Thirteen Attributes

Koren Shalem Siddur·PDF 198-199·Yud-Gimmel Middot 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. גְּדֻלַּת רַחֲמֶיךָ וַחֲסָדֶיךָ תִּזְכֹּר הַיּוֹם וּבְכָל יוֹם לְזֶרַע יְדִידֶיךָ. תֵּפֶן אֵלֵינוּ בְּרַחֲמִים, כִּי אַתָּה הוּא בַּעַל הָרַחֲמִים. בְּתַחֲנוּן וּבִתְפִלָּה פָּנֶיךָ נְקַדֵּם, כְּהוֹדַעְתָּ לֶעָנָו מִקֶּדֶם. מֵחֲרוֹן אַפְּךָ שׁוּב, כְּמוֹ בְּתוֹרָתְךָ כָּתוּב. וּבְצֵל כְּנָפֶיךָ נֶחֱסֶה וְנִתְלוֹנָן, כְּיוֹם וַיֵּרֶד יְהוָה בֶּעָנָן. תַּעֲבֹר עַל פֶּשַׁע וְתִמְחֶה אָשָׁם, כְּיוֹם וַיִּתְיַצֵּב עִמּוֹ שָׁם. תַּאֲזִין שַׁוְעָתֵנוּ וְתַקְשִׁיב מִמֶּנּוּ מַאֲמָר, כְּיוֹם וַיִּקְרָא בְּשֵׁם יְהוָה, וְשָׁם נֶאֱמַר:

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:

Sephardi

El ereche apaim atah, vvaal harachamiym nikereta, vedereche teshvvah horeyta. gedulat rachameycha vachasadeycha tizekor hayom vvechal yom lezera yediydeycha. tefen eleynv berachamiym, kiy atah hv baal harachamiym. betachanvn vvitefilah paneycha nekadem, kehodaeta leanav mikedem. mecharon apecha shvv, kemo betoratecha katvv. vvetzel kenafeycha necheseh venitelonan, keyom vayered yehvah beanan. taavor al pesha vetimecheh asham, keyom vaiteyatzev imo sham. taaziyn shaveatenv vetakeshiyv mimenv maamar, keyom vaikera beshem yehvah, vesham neemar:

All say aloud:

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.

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.

Sephardi

Vayaavor yehvah al panayv vaikera: yehvah, yehvah, el rachvm vechanvn, ereche apaim verav chesed veemet. notzer chesed laalafiym, nose aon vafesha vechataah, venakeh. vesalacheta laaonenv vlechatatenv vnechaletanv. selach lanv aviynv kiy chatanv, mechal lanv malekenv kiy fashaenv, kiy atah adonay tov vesalach verav chesed lechal koreeycha.

// Commentary

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 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.