Teaching for Selichot
(ד) וַיִּפְסֹ֡ל שְׁנֵֽי־לֻחֹ֨ת אֲבָנִ֜ים כָּרִאשֹׁנִ֗ים וַיַּשְׁכֵּ֨ם מֹשֶׁ֤ה בַבֹּ֙קֶר֙ וַיַּ֙עַל֙ אֶל־הַ֣ר סִינַ֔י כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר צִוָּ֥ה יהוה אֹת֑וֹ וַיִּקַּ֣ח בְּיָד֔וֹ שְׁנֵ֖י לֻחֹ֥ת אֲבָנִֽים׃ (ה) וַיֵּ֤רֶד יהוה בֶּֽעָנָ֔ן וַיִּתְיַצֵּ֥ב עִמּ֖וֹ שָׁ֑ם וַיִּקְרָ֥א בְשֵׁ֖ם יהוה׃ (ו) וַיַּעֲבֹ֨ר יהוה ׀ עַל־פָּנָיו֮ וַיִּקְרָא֒ יהוה ׀ יהוה אֵ֥ל רַח֖וּם וְחַנּ֑וּן אֶ֥רֶךְ אַפַּ֖יִם וְרַב־חֶ֥סֶד וֶאֱמֶֽת׃ (ז) נֹצֵ֥ר חֶ֙סֶד֙ לָאֲלָפִ֔ים נֹשֵׂ֥א עָוֺ֛ן וָפֶ֖שַׁע וְחַטָּאָ֑ה וְנַקֵּה֙ ...׃
(4) So Moses carved two tablets of stone, like the first, and early in the morning he went up on Mount Sinai, as יהוה had commanded him, taking the two stone tablets with him. (5) יהוה came down in a cloud—and stood with him there, proclaiming the name יהוה. (6) יהוה passed before him and proclaimed:
“!יהוה! יהוה a God compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in kindness and faithfulness, (7) extending kindness to the thousandth generation, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin and acquitting...”
Unpacking the 13 Attributes:
YHVH - I am God before people sin
YHVH - I am God after people sin if they repent
El - (All-powerful) God
Rahum - Compassionate
VeHanun - Gracious
Erekh Apayim - Slow to anger
Verav Hesed - Abounding in lovingkindness
Ve’emet - And in truth
Notzer hesed La’alafim - Maintaining lovingkindness for 1,000 generations
Nosei avon - Forgiving premeditated sins
Va’fesha - sins committed in rebellion
Va’hata’ah - sins made by mistake
Venakeh - acquitting the penitent.
(R. Tam, RH 17b, adapted by Max Arzt, Justice and Mercy)
(יג) וְקִרְע֤וּ לְבַבְכֶם֙ וְאַל־בִּגְדֵיכֶ֔ם וְשׁ֖וּבוּ אֶל־יהוה אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֑ם כִּֽי־חַנּ֤וּן וְרַחוּם֙ ה֔וּא אֶ֤רֶךְ אַפַּ֙יִם֙ וְרַב־חֶ֔סֶד וְנִחָ֖ם עַל־הָרָעָֽה׃
הַזָּקֵן שֶׁבָּהֶן אוֹמֵר לִפְנֵיהֶן דִּבְרֵי כִבּוּשִׁין: אַחֵינוּ! לֹא נֶאֱמַר בְּאַנְשֵׁי נִינְוֵה ״וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים אֶת שַׂקָּם וְאֶת תַּעֲנִיתָם״, אֶלָּא: ״וַיַּרְא הָאֱלֹהִים אֶת מַעֲשֵׂיהֶם כִּי שָׁבוּ מִדַּרְכָּם הָרָעָה״, וּבַקַּבָּלָה הוּא אוֹמֵר: ״וְקִרְעוּ לְבַבְכֶם וְאַל בִּגְדֵיכֶם״.
The eldest member of the community says to the congregation statements of reproof, for example: Our brothers, it is not stated with regard to the people of Nineveh: And God saw their sackcloth and their fasting. Rather, the verse says: “And God saw their deeds, that they had turned from their evil way” (Jonah 3:10). And in the Prophets it says: “And rend your hearts and not your garments, and return to the Lord your God” (Joel 2:13). This teaches that prayer and fasting are insufficient, as one must also repent and amend his ways in practice.
ושובו אל יהוה שהיא התשובה השניה שאחר שתהיו קרובים אל יהוה תשובו שנית אליו מאהבה, ואז ע"י שהוא חנון ורחום ונחם על הרעה גם עתה, הגם שכבר בא הארבה והחלה הרעה:
"Return to the Holy One"--for the second returning, after one is close to God, this is the returning from love. Hence, the verse as the verse describes: "For [God] is gracious and compassionate, Slow to anger, abounding in kindness, And renouncing punishment" so too now...