1) kal vachomer (a fortiori).
2) gezeirah shavah (Identity).
3a) Binyan av vekathuv echad (a general rule implicit in one verse).
3b) binyan av mishnei kethuvim (a general rule derived from two verses).
4) kllal ufrat (general-specific).
5) prat ukllal (specific-general).
6) kllal ufrat ukllal (general-specific-general).
7) kllal shehu tzarich lifrat ufrat shehu tzarich lichllal (general requiring specific and specific requiring general).
8) kol davar shehaya bichllal veyatza min hakllal lelamed, lo lelamed al atzmo yatza ela lelamed al hakllal kulo yatza. (Anything which was subsumed in a general category, and departed from that category to teach (something) — not in order to teach about itself did it depart, but in order to teach about the entire category did it depart).
9) kol davar shehaya bichllal veyatza min hakllal lit'on to'an acher shehu ke'inyano, yatza lehakel velo lehachmir. (Anything which was subsumed in a general category, and departed from that category for a particular requirement thereof, departed for leniency and not for stringency). 10) kol davar shehaya bichllal veyatza min hakllal lit'on to'an acher shelo ke'inyano, yatza lehakel ulehachmir. (Anything which was subsumed in a general category, and departed from that category for a particular requirement foreign to it, departed both for leniency and for stringency).
11) kol davar shehaya bichllal veyatza min hakllal lidon badavar hechadash, ē ata yachol lehachziro lichllalo ad sheyachzirenu hakathuv lichlallo befeirush. (Anything which was subsumed in a general category, and departed from that category for a new learning, cannot be restored to that category unless Scripture restores it explicitly).
12a) davar halamed me'inyano (something learned from context).
12b) davar halamed misofo (something learned from its end).
13) shnei kethuvim hamakchishim zeh eth zeh ad sheyavo hakathuv hashlishi veyachriya beneihem (two verses that contradict each other until a third verse comes and resolves the contradiction).
(ה) וַיֵּ֤רֶד ה' בֶּֽעָנָ֔ן וַיִּתְיַצֵּ֥ב עִמּ֖וֹ שָׁ֑ם וַיִּקְרָ֥א בְשֵׁ֖ם ה'׃ (ו) וַיַּעֲבֹ֨ר ה' ׀ עַל־פָּנָיו֮ וַיִּקְרָא֒ ה' ׀ ה' 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׃
- 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).
- אל GOD — This is also an attribute of Divine mercy (it is not, as אלקים, 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.
- ארך אפים SLOW TO ANGER — He defers (מאריך) His anger and does not hasten to punish — it may be that the sinner will repent.
- ורב חסד AND ABUNDANT IN MERCY — to those who need mercy because they have not sufficient merits to be saved by them.
- ואמת AND TRUTH — faithfully rewarding those who perform His will.
- נצר חסד means God keeps (stores up) the mercy which a person does in His presence,
- 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).
- עונות — These are sins committed presumptuously (with premeditation).
- פשעים — These are sins committed rebelliously.
- 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).
1) ה׳
2) ה׳
3) אל
4) רחום
5) וחנון
6) ארך אפיים
7) ורב חסד
8) ואמת
9) נצר חסד לאלפים
10) נשא עון
11) ופשע
12) וחטאה
13) ונקה
1) Hashem- A combination of the words for was (היה), is (הווה), an will be (יהיה). He is the eternal creator, and created the world out of kindness and based the world on mercy and kindness rather than judgement (דין).
2) Hashem- see sources 8 and 9. Without divine mercy, sin wouldn’t just disappear, as someone can’t just be brought back to life because you did teshuva. Our sins however, can disappear with the process of teshuva!
3) El- the attribute of power. Hashem gives us the strength, ability, and opportunity to do teshuva and become our best selves.
4) Mercy, compassion- He never tests us with an impossible situation. He also eases the punishment on the guilty so that we can come back from our mistakes.
5) Gracious- Even to the undeserving he saves us, giving us this בחינם- for free.
6) Slow to Anger- he is patient with both the righteous and the wicked.
7) Abundant in Kindness- he is kind even to those who lack personal merits.
8) And is Truth- his word is true, and he made a covenant with our ancestors.
9) Preserver of kindness for thousands (of generations)- for the merit of our forefathers we are given mercy. Our forefathers show the amazing potential we have as the Jewish people.
10-12) Forgives עון- intentional (10), פשע - willful sins to spite G-d, and חטא unintentional mistakes.
13) And He cleanses- the effects of sin are gone to those who do teshuva. Teshuva our of love is more cleansing than out of fear.
Forgiving iniquity
And remitting transgression—
Not staying angry forever
Toward the remnant of Your own people,
Because You love graciousness!
Quashing our iniquities.
You will hurl all our sins
Into the depths of the sea.
Loyalty to Abraham,
As You promised on oath to our fathers
In days gone by.
וְעַתָּ֕ה יִגְדַּל־נָ֖א כֹּ֣חַ ה' כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבַּ֖רְתָּ לֵאמֹֽר׃