Thirteen Attributes

Yud-Gimel Midot HaRachamim

י״ג מדות הרחמים

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י״ג מדות הרחמים

THIRTEEN ATTRIBUTES OF DIVINE COMPASSION

Hebrew

אֵל אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם אַתָּה, וּבַעַל הָרַחֲמִים נִקְרֵאתָ, וְדֶרֶךְ תְּשׁוּבָה הוֹרֵיתָ. גָּדְלַת רַחֲמֶיךָ
וַחֲסָדֶיךָ, תִּזְכֹּר הַיּוֹם וּבְכָל יוֹם לְזֶרַע יְדִידֶיךָ. תֵּפֶן אֵלֵינוּ בְּרַחֲמִים, כִּי אַתָּה הוּא
בַּעַל הָרַחֲמִים. בְּתַחֲנוּן וּבִתְפִלָּה פָּנֶיךָ נְקַדֵּם, כְּהוֹדַעְתָּ לְעָנָו מִקֶּדֶם. מֵחֲרוֹן אַפְּךָ
שׁוּב, כְּמוֹ בְּתוֹרָתְךָ כָּתוּב. וּבְצֵל כְּנָפֶיךָ נֶחֱסֶה וְנִתְלוֹנֵן, כְּיוֹם וַיֵּרֶד יְהוָה בֶּעָנָן.
תַּעֲבֹר עַל פֶּשַׁע וְתִמְחֶה אָשָׁם, כְּיוֹם וַיִּתְיַצֵּב עִמּוֹ שָׁם. תַּאֲזִין שַׁוְעָתֵנוּ וְתַקְשִׁיב
מֶנּוּ מַאֲמָר, כְּיוֹם וַיִּקְרָא בְּשֵׁם יְהוָה, וְשָׁם נֶאֱמַר:

Sephardi

Eil erech apayim atah, uva'al harachamim nikreta, vederech teshuvah horeta. Gadlat rachamecha
vachasadecha, tizkor hayom uvechol yom lezera yedidecha. Teifen eileinu berachamim, ki atah hu
ba'al harachamim. Betachanun uvitfilah panecha nekadem, kehoda'ta le'anav mikedem. Mecharon apecha
shuv, kemo betoratecha katuv. Uvetzel kenafecha nechese venitlonen, keyom vayeired Adonai be'anan.
Ta'avor al pesha vetimeheh asham, keyom vayityatzev imo sham. Ta'azin shav'atenu vetakshiv
menu ma'amar, keyom vayikra beshem Adonai, vesham ne'emar:

English

You are a God slow to anger, You are called Master of Compassion, and You have taught the way of repentance. May You remember today and every day the greatness of Your compassion and loving-kindness for the sake of the descendants of Your beloved ones. Turn toward us in compassion, for You are the Master of Compassion. We come before You in plea and prayer, as You in ancient times showed the humble one [Moses]. Turn from Your fierce anger, as is written in Your Torah. In the shadow of Your wings may we shelter and abide, as on the day when the LORD descended in the cloud. Disregard transgression and erase guilt as on the day You stood with him [Moses] there. Hear our cry and heed our word, as on the day You proclaimed in the name of the LORD, and there it is written:

All say aloud:

Ex. 34Ps. 86

Hebrew

וַיַּעֲבֹר יְהוָה עַל־פָּנָיו וַיִּקְרָא
יְהוָה, יְהוָה, אֵל רַחוּם וְחַנּוּן, אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם וְרַב־חֶסֶד וֶאֱמֶת:
נֹצֵר חֶסֶד לָאֲלָפִים, נֹשֵׂא עָוֹן וָפֶשַׁע וְחַטָּאָה, וְנַקֵּה:
וְסָלַחְתָּ לַעֲוֹנֵנוּ וּלְחַטָּאתֵנוּ וּנְחַלְתָּנוּ:
סְלַח לָנוּ אָבִינוּ כִּי חָטָאנוּ, מְחַל לָנוּ מַלְכֵּנוּ כִּי פָשָׁעְנוּ
כִּי־אַתָּה אֲדֹנָי טוֹב וְסַלָּח וְרַב־חֶסֶד לְכָל־קֹרְאֶיךָ:

Sephardi

Vaya'avor Adonai al-panav vayikra
Adonai, Adonai, Eil rachum vechanun, erech apayim verav-chesed ve'emet:
Notzer chesed la'alafim, nose avon vafesha vechata'ah, venakeh:
Vesalachta la'avoneinu ulechatateinu unechaltanu:
Selach lanu avinu ki chatanu, mechal lanu malkeinu ki pasha'nu
Ki-atah Adonai tov vesalach verav-chesed lechol-kore'echa:

English

And the LORD passed by before him and proclaimed: The LORD, the LORD, compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in loving-kindness and truth, extending loving-kindness to a thousand generations, forgiving iniquity, rebellion and sin, and absolving [the guilty who repent]. Forgive us our iniquity and our sin, and take us as Your inheritance. Forgive us, our Father, for we have sinned. Pardon us, our King, for we have transgressed. For You, LORD, are good and forgiving, abounding in loving-kindness to all who call on You.

Commentary

… more extended penitential prayer; therefore, on Mondays and Thursdays, Tahanun is longer.

One of the classic biblical instances of supplication was Daniel's prayer on behalf of the exiles in Babylon (Daniel, chapter 9). Sections of that prayer, together with other verses from the prophetic books and Psalms, form the core of these paragraphs. There are three sections, each containing eighteen mentions of God's name; thus we say them quietly, standing, as if they were forms of the Amida.

A tradition, found in the Geonic literature, dates these prayers to the period of persecution under the Romans, when three exiles crossed the Mediterranean, found temporary refuge and then suffered renewed oppression. Some passages may have been added in the wake of the Gothic and Frankish persecutions in the seventh century. Their mood bespeaks the tears of Jews throughout the centuries of exile who experienced persecution, expulsion, humiliation, and often bloodshed at the hands of those amongst whom they lived. Even in times of freedom, we continue to say these prayers, keeping faith with our ancestors and remembering their tears.

… to Temple times. After the daily sacrifice, "The Levites sang the Psalm [of the day]. When they reached the end of each section [the psalm was divided into three parts] they blew the shofar and the people prostrated themselves" (Tamid 7:3). Some communities continued the custom of prostration, with faces to the ground, even after the destruction of the Temple. We preserve a trace of that gesture by resting our heads on our arms and covering our faces as we say Psalm 6. The Leader's Repetition of the Amida stands in place of the daily sacrifice, which is why we subsequently "fall on our faces."

The custom of attaching special significance to Mondays and Thursdays is also ancient. Already in the Second Temple period, Mondays and Thursdays were days on which the pious would fast. According to tradition, Moses began his ascent of Mount Sinai to receive the second tablets on a Thursday and descended forty days later on a Monday (the 10th of Tishrei, Yom Kippur). The second tablets were a sign of God's forgiveness. Hence, these days were seen as "days of favor." They were also market days when people would come from villages to towns. Congregations were larger; the Torah was read; law courts were in session. The heightened atmosphere was the setting for …