The 13 Attributes of Mercy

Understanding the Yud Gimel Midot Harachamim

by Dovie Schochet

After the grave sin of the golden calf, Moses ascended Mt. Sinai and pleaded with G‑d to forgive the Jewish people. After his supplications were accepted, Moses felt it was an auspicious moment to ask G‑d to give the Jewish people a way to obtain mercy should they fall again in the future.Moses pleaded with G‑d to forgive the Jewish people.

G‑d agreed with Moses, and told him to wait on a mountain where G‑d would show him His glory. Then G‑d passed before Moses and proclaimed the verses that are known as the 13 Attributes of Mercy (Middot Harachamim):

The L‑rd passed before him and proclaimed: “L‑rd, L‑rd, benevolent G‑d, Who is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness and truth, preserving lovingkindness for thousands, forgiving iniquity, rebellion and sin, and He pardons.

The 13 Attributes of Mercy have been known to bring salvation and forgiveness to the Jewish people throughout the generations. In the Talmud, Rabbi Yehudah states that “a covenant was established regarding the 13 Attributes of Mercy that they will never be returned empty-handed.”

Their importance is underscored by the role they play in our prayer services. Every day when many Jews recite “Tachanun” (a confessional prayer), they say the 13 Attributes of Mercy, invoking G‑d’s mercy in the face our transgressions. Every fast day, which is an opportune time to repent, this prayer is recited. Most telling of all is how often we say it during the Ne’ilah service on Yom Kippur—the holiest moment of the year.

Who Knows 13?

Let us now explore the power and significance of the number 13.

Any person can show mercy to another, yet there are always restraints and calculations as to how much mercy will be shown. For example, most people walking past a beggar on the street will have a sense of rachmanut (mercy) for the unfortunate person. However, before someone reaches into a pocket to give, he or she will think about the children’s tuition, the mortgage, medical bills, etc. And so, only a small sum will be given to the beggar.

The number 13 signifies the infinite. The number 12 signifies constraint and order: e.g., the 12 zodiac signs and the 12 months in a year. Above order and control, 13 connotes boundlessness and immeasurability. The fact that there are 13 Attributes of Mercy teaches us that when G‑d shows mercy, He does so without limit. No matter how low we fall, He will come to our aid and forgive us.

This is further demonstrated in the word echad (one), which has the numerical value of 13 (ד=4 / ח=8 / א=1). This signifies G‑d’s oneness in the world, how He is beyond any measure and limitation.

Does G‑d Care?

So how can G‑d have mercy? Does G‑d have emotions and feelings? Furthermore, the rabbis of the Talmud refer to G‑d’s actions as “middot,” “attributes” or “character traits,” descriptions that refer to human qualities?

Maimonides explains that G‑d Himself does not have any emotions, as G‑d is infinite and not restricted to feelings. Rather these “middot” are used in reference to G‑d’s actions and not His qualities. Moreover, the term “middot” is used only as a “borrowed term,” and not to be taken literally. We use this term for G‑d because He performs actions in a way that is similar to human actions, which stem from our emotions.

Chassidic thought further expounds on this idea, explaining that G‑d Himself is beyond emotions and not tied down to them. On the one hand, there is G‑d in actuality, in His essence and glory. On the other hand, there is how G‑d portrays Himself and relates to us in this finite world. When G‑d appears to be angry or merciful it is because that is how we perceive His G‑dly light as it shines in this world.

A Dispute of Numbers

The kabbalists take the following approach to the words that are counted as an attribute.

The 13 Attributes of Mercy according to Kabbalah:

א-ל / G‑d — mighty in compassion to give all creatures according to their need; 

רַחוּם / rachum — merciful, that humankind may not be distressed; 

וְחַנּוּן / ve’chanun — and gracious if humankind is already in distress; 

אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם / erech apayim — slow to anger; (once, to the righteous) 

אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם / erech apayim — slow to anger; (repeated again for the wicked) 

וְרַב-חֶסֶד / ve’rav chesed — and plenteous in kindness; 

וֶאֱמֶת / ve’emet — and truth; 

נֹצֵר חֶסֶד / notzer chesed — keeping kindness 

לָאֲלָפִים / laalafim — unto thousands; 

נֹשֵׂא עָוֹן / noseh avon — forgiving iniquity; 

וָפֶשַׁע / vafeshah — and transgression; 

וְחַטָּאָה / vechata'ah — and sin; 

וְנַקֵּה / venakeh — and pardoning.

However, others argue and offer a different approach to the words that count as an attribute. For example, they believe that the first two names of G‑d are attributes themselves. In contrast, the Kabbalistic approach did not include the first two names of G‑d, instead, it regards them as introductory notes - as the source for the thirteen attributes of mercy.

י-ה-ו-ה / Hashem — compassion before a person sins; 

י-ה-ו-ה / Hashem — compassion after a person has sinned; 

א-ל / G‑d — mighty in compassion, to give all creatures according to their need; 

רַחוּם / rachum — merciful, that humankind may not be distressed; 

וְחַנּוּן / ve’chanun — and gracious if humankind is already in distress; 

אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם / erech apayim — slow to anger; 

וְרַב-חֶסֶד / ve’rav chesed — and plenteous in kindness; 

וֶאֱמֶת / ve’emet — and truth; 

נֹצֵר חֶסֶד לָאֲלָפִים / notzer chesed laalafim — keeping kindness unto thousands; 

נֹשֵׂא עָוֹן / noseh avon — forgiving iniquity; 

וָפֶשַׁע / vafeshah — and transgression; 

וְחַטָּאָה / VeChata'ah — and sin; 

וְנַקֵּה / VeNakeh — and pardoning.

The consensus amongst the Rabbinic authorities leans towards the kabbalistic approach. One of the reasons given for this is because in halachik analysis, when Torah is discussing a matter which has strong ties to Kabbalah, then the kabbalistic approach is the accepted opinion.

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