13 Attributes of God

ה׳ ה׳ THE LORD, THE LORD — This is the attribute of Divine mercy. The one (the first ה׳) alludes to God having mercy on the sinner before he sins and the other after he has sinned and repented (Rosh Hashanah 17b).

נצר חסד means God keeps (stores up) the mercy which a person does in His presence,

(6) ועל רבעים means AND UPON THE FOURTH GENERATION — It follows, therefore, that the measure of good (reward) is greater than the measure of punishment in the proportion of one to five hundred, for in respect to the measure of good it says: “Keeping mercy for thousands” (two thousands at least) (cf. Rashi above: Tosefta Sotah 4:1; see also Rashi on Exodus 20:5).

רחום, merciful to those who are guilty, reducing the punishment they really deserve. David explains this in Psalms 34,18 צעקו וה' שמו, “they cry out and the Lord hears.” G’d sees and sympathises with the anguish of the downtrodden as we know from Exodus 3,9 וגם ראיתי את הלחץ, “I have also taken note of the oppression, etc.”

וחנון; He even responds to people who request leniency even though they are not deserving of it.

ארך אפים, both to the righteous and to the wicked. The reason? To encourage them to do teshuvah.

ונקה לא ינקה AND WHO WILL BY NO MEANS CLEAR THE GUILTY — According to its plain sense this means that He is not altogether indulgent to sin (He does not entirely remit the punishment), but little by little exacts punishment from, him (the sinner). Our Rabbis, however, have explained: ונקה, And he clears — He clears those who repent, לא ינקה, He does not clear — but does not clear those who will not repent (Yoma 86a).

פקד עון אבות על בנים VISITING THE INIQUITY OF THE FATHERS UPON THE CHILDREN — when they retain in their hands (follow the example of) the evil doings of their ancestors. This must be the meaning because in another verse of a similar character it has already been stated: of them that hate Me (cf. Exodus 20:5: Visiting the iniquity of fathers upon the children, upon the third and fourth generation of them that hate Me (Berakhot 7a; Sanhedrin 27b).

(20) And יהוה said, “I pardon, as you have asked.

כדברך [I HAVE FORGIVEN] ACCORDING TO THY WORD — i.e. because of what you have said, “Lest they say: ‘Because the Lord was unable, etc.’”.

25 Moses said to Him (in vss. 14, 15), “Now they have heard that You, O Lord, are in the midst of this people. If then You slay this people like one man.” So the nations of the world would not say, “The gods of Canaan are stronger than the gods of Egypt; the gods of Egypt are false, but those of Canaan are of land watered by rain (i.e., of Ba'al).” (Numb. 14:14, 16) “They will say unto the inhabitants of this land […] Because he was not able (yekholet),” i.e., because He did not have the means to supply enough food, He brought them out to have them die in the desert. Now the word, yekholet can only refer to food, since it is stated (in I Kings 5:25 [11]), “and Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand measures of wheat as food (makkolet) for his household.” Another interpretation: Lest the nations of the world think of You as cruel. That is to say: When the generation of the flood came, He destroyed them. And similarly, when the generation of the dispersion came, and when the Sodomites came, and when the Egyptians came, He destroyed them And also in the case of these whom He has called (in Exod. 4:22), “My first-born son,” He is destroying (mekhalleh) them! He is like that Lilith (keLilit). When she does not find anything else, she turns on children. So (in Numb. 14:16), “Because the Lord was not able.” Moses said, “Sovereign of the world, (according to vs. 14) ‘[that…] You […], o Lord, are seen face to face (literally: eye to eye).’” What is the meaning of “[that...] are seen eye to eye ('YN B'YN)?” R. [Simeon ben] Laqish said, “See, the scales are balanced (rt.: 'YN).” “You say (in Numb. 14:12), “’I will smite them with pestilence’; but I am saying (in vs. 19), ‘Please pardon.’ We shall see whose utterance will stand.” It is so stated (in Numb. 14:20), “Then the Lord said, ‘I have pardoned them as you asked.’” But nevertheless, the decree of the Holy One which he had uttered to Moses (in Numb. 14:12), “then I will make you into a nation that is greater,” that decree was not repealed. He raised up from him sixty myriads, as stated (in I Chron. 23:17), “but the sons of Rehabiah were very numerous.” And in the world to come the Holy One shall gather them. Thus it is stated (in Is. 49:12), “Look! These are coming from afar. And look! These are from the north and from the sea (i.e., from the west), and these from the land of Sinim.” Moreover, the exiles shall come with them, also the tribes who are located beyond the River Sambatyon and beyond the hills of darkness. They shall be gathered and come to Jerusalem. Isaiah said (in Is. 49:9), “Saying to the prisoners, ‘Go forth,’” i.e., to those who are located beyond the Sambatyon. (Ibid., cont.,) “To those who are in darkness, ‘Show yourselves,’” these are those who are located beyond the cloud of darkness. (Ibid., cont.,) “They shall pasture along the roads, and in all the heights shall be their pasture,” these are those who are located in Daphne of Antioch. At that time they shall be redeemed and come to Zion with gladness, as stated (in Is. 51:11), “So let those ransomed by the Lord return [and come to Zion with exaltation, with joy everlasting upon their heads. Let them attain joy and gladness; may sorrow and sighing flee].”

I have forgiven according to your words: that I will be patient with them (literally - lengthen my breath of my nostrils) and I won't kill them immediately.

[2] Another interpretation: When it was time to present the meal offering (1 Kings 18:36) David said, "My prayer, O Lord, is at an opportune time" (Psalm 69:14). God has appointed a time for everything except prayer. When should one pray in order to be answered? As it says, "For every desire there is a time and a judgment" (Ecclesiastes 8:6). If a person knew when to pray and be answered, he would only pray on that day. Therefore, God said, "I will not let you know when you will be answered, so that you will pray at all times" as it says, "Trust in Him at all times" (Psalm 62:9). Even the forefathers of the world were sometimes answered and sometimes not. Moses, the great leader of the world, prayed and was answered, as it says, "And the Lord did as Moses asked" (Exodus 8:17). And so it says, "I have forgiven you as you asked" (Numbers 14:20). But sometimes, even when he prayed, he was not answered, as it says, "But the Lord was angry with me because of you" (Deuteronomy 3:26). David was answered at all times, as it says, "I sought the Lord and He answered me" (Psalm 34:5), and also, "And He answered him from heaven with fire" (1 Chronicles 21:26). When was he not answered? When the child was sick and he fasted, lay on the ground, and begged for mercy, but in the end the child died. When is the opportune time for everyone? As it says, "At an opportune time I answered you" (Isaiah 49:8). David said to God, "Master of the universe, every hour that I pray, make it an opportune time for me to be answered" as it says, "My prayer, O Lord, is at an opportune time" (Psalm 69:14). When is the opportune time? It is the afternoon prayer, as it says, "And it came to pass at the time of the evening offering" (1 Kings 18:36).

Yet again will I rebuild you, then you shall be built You had two buildings made by men. Therefore, they were destroyed. Yet again will I rebuild you, I by Myself, a third building, and you shall be built forever. shall you be adorned Heb. תַּעְדִּי.