Parashat Ki Tissa: The 13 Attributes of Mercy

ByBrian Tice

Sage Insights

Rebbe Nachman of Breslev in Likutey Moharan 33

The days are called middot (attributes), as it is written (Psalm 39:5), "[What is] the half (measure) of my days?" And the attributes are the Torah, because the Torah is composed entirely of the attributes of the Holy One, blessed be He.

The 13 Attributes

Twelve is viewed in Judaism as the number of order, e.g. the months of a year being twelve, the Tribes of Israel being twelve, etc. Thirteen, then, is the number connoting "beyond measure." Central to the selichot prayers is an element from Parashat Ki Tissa monikered "the 13 attributes of mercy" (שְׁלוֹשׁ־עֶשְׂרֵה מִידּוֹת הַרַחֲמִים; i.e. Shemot 34:6-7). This is the response of Hashem to the Golden Calf debacle. The second verse of the passage is marked with an enlarged nun, as seen in the Hebrew below.

שמות ל״ד:ו׳-ז׳

(ו) וַיַּעֲבֹ֨ר יְהֹוָ֥ה ׀ עַל־פָּנָיו֮ וַיִּקְרָא֒ יְהֹוָ֣ה ׀ יְהֹוָ֔ה אֵ֥ל רַח֖וּם וְחַנּ֑וּן אֶ֥רֶךְ אַפַּ֖יִם וְרַב־חֶ֥סֶד וֶאֱמֶֽת׃ (ז) נֹצֵ֥ר חֶ֙סֶד֙ לָאֲלָפִ֔ים נֹשֵׂ֥א עָוֺ֛ן וָפֶ֖שַׁע וְחַטָּאָ֑ה וְנַקֵּה֙ לֹ֣א יְנַקֶּ֔ה פֹּקֵ֣ד ׀ עֲוֺ֣ן אָב֗וֹת עַל־בָּנִים֙ וְעַל־בְּנֵ֣י בָנִ֔ים עַל־שִׁלֵּשִׁ֖ים וְעַל־רִבֵּעִֽים׃

Exodus 34:6-7

(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—yet not remitting all punishment, but visiting the iniquity of parents upon children and children’s children, upon the third and fourth generations.”

Former Sephardi Chief Rabbi Chayim Dovid Halevy z"l of Tel Aviv wrote that each case of an enlarged letter anywhere in Tanakh indicates to us an instance of Hashem making an extra effort of chesed – lovingkindness – for the sake of the universe; i.e. that Hashem is נֶאֱמָן (faithful) to extend grace to His am segulah (treasured people).

The enlarged nun found in 34:7 is connected to the enlarged resh which follows it in 34:14. Together they form the word ner (נר; i.e. candle). This is said to reflect the expression of King Shlomo (Solomon), "The candle of G-d is the soul of man" (Mishlei 20:27) and also to a second expression from ibid., i.e. "A candle is a mitzvah and Torah is light" (Mishlei 6:23). Both of these pasukhim are understood as referring to the light which radiated from Moshe's face in Shemot 34:29-30.

שמות ל״ד:י״ד

(יד) כִּ֛י לֹ֥א תִֽשְׁתַּחֲוֶ֖ה לְאֵ֣ל אַחֵ֑ר כִּ֤י יְהֹוָה֙ קַנָּ֣א שְׁמ֔וֹ אֵ֥ל קַנָּ֖א הֽוּא׃

Exodus 34:14

(14) for you must not worship any other god, because יהוה, whose name is Impassioned, is an impassioned God.

שמות ל״ד:כ״ט-ל׳

(כט) וַיְהִ֗י בְּרֶ֤דֶת מֹשֶׁה֙ מֵהַ֣ר סִינַ֔י וּשְׁנֵ֨י לֻחֹ֤ת הָֽעֵדֻת֙ בְּיַד־מֹשֶׁ֔ה בְּרִדְתּ֖וֹ מִן־הָהָ֑ר וּמֹשֶׁ֣ה לֹֽא־יָדַ֗ע כִּ֥י קָרַ֛ן ע֥וֹר פָּנָ֖יו בְּדַבְּר֥וֹ אִתּֽוֹ׃ (ל) וַיַּ֨רְא אַהֲרֹ֜ן וְכׇל־בְּנֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ אֶת־מֹשֶׁ֔ה וְהִנֵּ֥ה קָרַ֖ן ע֣וֹר פָּנָ֑יו וַיִּֽירְא֖וּ מִגֶּ֥שֶׁת אֵלָֽיו׃

