From Sin to Forgiveness Brit Sh'losh Esrei / The Covenant of the 13 Middot

(31) Moses went back to the LORD and said, “Alas, this people is guilty of a great sin in making for themselves a god of gold. (32) Now, if You will forgive their sin [well and good]; but if not, erase me from the record which You have written!” (33) But the LORD said to Moses, “He who has sinned against Me, him only will I erase from My record. (34) Go now, lead the people where I told you. See, My angel shall go before you. But when I make an accounting, I will bring them to account for their sins.”

Rav Yehuda said: A covenant was made with the thirteen attributes that they will not return empty-handed, meaning that if one mentions them, he will certainly be answered, as it is stated in this regard: “Behold, I make a covenant” (Exodus 34:10).

(1) The LORD said to Moses: “Carve two tablets of stone like the first, and I will inscribe upon the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you shattered. (2) Be ready by morning, and in the morning come up to Mount Sinai and present yourself there to Me, on the top of the mountain. (3) No one else shall come up with you, and no one else shall be seen anywhere on the mountain; neither shall the flocks and the herds graze at the foot of this mountain.” (4) So Moses carved two tablets of stone, like the first, and early in the morning he went up on Mount Sinai, as the LORD had commanded him, taking the two stone tablets with him. (5) The LORD came down in a cloud; He stood with him there, and proclaimed the name LORD. (6) The LORD passed before him and proclaimed: “The LORD! the LORD! 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; yet He does not remit all punishment, but visits the iniquity of parents upon children and children’s children, upon the third and fourth generations.” (8) Moses hastened to bow low to the ground in homage, (9) and said, “If I have gained Your favor, O Lord, pray, let the Lord go in our midst, even though this is a stiffnecked people. Pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for Your own!” (10) He said: I hereby make a covenant. Before all your people I will work such wonders as have not been wrought on all the earth or in any nation; and all the people who are with you shall see how awesome are the LORD’s deeds which I will perform for you.

(13) But Moses said to the LORD, “When the Egyptians, from whose midst You brought up this people in Your might, hear the news, (14) they will tell it to the inhabitants of that land. Now they have heard that You, O LORD, are in the midst of this people; that You, O LORD, appear in plain sight when Your cloud rests over them and when You go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night. (15) If then You slay this people to a man, the nations who have heard Your fame will say, (16) ‘It must be because the LORD was powerless to bring that people into the land He had promised them on oath that He slaughtered them in the wilderness.’ (17) Therefore, I pray, let my Lord’s power be great, as You have declared, saying:

(18) ‘The LORD! slow to anger and abounding in kindness; forgiving iniquity and transgression; yet not remitting all punishment, but visiting the iniquity of fathers upon children, upon the third and fourth generations.’

(19) Pardon, I pray, the iniquity of this people according to Your great kindness, as You have forgiven this people ever since Egypt.” (20) And the LORD said, “I pardon, as you have asked.

(211) Almighty!

(212) You instructed us to recite

(213) the thirteen Divine attributes;

(214) and remember unto us this day

(215) the covenant of thirteen Divine attributes,

(216) as You made them known

(217) to the humble one of old,

(218) as it is written,

(219) “And Adonai descended in the cloud,

(220) and stood with him there,

(221) and proclaimed the Name, Adonai.

(222) Congregation and Chazzan:

(223) And Adonai passed before him [Moshe],

(224) and proclaimed:

(225) Adonai, Adonai,

(226) Almighty, Merciful, Gracious,

(227) Slow to Anger,

(228) and Abundant in Kindness, and Truth.

(229) Keeper of kindness

(230) for thousands of generations,

(231) Endurer of iniquity, and transgression,

(232) and sin;

(233) and Acquitter of those who repent.

(234) “And pardon our iniquity and our sin,

(235) and take us for Your inheritance.”

(236) Pardon us our Father, for we have sinned,

(237) forgive us our King, for we have transgressed.

(238) “For You, my Master,

(239) are good and forgiving,

(240) and abounding in kindness

(241) to all who call upon You.”

(267) The Chazzan repeats after the congregation:

(268) “Please pardon the sins of this nation

(269) in accordance with the greatness

(270) of Your lovingkindness;

(271) and as You forgave this people

(272) from when it left Mitzrayim until now.”

(273) And there it is said:

(274) The Congregation says:

(275) “And Adonai said,

(276) I have pardoned [them] as you have asked.”

(1) This displeased Jonah greatly, and he was grieved. (2) He prayed to the LORD, saying, “O LORD! Isn’t this just what I said when I was still in my own country? That is why I fled beforehand to Tarshish. For I know that You are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in kindness, renouncing punishment. (3) Please, LORD, take my life, for I would rather die than live.” (4) The LORD replied, “Are you that deeply grieved?”