכות אפים so that the punishment didn't involve the entire generation dying instantly. For this reason, he didn't mention רחום וחנון. When he said פוקד עון אבות על בנים, his intent was to spread the punishment out over generations, which fits with the goal of אריכות אפים. He did not mention אמת, because the מדת אמת demanded that they be punished with death. He didn't mention נוצר חסד לאלפים, because the cheit hameraglim was a slap in the face to the Avos so it was inappropriate to use their zechus. He didn't mention וחטאה because that only applies to שוגגים but the cheit hameraglim involved mezidim.
2. R Meir Leibush Weiser (Malbim 1809-1879) basically follows the same approach as Ramban that the goal was אריכות אפים, but he adds two points:
   1. A punishment can be for previous misdeeds or it can be for the purpose of rooting out bad crops. In the case of the cheit hameraglim, it was the latter. G-d didn't want to punish them for what they did but wanted to get rid of those who would have a toxic influence on the Jewish people. Thus, Moshe Rabbeinu only asked for אריכות אפים, not forgiveness.
   2. The concept of נושא עון ופשע is not the same as סולח עון ופשע. When someone is סולח it means that the whole incident is treated as if it never existed. If someone is נושא עון, the incident is not forgotten, but the parties move on and the misdeed is tolerated. Moshe asked for that toleration in asking for אריכות אפים.
3. R. Avraham Ibn Ezra (c. 1089-1164) has an approach that is best understood in the context of his general explanation of the thirteen attributes (next section). Moshe Rabbeinu felt that the act was evil and wanton. Therefore:
   1. א-ל was left out, because G-d wanted to destroy them even using the שם הרחמים.
   2. רחום was not used because they were not innocent victims.
   3. חנון was not used because they weren't the subjects of an evil act.
   4. ארך אפים was used because רשעים need ארך אפים.
   5. רב חסד applies to רשעים.
   6. אמת only applies when it is not clear if the person is חייב. Here they were חייב.
   7. He did not mention נושא חטאה because they weren't שוגגים.

IV. The explanation of the thirteen attributes:

• R. Avraham Ibn Ezra (c. 1089-1164) explains the middos as follows:
  1. The name of Hashem isn't a middah. Some of the "middos" are descriptions of G-d and some are actual middos.
  2. The second name of G-d is also counted and it connotes that He is the G-d of the lofty beings (עליונים) as well as those who are lower (שפלים).
  3. א-ל connotes that He does everything with chochmah.
  4. רחום- Like a father to a son, He protects His children from falling.
  5. חנון- He saves those who have fallen.
  6. ארך אפים- He doesn't get angered quickly at those who have wronged Him.
  7. רב חסד- He is generous to צדיקים and רשעים.
  8. רב אמת- He keeps His promises.
  9. נוצר חסד- He rewards children for the good deeds of their parents.
  10. נושא עון - He forgives sins
  11. נושא פשע- He even forgives sins committed out of negligence (פשיעה).
  12. נושא חטאה- He forgives sins caused by bad thoughts and actions.
  13. ונקה- He forgives those who repent (see earlier in the piece).
• Tosafos have a discussion about how to count the thirteen attributes. The discussion primarily focuses on whether the first two names of G-d are counted as one or two. Rabbeinu Tam (c.1100-1171) is of the opinion that they are counted as two: G-d who has mercy before someone sins and G-d who even has mercy after someone sins. They also quote R. Nissim Gaon (990-1062) who was of the opinion that the first ה' really refers to the previous verse (i.e. ויעבר ה' על פניו ויקרא ה'). As such, Rabbeinu Nissim is forced to understand נוצר חסד לאלפים as two separate middos: He gives an abundance of chesed; He provides five hundred times more good than punishment (punishment is only for four generations-רבעים).
• Tosafos also note that עון, פשע חטאה ונקה are four separate middos. עון refers to מזיד, פשע refers to rebellion and חטאה refers to שוגג.
• Rambam (1138-1204) has a teshuva where he discusses whether ה' ה' should be counted as two middos or one. He sides with the opinion that it is counted as one. In order to get to the number thirteen, Rambam suggests that one must either count לא ינקה as a separate middah or פוקד עון אבות על בנים.
• R. Yitzchak Abarbanel (1437-1508) writes the following:
  1. ה'- The first name of G-d is the שם המפורש and is a description of G-d's essence.
  2. ה'- The second name of G-d refers to G-d's relationship to the world the everything is His creation.
  3. א-ל- Refers to the fact that G-d runs the world.
  4. רחום- comes from the word רחם and refers to the care and compassion that a mother has for her fetus (i.e. when it is helpless and totally dependent on her).
  5. חנון- Refers to the intellectual gift (חנון from חנם) that G-d gives to man (as in אתה חונן לאדם דעת).
  6. ארך אפים- Abarbanel suggests that this doesn't refer to a specific sin, but just like רחום וחנון it relates to man's development. G-d doesn't punish someone until they are bar/bas mitzvah and in ב"ד של מעלה, there is no punishment until they are twenty.
  7. רב חסד- When someone fulfills the mitzvos, he will be the recipient of chesed.
  8. אמת- A person will be rewarded justly for their mitzvos.
  9. נוצר חסד לאלפים- He allows merits to be passed on to future generations.
  10. נושא עון- He forgives sins of action. ופשע- He forgives sins of thought. וחטאה- He forgives sins of speech.
  11. ונקה- If someone's merits outweigh their transgressions, He completely forgives the transgressions.
  12. לא ינקה- If someone's transgressions outweigh their merits, he doesn't discount their merits.
  13. פוקד עון אבות על בנים- When a person deserves punishment, if the person cannot handle the punishment, it will be spread out over a number of generations.
• The Vilna Gaon (1720-1797) notes that the first two names of ה' don't count towards the thirteen but are part of the list (i.e. there are fifteen in total). He only explains some of the middos:
  • רחום- refers to G-d who helps in times of crisis.
  • חנון- He helps when we don't necessarily need help (from the word חן).
  • ארך אפים is counted as two middos, one for רשעים and one for צדיקים.
  • נוצר חסד refers to זכות אבות.

Practical Applications

• The Rishonim discuss the practical applications of how one counts the thirteen attributes:
  • Rabbeinu Asher (c. 1250-1327) writes that if Rabbeinu Nissim were correct, we would recite the thirteen attributes as he suggests (ויעבר ה' על פניו ויקרא ה' and then ה' א-ל רחום וגו'). The fact that we recite it the way we do, indicates that we don't accept Rabbeinu Nissim's interpretation.
  • R. Menachem Meiri (1249-1306) writes that if one counts לא ינקה and פוקד עון אבות על בנים as two of the middos, we wouldn't skip them during our recitation. However, he notes that it is possible that we omit them because they are not middos that benefit us.
  • Another practical application relates to how one interprets the purpose of reciting the attributes (see the comments of Panim Yafos in the next section).