"DOING" THE THIRTEEN ATTRIBUTES
Elul - Selichos
This Motzai Shabbos, Ashkenazim throughout the world will gather in their Shules to begin saying Selichos. Due to the current lockdown restrictions in Melbourne and Sydney, we will probably not be saying Selichos as part of a Minyan.
The most important and powerful part of Selichos are the Yud Gimmel Middos Harachamim, the 13 Attributes of Mercy. Whilst we can say the rest of Selichos on our own, the Yud Gimmel Middos Harachamim may only be said with a Minyan.
One of the oldest sources for Selichos is a Tanna Dbei Eliyahu that teaches: Dovid Hamelech was worried how the Jewish people will be atoned for their sins once the Beis Hamikdash will be destroyed and they will no longer have the Korbanos?
Hashem told Dovid that when troubles befall the Jewish people on account of their sins, they should gather together as one באגודה אחת (literally as one bundle). They should confess their sins and say before Me the Seder Selicha and I will answer them.
This secret was revealed to Moshe Rabbeinu on Har Sinai, when he davened that Hashem forgive the Jewish people for the Sin of the Golden Calf. Hashem emerged from His darkness like a Shaliach Tzibbur wrapped in his Tallis, standing before the Ark... and revealed to Moshe the Seder Selicha (the order of forgiveness).
So too, says Hashem, when the Jewish people gather before Me in unity and say this Seder, I will answer them.
The Gemara gives a similar account. Hashem wrapped Himself in a Tallis like a Shaliach Tzibbur and showed Moshe the order of prayer. He said “Whenever the Jewish people sin, let them do before Me in accordance with this order and I will forgive them.”
The Gemara continues: Hashem made a covenant with the 13 Attributes of Mercy that when we appeal to them, they will never return empty-handed.
The commentators are puzzled by this assurance. We have stood before Hashem many times, wrapped in a Tallis, saying Selichos and calling out the 13 Attributes of Mercy. Yet our prayers are not always answered.
Some suggest that it is not enough to say the Yud Gimmel Middos Harachamim. Rabbeinu Bechaye writes that whoever “properly understands and knows the explanation and essence of the 13 Attributes and invokes them with Kavana, their prayers will not return empty-handed.”
Kaf Hachaim goes a step further, writing that it is forbidden to say them without Kavana.
Tzror Hamor offers a novel answer which is incredibly powerful and relevant in our current circumstances.
If we look at the Gemara, Hashem did not say that when the Jewish people need salvation they “shall say before Me” or “pray before Me” with 13 Attribbutes of Mercy. Hashem said let them “do before me“ (יעשו לפני) this order.
In the Yud Gimmel Middos Harachamim we describe Hashem as “merciful and gracious, slow to anger, abundant in kindness”. We ask Hashem to forgo on His honour to show us this kindness even when we have sinned.
The secret that Hashem revealed to Moshe was that if we want Hashem to display these Middos towards us, we have to ’do them’ by practising these Middos in our interactions and relationships with others.
If we are kind, compassionate, patient and empathetic; if we can forgo on our honour and forgive, then we have the assurance that the 13 Attributes will not return empty-handed.
This is why the Tanna Dbei Eliyahu emphasises that to invoke the Seder Selicha, we must stand before Hashem באגודה אחת, in absolute unity and solidarity.
You can have many people standing in one room, davening in the same Minyan, but they are not united. In contrast, we can all be davening in our own homes, but deeply united, like that ‘strong bundle’ that cannot be broken.
Especially in these times, members of our community may be suffering hardship; financially, emotionally or mentally. They may be feeling lonely and isolated or struggling in other ways. As we enter the days of Selichos, there are many ways that we can reach out and emulate Hashem’s Middos of kindness and compassion.
If Moshiach does not come, we might not be able to ‘say’ the Yud Gimmel Middos in our Selichos. But we can do much better… we can “do them”!
The most important and powerful part of Selichos are the Yud Gimmel Middos Harachamim, the 13 Attributes of Mercy. Whilst we can say the rest of Selichos on our own, the Yud Gimmel Middos Harachamim may only be said with a Minyan.
One of the oldest sources for Selichos is a Tanna Dbei Eliyahu that teaches: Dovid Hamelech was worried how the Jewish people will be atoned for their sins once the Beis Hamikdash will be destroyed and they will no longer have the Korbanos?
Hashem told Dovid that when troubles befall the Jewish people on account of their sins, they should gather together as one באגודה אחת (literally as one bundle). They should confess their sins and say before Me the Seder Selicha and I will answer them.
This secret was revealed to Moshe Rabbeinu on Har Sinai, when he davened that Hashem forgive the Jewish people for the Sin of the Golden Calf. Hashem emerged from His darkness like a Shaliach Tzibbur wrapped in his Tallis, standing before the Ark... and revealed to Moshe the Seder Selicha (the order of forgiveness).
So too, says Hashem, when the Jewish people gather before Me in unity and say this Seder, I will answer them.
The Gemara gives a similar account. Hashem wrapped Himself in a Tallis like a Shaliach Tzibbur and showed Moshe the order of prayer. He said “Whenever the Jewish people sin, let them do before Me in accordance with this order and I will forgive them.”
The Gemara continues: Hashem made a covenant with the 13 Attributes of Mercy that when we appeal to them, they will never return empty-handed.
The commentators are puzzled by this assurance. We have stood before Hashem many times, wrapped in a Tallis, saying Selichos and calling out the 13 Attributes of Mercy. Yet our prayers are not always answered.
Some suggest that it is not enough to say the Yud Gimmel Middos Harachamim. Rabbeinu Bechaye writes that whoever “properly understands and knows the explanation and essence of the 13 Attributes and invokes them with Kavana, their prayers will not return empty-handed.”
Kaf Hachaim goes a step further, writing that it is forbidden to say them without Kavana.
Tzror Hamor offers a novel answer which is incredibly powerful and relevant in our current circumstances.
If we look at the Gemara, Hashem did not say that when the Jewish people need salvation they “shall say before Me” or “pray before Me” with 13 Attribbutes of Mercy. Hashem said let them “do before me“ (יעשו לפני) this order.
In the Yud Gimmel Middos Harachamim we describe Hashem as “merciful and gracious, slow to anger, abundant in kindness”. We ask Hashem to forgo on His honour to show us this kindness even when we have sinned.
The secret that Hashem revealed to Moshe was that if we want Hashem to display these Middos towards us, we have to ’do them’ by practising these Middos in our interactions and relationships with others.
If we are kind, compassionate, patient and empathetic; if we can forgo on our honour and forgive, then we have the assurance that the 13 Attributes will not return empty-handed.
This is why the Tanna Dbei Eliyahu emphasises that to invoke the Seder Selicha, we must stand before Hashem באגודה אחת, in absolute unity and solidarity.
You can have many people standing in one room, davening in the same Minyan, but they are not united. In contrast, we can all be davening in our own homes, but deeply united, like that ‘strong bundle’ that cannot be broken.
Especially in these times, members of our community may be suffering hardship; financially, emotionally or mentally. They may be feeling lonely and isolated or struggling in other ways. As we enter the days of Selichos, there are many ways that we can reach out and emulate Hashem’s Middos of kindness and compassion.
If Moshiach does not come, we might not be able to ‘say’ the Yud Gimmel Middos in our Selichos. But we can do much better… we can “do them”!