בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה' אֱלהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעולָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְותָיו וְצִוָּנוּ לַעֲסוק בְּדִבְרֵי תורָה:
Blessing for Torah Study
Barukh Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melekh Ha'Olam Asher Kideshanu Bemitzvotav Vetzivanu La'asok Bedivrei Torah
Blessed are you Adonai, our God, Sovereign of Eternity, who has made us holy through Your mitzvot (sacred callings) and called upon us to immerse ourselves in the words of Torah.
God is a King Who sits on the throne of compassion, governs with kindness, forgives the iniquities of His people. He removes their sins one by one, extending forgiveness to sinners, and pardon to transgressors. Acting righteously with all living beings; not according to their wickedness does He repay them. Almighty! You instructed us to recite the thirteen attributes; For our sake remember the covenant of thirteen attributes today, as You made them known to the humble one (Moses), as it is written, “And Adonai descended in a cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the Name, Adonai."
And Adonai passed before him and proclaimed:
יְהֹוָה יְהֹוָה אֵל רַחוּם וְחַנּוּן אֶֽרֶךְ אַפַּֽיִם וְרַב חֶֽסֶד וֶֽאֱמֶת: נֹצֵר חֶֽסֶד לָאֲלָפִים נֹשֵׂא עָוֹן וָפֶֽשַׁע וְחַטָּאָה וְנַקֵּה:
יהוה ! יהוה ! a God compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in kindness and faithfulness, extending kindness to the thousandth generation, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin.
״וַיַּעֲבוֹר ה׳ עַל פָּנָיו וַיִּקְרָא״... מְלַמֵּד שֶׁנִּתְעַטֵּף הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא כִּשְׁלִיחַ צִבּוּר, וְהֶרְאָה לוֹ לְמֹשֶׁה סֵדֶר תְּפִלָּה. אָמַר לוֹ: כׇּל זְמַן שֶׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל חוֹטְאִין — יַעֲשׂוּ לְפָנַי כַּסֵּדֶר הַזֶּה וַאֲנִי מוֹחֵל לָהֶם.
§ “And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed” (Exodus 34:6).... The verse teaches that the Holy One, Blessed be He, wrapped Himself like a prayer leader "passing [a tallit] over His [God's] face" (Exodus 34:6) and showed Moses an order of the prayer. He said to him: Whenever the Jewish people sin, let them act before Me in accordance with this order and I will forgive them.
“Please pardon the sins of this nation in accordance with the greatness of Your lovingkindness; and as You forgave this people from when it left Mitzrayim until now.” And there it is said: The Congregation says:
“And Adonai said, I have pardoned [them] as you have asked.”
On the very day we are not permitted to bathe or drink, these words [Adonai, Adonai...] become our mayim chayim, "living waters," the promise of forgiveness in which we bathe and are purified.
1) What is the purpose, effect, or function of having this mantra [Adonai, Adonai] available and repeated throughout the High Holidays and beyond?
2) What is the relationship between this mantra and Vidui/Confession?
3) What effect does knowing the biblical context of this mantra have on our experience of it?
בְּכָל מָקוֹם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ה', מִדַּת רַחֲמִים, (שמות לד, ו): ה' ה' אֵל רַחוּם וְחַנּוּן... בְּכָל מָקוֹם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר אֱלֹהִים הוּא מִדַּת הַדִּין (שמות כב, ח): עַד הָאֱלֹהִים יָבֹא דְּבַר שְׁנֵיהֶם.
Whenever "Adonai" is mentioned, it implies the measure of mercy ("Adonai, Adonai, God, compassionate and gracious" Exodus 34:6). Whenever "Elohim" is mentioned it implies the attribute of judgment ("The cause of both parts shall come before Elohim/the Judge" Exodus 22:8).
אמר רבי אבהו אני נקראתי קדוש ואתה נקראת קדוש הא אם אין בך כל המדות שיש בי לא תקבל עליך שררה:
Pesikta Rabbati 22:4
R. Abba said that God said, I am called holy and [when you take on authority], you, too, will be called holy. Unless you have all the attributes of Mine [which I revealed to Moses in Exodus 34:6-7], you may not take on such authority.
The verse continues: “The Lord, the Lord,” and it should be understood as follows: I am He before a person sins, and I am He after a person sins and performs repentance. This is “God, merciful and gracious” (Exodus 34:6).
רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר אוֹמֵר: אִי אֶפְשָׁר לוֹמַר ״נַקֵּה״, שֶׁכְּבָר נֶאֱמַר ״לֹא יְנַקֶּה״, וְאִי אֶפְשָׁר לוֹמַר ״לֹא יְנַקֶּה״, שֶׁכְּבָר נֶאֱמַר ״נַקֵּה״. הָא כֵּיצַד? מְנַקֶּה הוּא לְשָׁבִין, וְאֵינוֹ מְנַקֶּה לְשֶׁאֵינָן שָׁבִין.
Rabbi Elazar says: It would seem to be impossible to say “he will clear the guilty” (Exodus 34:7) when scripture is about to say “he will not clear the guilty. (Exodus 34:7). Nor would it seem possible “He will not clear the guilty” since “clear the guilty” is already stated. How so? The Holy One, Blessed be He, clears the guilt of those who repent and does not clear the guilt of those who do not repent.
Moses said: “He visits the transgression of the fathers upon the sons” (Exodus 34:7). Ezekiel came and revoked it: “The soul that sins, it shall die.” (Ezekiel 18:4)