Exodus 34:29-30

(29) So Moses came down from Mount Sinai. And as Moses came down from the mountain bearing the two tablets of the Pact, Moses was not aware that the skin of his face was radiant, since he had spoken with God. (30) Aaron and all the Israelites saw that the skin of Moses’ face was radiant; and they shrank from coming near him.

שפתי חכמים, שמות ל״ד:כ״ט-ל״א

(א) כשהביא לוחות אחרונות כו'. אע"פ שגם שכשהביא לוחות ראשונות בשבעה עשר בתמוז כתיב נמי וירד משה מן ההר ושני לוחות העדות בידו כמו שכתוב כאן מכל מקום כל הסיפורים הבאים אחר מקרא זה לא היו רק בלוחות אחרונות: (ב) ומהיכן זכה לקרני ההוד כו'. כלומר שבלוחות אחרונות זכה לקרני הוד יותר מבלוחות הראשונות: (א) ולשון הווה הוא כו'. פירש מכיון שאין כאן דבור מיוחד כלל על כרחך לומר שהדיבור הזה אינו אלא מה שנדבר עמו השם בהר סיני שהוא שליחתו של מקום לישראל שילמד להם כל התורה כולה ואם כן עכ"ל שלשון הווה הוא כל הענין שהיה משה קורא להם בכל יום ולימד אותם התורה והמצות לנשיאים ואח"כ לכל ישראל כמו שמפרש והולך וזה היה אף לאחר שהוקם המשכן:

Siftei Chakhamim, Exodus 34:29-31

(1) When he brought the Second Tablets. . . When he brought the First Tablets on the seventeenth of Tammuz, it is also written that “Moshe went down from the mountain with the two Tablets of the Testimony in his hand” (Shemos 32:15), like it is written here. Nevertheless, [Rashi knows that the verse here speaks of the Second Tablets because] all the following incidents took place only with the Second Tablets. (2) From where was Moshe privileged for these rays of splendor. . . I.e., why was he privileged to them with the Second Tablets, and not with the First Tablets? (1) In the present (ongoing) tense. . . [How does Rashi know this? The answer is:] Since nothing specific was spoken here, it must refer to what God spoke to Moshe on Mount Sinai — which is the message of God to Israel. I.e., Moshe is to teach them the whole Torah. Perforce, this entire subject is in the present (ongoing) tense. Moshe would call them every day and teach the Torah and mitzvos to the leaders and then to all Yisrael, as explained further on. This continued even after the mishkon was erected.

Rabbi Michael L. Munk, The Wisdom in the Hebrew Alphabet
(Mesorah, 1990), pp. 151-158

נ stands for נֶאֱמָן, the reliable and faithful one, and the long [final] form of the letter denotes continuity. The attribute of faithfulness is primarily a description of Hashem, because His faithfulness continues without interruption: הָאֵל֙ הַֽנֶּאֱמָ֔ן, the Trustworthy God (Deut. 7:9) from the beginning (נ), whose Trust remains eternal and everlasting (ן) (Midrash Shir HaShirim; Baal HaTurim to Numbers 11:16).

The question of how the 13 attributes are to be numbered is answered differently by different poskim. Though Rabbeinu Tam taught the first two iterations of the Shem haMephorash (Tetragrammaton) to be the first two attributes, the Zohar opines that they are not among the 13, i.e. that El is the first attribute.

