What Kind of Speech Act is the Recitation of the Thirteen Attributes?

(11) And ה׳ said to Moses, “How long will this people spurn Me, and how long will they have no faith in Me despite all the signs that I have performed in their midst? (12) I will strike them with pestilence and disown them, and I will make of you a nation far more numerous than they!” (13) But Moses said to ה׳, “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, ה׳, are in the midst of this people; that You, ה׳, 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 wholesale, (lit: as one man), the nations who have heard Your fame will say, (16) ‘It must be because ה׳ was powerless to bring that people into the land promised them on oath that [that God] slaughtered them in the wilderness.’ (17) Therefore, I pray, let my Lord’s forbearance be great, as You have declared, saying, (18) ה׳! 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.’ (19) Pardon, I pray, the iniquity of this people according to Your great kindness, as You have forgiven/borne/carried this people ever since Egypt.” (20) And ה׳ said, “I pardon, as you have asked.”

[Composed: Middle-Age France, c.1020 – c.1220 CE

Midrash Aggadah is an anonymous midrashic commentary on the Torah, first published by Solomon Buber in 1894 based on a rare manuscript that he discovered in Aleppo. The manuscript was missing several parts, including the end, where the name of the scribe and date of writing were usually recorded. Scholars believe the text dates back to the 12th or 13th century.]

"How much further will you provoke me?" (Num. 14:11). I will strike them with pestilence...." Moses said before the Holy One, "If you kill them, what will You do about the oath You swore to the Patriarchs? For you said you would increase their descendants like the stars of the sky. The Holy One replied, "Aren't you their descendant? I'll establish a great nation from you and fulfill the oath I swore to the Patriarchs." [trans. M. Udel]

“I will smite them with the pestilence” (Numbers 14:12) – Moses said: ‘Master of the universe, look to the covenant with their forefathers, to whom you took an oath that You would produce kings, prophets, and priests from them.’ The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘Are you not of their descendants? “I will render you a great nation”’ (Exodus 32:10). When Moses saw this, he took a different tack. “Moses said to the Lord: Egypt will hear…and they will say regarding the inhabitants of this land” (Numbers 14:13–14) – ‘they will say that He did not have the strength to sustain them.’ He said to him: ‘But did they not see the miracles and the mighty acts that I performed at the sea?’ [Moses replied:] ‘They will say: He was able to prevail against us, but is unable to prevail against thirty-one kings. Master of the universe, do it for Your sake: “And now, please, let the might of my Lord be great” (Numbers 14:17), and let the attribute of mercy overcome the attribute of justice. “

"I'll make of you a great nation." Moses said before the Holy One, "If a three-legged stool cannot withstand Your wrath, then how could a one-legged stool possibly withstand it?" That is to say, the merit of the three Patriarchs resembles a three-legged stool, while Moses is the one-legged stool. [trans. M. Udel]

As R. Jacob bar Aha citing R. Jose bar R. Hanina, and the Rabbis citing R. Johanan taught—Moses meant: May the strength of Thy mercy be enhanced, so that the measure of mercy prevail over the measure of justice: “And now, I pray Thee, let the strength of the Lord be enhanced [to this end]” (ibid.).

R. Yudan told a parable of a strong man who was exercising with a block of stone that came from a stonecutter. A passer-by saw him and said: Your strength is marvelous. May your strength be enhanced by your exercise, as the strength of the Mighty One’s mercy is enhanced by His exercise of it: “And now, I pray Thee, let the strength of the Lord be enhanced” (ibid.).

R. Azariah, citing R. Judah bar R. Simon, said: Whenever righteous men do the Holy One’s will, they enhance the strength of the Almighty. Hence Moses’ plea, “And now, I pray Thee, let the strength of the Lord be enhanced” (ibid.) [trans. Braude and Kapstein]

The Lord . . . is plenteous in mercy, lifting up iniquity (Num. 14:18). R. Eleazar and R. Jose bar R. Hanina differ in their comments on this verse. R. Eleazar said: When both pans of the scale of justice balance exactly, a man’s iniquitous deeds on one side and his good deeds on the other, the Holy One lifts out from the pan of iniquities one of the writs attesting the man’s guilt, so that the good deeds [in the other pan] tip the balance. Hence we understand that what is meant by the words lifting up ‘awon (“iniquity”) (Num. 14:18) is “lifting out iniquity, and thus tipping the balance (‘ayin).”

R. Huna said in the name of R. Abbahu: If one dare even mention

such a thing, forgetfulness is not one of God’s attributes. But for Israel’s

sake He makes Himself be one who forgets. And the proof? The verse

Who is a God like unto Thee, that forgets9 iniquity and passeth by transgression

(Micah 7:18). David said likewise: Thou forgettest10 the iniquity

of Thy people, and thus Thou ever pardonest all their sin (Ps. 85:3). [trans. Braude and Kapstein]