ראש השנה י״ז ב:ד׳-ז׳

אִילְפַי, וְאָמְרִי לַהּ אִילְפָא רָמֵי, כְּתִיב: ״וְרַב חֶסֶד״, וּכְתִיב: ״וֶאֱמֶת״. בַּתְּחִלָּה — ״וֶאֱמֶת״, וּלְבַסּוֹף — ״וְרַב חֶסֶד״. ״וַיַּעֲבוֹר ה׳ עַל פָּנָיו וַיִּקְרָא״. אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: אִלְמָלֵא מִקְרָא כָּתוּב, אִי אֶפְשָׁר לְאוֹמְרוֹ. 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. ״ה׳ ה׳״ — אֲנִי הוּא קוֹדֶם שֶׁיֶּחְטָא הָאָדָם, וַאֲנִי הוּא לְאַחַר שֶׁיֶּחְטָא הָאָדָם וְיַעֲשֶׂה תְּשׁוּבָה — ״אֵל רַחוּם וְחַנּוּן״. אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה: בְּרִית כְּרוּתָה לִשְׁלֹשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה מִדּוֹת שֶׁאֵינָן חוֹזְרוֹת רֵיקָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי כּוֹרֵת בְּרִית״.

Rosh Hashanah 17b:4-7

Ilfai, and some say it was the Sage Ilfa, also raised a contradiction: It is written in the list of God’s attributes: “And abundant in kindness” (Exodus 34:6), and it is written in the same verse: “And truth,” which implies the attribute of justice. He answered: Initially, at the time of judgment: “And truth,” i.e., God employs strict justice, but in the end, when He sees that the world cannot survive on judgment based only on truth and justice: “And abundant in kindness,” i.e., He is merciful. § The verse states: “And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed” (Exodus 34:6). Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Were it not explicitly written in the verse, it would be impossible to say this, as it would be insulting to God’s honor. The verse teaches that the Holy One, Blessed be He, wrapped Himself in a prayer shawl like a prayer leader and showed Moses the structure of the order of the prayer. He said to him: Whenever the Jewish people sin, let them act before Me in accordance with this order. Let the prayer leader wrap himself in a prayer shawl and publicly recite the thirteen attributes of mercy, and I will forgive them. 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, as God does not recall for him his first sins, since He is always “God, merciful and gracious” (Exodus 34:6). 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).

רש"י על שמות ל״ד:ו׳-ז׳

(א) ה' ה'. מִדַּת רַחֲמִים הִיא, אַחַת קֹדֶם שֶׁיֶּחֱטָא, וְאַחַת אַחַר שֶׁיֶּחֱטָא וְיָשׁוּב (ראש השנה י"ז): (ב) אל. אַף זוֹ מִדַּת רַחֲמִים, וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר אֵלִי אֵלִי לָמָה עֲזַבְתָּנִי (תהילים כ"ב) – וְאֵין לוֹמַר לְמִדַּת הַדִּין לָמָה עֲזַבְתָּנִי, כָּךְ מָצָאתִי בִּמְכִילְתָּא: (ג) ארך אפים. מַאֲרִיךְ אַפּוֹ וְאֵינוֹ מְמַהֵר לִפָּרַע, שֶׁמָּא יַעֲשֶׂה תְשׁוּבָה: (ד) ורב חסד. לַצְּרִיכִים חֶסֶד – שֶׁאֵין לָהֶם זְכֻיּוֹת כָּל כָּךְ: (ה) ואמת. לְשַׁלֵּם שָׂכָר טוֹב לְעוֹשֵׂי רְצוֹנוֹ: (א) נצר חסד. שֶׁהָאָדָם עוֹשֶׂה לְפָנָיו: (ב) לאלפים. לִשְׁנֵי אֲלָפִים דּוֹרוֹת: (ג) עון ופשע. עֲוֹנוֹת — אֵלּוּ הַזְּדוֹנוֹת, פְּשָׁעִים — אֵלּוּ הַמְּרָדִים שֶׁאָדָם עוֹשֶׂה לְהַכְעִיס: (ד) ונקה לא ינקה. לְפִי פְשׁוּטוֹ מַשְׁמָע שֶׁאֵינוֹ מְוַתֵּר עַל הֶעָוֹן לְגַמְרֵי, אֶלָּא נִפְרָע מִמֶּנּוּ מְעַט מְעַט, וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ דָרְשׁוּ מְנַקֶּה הוּא לַשָּׁבִים וְלֹא יְנַקֶּה לְשֶׁאֵינָן שָׁבִים (יומא פ"ו): (ה) פקד עון אבות על בנים. כְּשֶׁאוֹחֲזִים מַעֲשֵׂה אֲבוֹתֵיהֶם בִּידֵיהֶם, שֶׁכְּבָר פֵּרֵשׁ בְּמִקְרָא אַחֵר לְשֹׂנְאָי (שמות כ'): (ו) ועל רבעים. דּוֹר רְבִיעִי; נִמְצֵאת מִדָּה טוֹבָה מְרֻבָּה עַל מִדַּת פֻּרְעָנוּת אַחַת לַחֲמֵשׁ מֵאוֹת, שֶׁבְּמִדָּה טוֹבָה הוּא אוֹמֵר נֹצֵר חֶסֶד לָאֲלָפִים (תוספתא סוטה ד'):

Rashi on Exodus 34:6-7

(1) 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). (2) אל GOD — This is also an attribute of Divine mercy (it is not, as אלהים, an attribute of stern justice). Thus also does Scripture say, (Psalms 22:2) “My God, my God (אלי ,אלי) why hast Thou forsaken me?” — for surely one would not say to the attribute of stern Justice “why hast Thou forsaken me?”! Thus have I found in the Mechilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 15:2:2. (3) ארך אפים SLOW TO ANGER — He defers (מאריך) His anger and does not hasten to punish — it may be that the sinner will repent. (4) ורב חסד AND ABUNDANT IN MERCY — to those who need mercy because they have not sufficient merits to be saved by them. (5) ואמת AND TRUTH — faithfully rewarding those who perform His will. (1) נצר חסד means God keeps (stores up) the mercy which a person does in His presence, (2) לאלפים TO THOUSANDS — to two thousand generations (the plural, “generations”, and “two” is the least that this can imply; cf. Rashi on Exodus 20:6). (3) עונות — These are sins committed presumptuously (with premeditation). פשעים — These are sins committed rebelliously. (4) 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). (5) 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). (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).

Textual Layout

In Ashkenaz and Western Sephardic scribal traditions, the 13 Attributes are positioned near the bottom of a column, with the following column beginning with the shin of sh'mar-l'kha at Shemot 34:11 (sometimes enlarged, but usually not). At 34:14, the resh of acher is enlarged. This is the counterpart to the enlarged dalet of echad at D'varim 6:4, as were one to misread the dalet of the Shema as a resh, he would read acher (another) in place of echad (One).

Javier del Barco, From Scroll to Codex: Dynamics of Text Layout Transformation in the Hebrew Bible

(pp. 94-95 in From Scrolls to Scrolling: 2020)

The text layout specifications conceived for copying Bible scrolls are codified in several places in the rabbinical literature (both Babylonian and Palestinian Talmudim, Massekhet Soferim), as well as in certain works by medieval authors who gradually established the details of these specifications, notably Maimonides (1135–1204), Meir Abulafia (1170–1244), and Menahem haMeiri (1249–1310).Specifications regarding the text layout of Hebrew Bibles that affect the resulting page layout in a codex include the following:

The בי'''ה שמ''ו rule, according to which the following words should be copied at the beginning of a column: בראשית (“In the beginning,” Gen. 1:1), יהודה (“Judah,” Gen 49:8), הבאים (“that came,” Exod 14:28), שמר (“Observe,” Exod 34:11),

מה טובו (“How goodly,” Num 24:5), and ואעידה (“and I will call to witness,” Deut 31:28).

Note that the verses representing the shin and mem columns of the בי"ה שמ"ו pattern are different in the Yemenite tradition (as well as the Italian tradition), as indicated in Rabbeinu Bachya (below).

רבנו בחיי, שמות י״ד:כ״ח

(א) הבאים אחריהם בים. משפט ס"ת להיות ששה בריש דפין והסימן הוא בי"ה שמ"ו. ואלו הם, ב'ראשית, י'הודה אתה יודוך, ה'באים אחריהם, ש'מור ושמעת, מ'צא שפתיך, ו'אעידה בם, וי"ל טעם בזה שהוא רמז לחדוש העולם שהקב"ה רוכב בערבות כענין שכתוב (תהילים ס״ח:ה׳) סולו לרוכב בערבות ביה שמו, והסתכל איך השלים רמז הה"א של בי"ה בענין הים שהזכיר שם משה עזי וזמרת יה ולכך הזכיר מי כמוכה ב' פעמים הה"א הזאת ותוספת הה"א במי כמוכה הראשון היא אחרונה שבשם והיא אחרונה שבספירות, והוא מלאך האלהים שהזכיר הכתוב בו וילך מאחריהם, וכן בכאן הבאים אחריהם בים. כי ישועת הים על ידו. ולפי מה שדרשו רז"ל בהבראם בה' בראם, ד"א בזכות אברהם תמצא האותיות השניות לאותיות בי"ה שמ"ו שהם אברהם ותוספת הוא"ו לבאר כי ו' קצוות של העולם נבראו בזכותו והכתוב מעיד שנבנה העולם על מדת החסד שנאמר (תהלים פט) כי אמרתי עולם חסד יבנה, וכתיב (מיכה ז) חסד לאברהם.

Rabbeinu Bahya, Shemot 14:28

(1) הבאים אחריהם בים, “who were coming behind them in the sea.” The rule for writing a Sefer Torah stipulates that six words must be written at the beginning of a page. The easy way to remember these six words is by their respective first letters, בי''ה שמ''ו. The words in question are ב-ראשית, י-הודה (אתה יודוך)-באים (אחריהם) ש-מור ושמעת מ-וצא (שפתיך) ו-אעידה (בם) .ה- It is possible that the reason that just these six words need to be written at the beginning of a page is that they contain an allusion to a renewal of the whole process of creation which the Exodus of the Jewish people from Egypt represented. G’d was “riding in the highest heaven, בערבות.” The two words formed by the acrostic of the six words we mentioned are taken from Psalms 68,5: שירו לאלו-הים זמרו שמו סלו לרוכב בערבות ביה שמו ועלזו לפניו, “Sing to G’d, chant Hymns in His name; extol Him Who rides the clouds.” It is interesting to observe how the allusion in the letter ה of the acrostic בי''ה ties in with what Moses sang in his song עזי וזמרת יה. This is why he repeated the words מי כמוכה ה' twice. The letter ה in the word ביה in Psalms (68,5) and the extra letter ה at the end of the word כמוכ-ה (15,11) allude to the first and last letter ה in the tetragram respectively. The first one is at the same time the last one in the list of the ten emanations, a reference to the attribute of Justice, referred to in מי כמוכה באלם, i.e. a defective spelling of אלהים in 15,11. Moses referred to the מלאך האלו-הים who had taken up position behind the Israelites. We have discussed this in detail on 14,19. He is referred to here also as הבאים אחריהם בים, meaning that G’d’s salvation of the Israelites at the sea occurred by means of that attribute, that angel.
According to our sages in Menachot 29 the word ב-הבראם in Genesis 2,4 is equivalent to the Torah having written ב-ה בראם, that G’d created the universe with the letter ה of the tetragrammaton. Another explanation is that the re-arrangement of the word בהבראם results in the word באברהם, meaning that the merit of Avraham (in the future) was responsible for G’d creating the world. [Just as the eventual existence of Yaakov was the reason G’d saved Avraham from Nimrod’s furnace (compare Isaiah 29,22) although Yaakov had not yet been born, so G’d found it worthwhile to create the world in order for a human being of Avraham’s caliber to come into existence. Ed.] You will find that in the previously mentioned six words of the Torah which must always be written at the beginning of a page, the second letter in each of the first five of these words when read as an acrostic forms the name אברהם. The sixth word, i.e. ואעידה is used to symbolize the 6 directions in the universe, i.e. north, south, east, west, up, and down. In other words: these six directions came into existence due to the merit of Avraham. The entire concept is a brilliant illustration of the words of the psalmist (Psalms 89,3) עולם חסד יבנה, that the whole universe was founded on the concept of חסד, i.e. Avraham’s outstanding virtue.

Intra-Textual Allusions

The following nine Tanakh passages allude to the 13 Attributes of Mercy.

במדבר י״ד:י״ח

(יח) יְהֹוָ֗ה אֶ֤רֶךְ אַפַּ֙יִם֙ וְרַב־חֶ֔סֶד נֹשֵׂ֥א עָוֺ֖ן וָפָ֑שַׁע וְנַקֵּה֙ לֹ֣א יְנַקֶּ֔ה פֹּקֵ֞ד עֲוֺ֤ן אָבוֹת֙ עַל־בָּנִ֔ים עַל־שִׁלֵּשִׁ֖ים וְעַל־רִבֵּעִֽים׃

Numbers 14:18

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

יואל ב׳:י״ג

(יג) וְקִרְע֤וּ לְבַבְכֶם֙ וְאַל־בִּגְדֵיכֶ֔ם וְשׁ֖וּבוּ אֶל־יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֑ם
כִּֽי־חַנּ֤וּן וְרַחוּם֙ ה֔וּא אֶ֤רֶךְ אַפַּ֙יִם֙ וְרַב־חֶ֔סֶד וְנִחָ֖ם עַל־הָרָעָֽה׃

Joel 2:13

(13) Rend your hearts rather than your garments, and turn back to the LORD your God.
For He is gracious and compassionate, Slow to anger, abounding in kindness, And renouncing punishment.

יונה ד׳:ב׳

(ב) וַיִּתְפַּלֵּ֨ל אֶל־יְהֹוָ֜ה וַיֹּאמַ֗ר אָנָּ֤ה יְהֹוָה֙ הֲלוֹא־זֶ֣ה דְבָרִ֗י עַד־הֱיוֹתִי֙ עַל־אַדְמָתִ֔י עַל־כֵּ֥ן קִדַּ֖מְתִּי לִבְרֹ֣חַ תַּרְשִׁ֑ישָׁה כִּ֣י יָדַ֗עְתִּי כִּ֤י אַתָּה֙ אֵֽל־חַנּ֣וּן וְרַח֔וּם אֶ֤רֶךְ אַפַּ֙יִם֙ וְרַב־חֶ֔סֶד וְנִחָ֖ם עַל־הָרָעָֽה׃

Jonah 4:2

(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.

מיכה ז׳:י״ח

(יח) מִי־אֵ֣ל כָּמ֗וֹךָ נֹשֵׂ֤א עָוֺן֙ וְעֹבֵ֣ר עַל־פֶּ֔שַׁע לִשְׁאֵרִ֖ית נַחֲלָת֑וֹ לֹֽא־הֶחֱזִ֤יק לָעַד֙ אַפּ֔וֹ כִּֽי־חָפֵ֥ץ חֶ֖סֶד הֽוּא׃

Micah 7:18

(18) Who is a God like You, forgiving iniquity and remitting transgression; Who has not maintained His wrath forever against the remnant of His own people, because He loves graciousness!

נחום א׳:ג׳

(ג) יְהֹוָ֗ה אֶ֤רֶךְ אַפַּ֙יִם֙ (וגדול) [וּגְדׇל־]כֹּ֔חַ וְנַקֵּ֖ה לֹ֣א יְנַקֶּ֑ה יְהֹוָ֗ה
בְּסוּפָ֤ה וּבִשְׂעָרָה֙ דַּרְכּ֔וֹ וְעָנָ֖ן אֲבַ֥ק רַגְלָֽיו׃

Nahum 1:3

(3) The LORD is slow to anger and of great forbearance, But the LORD does not remit all punishment.
He travels in whirlwind and storm, And clouds are the dust on His feet.

תהילים פ״ו:ט״ו

(טו) וְאַתָּ֣ה אֲ֭דֹנָי אֵל־רַח֣וּם וְחַנּ֑וּן אֶ֥רֶךְ אַ֝פַּ֗יִם וְרַב־חֶ֥סֶד וֶאֱמֶֽת׃

Psalms 86:15

(15) But You, O Lord, are a God compassionate and merciful, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.

תהילים ק״ג:ח׳

(ח) רַח֣וּם וְחַנּ֣וּן יְהֹוָ֑ה אֶ֖רֶךְ אַפַּ֣יִם וְרַב־חָֽסֶד׃

Psalms 103:8

(8) The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love.

תהילים קמ״ה:ח׳

(ח) חַנּ֣וּן וְרַח֣וּם יְהֹוָ֑ה אֶ֥רֶךְ אַ֝פַּ֗יִם וּגְדׇל־חָֽסֶד׃

Psalms 145:8

(8) The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in kindness.

נחמיה ט׳:י״ז

(יז) וַיְמָאֲנ֣וּ לִשְׁמֹ֗עַ וְלֹא־זָכְר֤וּ נִפְלְאֹתֶ֙יךָ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשִׂ֣יתָ עִמָּהֶ֔ם וַיַּקְשׁוּ֙ אֶת־עׇרְפָּ֔ם וַיִּתְּנוּ־רֹ֛אשׁ לָשׁ֥וּב לְעַבְדֻתָ֖ם בְּמִרְיָ֑ם וְאַתָּה֩ אֱל֨וֹהַּ סְלִיח֜וֹת חַנּ֧וּן וְרַח֛וּם אֶֽרֶךְ־אַפַּ֥יִם וְרַב־[חֶ֖סֶד] (וחסד) וְלֹ֥א עֲזַבְתָּֽם׃

Nehemiah 9:17

(17) Refusing to obey, unmindful of Your wonders that You did for them, they stiffened their necks, and in their defiance resolved to return to their slavery. But You, being a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, long-suffering and abounding in faithfulness, did not abandon them.

Liturgical Usage

The selichot prayers are what replaced sacrifices after the fall of the 2nd Jerusalem Temple as the means for petitioning for forgiveness and mercy. This was originally recited on all fast days, including Yom Kippur, Tisha b'Av, and the Fast of Esther, dating back to Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai. Later, the selichot were added to the liturgy for the High Holy Days from the week of Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur as well, excluding Rosh Hashanah itself. The central element is the Thirteen Middot haRachamim (13 Attributes of Mercy). The imprimatur for this is that when the people committed the debacle of the Golden Calf, sacrifice was replaced with prayer as the means for appealing to Hashem for forgiveness and mercy.

סידור אשכנז, חגים, סליחות, יום כיפור קטן כ״ב

(כב) יְהֹוָה יְהֹוָה אֵל רַחוּם וְחַנּוּן אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם וְרַב חֶסֶד וֶאֱמֶת: נֹצֵר חֶסֶד לָאֲלָפִים נֹשֵׂא עָוֹן וָפֶשַׁע וְחַטָּאָה וְנַקֵּה: וְסָלַחְתָּ לַעֲוֹנֵנוּ וּלְחַטָּאתֵנוּ וּנְחַלְתָּנוּ: סְלַח לָנוּ אָבִינוּ כִּי חָטָאנוּ מְחַל לָנוּ מַלְכֵּנוּ כִּי פָשָׁעְנוּ: כִּי אַתָּה אֲדֹנָי טוֹב וְסַלָּח וְרַב חֶסֶד לְכָל קֹרְאֶיךָ:

Siddur Ashkenaz, Festivals, Selichot, Yom Kippur Katan 22

(22) HASHEM, HASHEM, G-d, Compassionate and Gracious, Slow to anger, and Abundant in Kindness and Truth, Preserver of kindness for thousands of generations, Forgiver of iniquity, willful sin, and error, Who cleanses. May You forgive our iniquities and our errors and make us Your heritage. Forgive us, our Father, for we have erred; pardon us, our King, for we have willfully sinned; for You, my L-rd, are good and forgiving and abundantly kind to all who call upon You.

שערי סליחה | Gates of Forgiveness
Central Conference of American Rabbis (1993), pp. 31-32

יְהֹוָה יְהֹוָה אֵל רַחוּם וְחַנּוּן אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם וְרַב חֶסֶד וֶאֱמֶת: נֹצֵר חֶסֶד לָאֲלָפִים נֹשֵׂא עָוֹן וָפֶשַׁע וְחַטָּאָה וְנַקֵּה:
וסלחת לעוננו ןלחטאתנו ונחלתנו:

The Eternal One, the Eternal God is merciful and gracious, endlessly patient, loving and true, showiing mercy to thousands, forgiving our sin, and granting pardon.

[We pray with Moses:]
Pardon our sin; call us Your own, call us Your own.

An Ashkenazic rendition of the 13 Middot haRachamim (Rabbi Moshe Rosenberg)