שאל ר' נתן בן אלעזר את ר' שמואל, א"ל היאך ברא הקב"ה את העולם, א"ל ר' שמואל כשביקש הקב"ה [לברוא] את העולם נתעטף באורה, שנאמר עוטה אור כשלמה (שם שם ב),
אמר לו בלחישה אמרת לי, למה בלחישה, [א"ל] כשם שקיבלתי בלחישה, כך מסרתי לך בלחישה. א"ל ר' תנחומא בר אבא והלא כבר שמענו את ר' יצחק דורשה ברבים.
R. Nathan ben Eleazar questioned R. Samuel. He said to him: How did the Holy One create the world? R. Samuel said to him: When the Holy One desired [to create] the world, he wrapped (rt.: 'TP) himself in light, as stated (in Ps. 104:2): PUTS ON (rt.: 'TP) LIGHT LIKE A GARMENT. He said to him: You have told me in a whisper. Why in a whisper? He said to him: Just as I received < this tradition > in a whisper, so I have transmitted < it > to you in a whisper. R. Tanhuma bar Abba said to him: Have we not already heard R. Isaac expounding it publicly?
אלמלא מקרא כתוב א"א לאומרו כו' ולא נאמר מקרא אלא כדי לשבר את האוזן שכן היה נראה למשה בנבואה כאלו הקב"ה מתעטף כש"ץ והיינו ויעבור וגו' כש"ץ המעביר טליתו על פניו וקורא כסדר הזה עשה הקב"ה להורות שכן יעשו כל זמן כו' ובספר ישן מחכמת המקובלים מצאתי וז"ל נתעטף הקב"ה באותו טלית לבנה שנתעטף בברייתו של עולם שעליו נאמר עוטה אור כשלמה שמבהיק מסוף עולם ועד סופו כו' והאריך בסוד הענין:
Were it not written in Scripture, it would be impossible to say it, etc.' - and Scripture was only stated in order to make it accessible to the ear, for thus it appeared to Moses in prophecy as if the Holy One, blessed be He, was wrapping Himself like a prayer leader, and this is [the meaning of] 'And He passed by, etc.' -
like a prayer leader who passes his tallit over his face and recites in this particular manner. So did the Holy One, blessed be He, do in order to teach that thus they should do for all time, etc.
And in an ancient book from the wisdom of the Kabbalists I found, and these are its words: 'The Holy One, blessed be He, wrapped Himself in that white tallit with which He wrapped Himself at the creation of the world, concerning which it is said "He covers Himself with light as with a garment" which shines from one end of the world to the other, etc.' And he elaborated on the secret of this matter."
אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן מִשּׁוּם רַבִּי יוֹסֵי: מִנַּיִן שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מִתְפַּלֵּל? שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וַהֲבִיאוֹתִים אֶל הַר קָדְשִׁי וְשִׂמַּחְתִּים בְּבֵית תְּפִלָּתִי״, ״תְּפִלָּתָם״ לֹא נֶאֱמַר, אֶלָּא ״תְּפִלָּתִי״, מִכָּאן שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מִתְפַּלֵּל. מַאי מְצַלֵּי? אָמַר רַב זוּטְרָא בַּר טוֹבִיָּה, אָמַר רַב: ״יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנַי שֶׁיִּכְבְּשׁוּ רַחֲמַי אֶת כַּעֲסִי, וְיִגּוֹלּוּ רַחֲמַי עַל מִדּוֹתַי, וְאֶתְנַהֵג עִם בָּנַי בְּמִדַּת רַחֲמִים, וְאֶכָּנֵס לָהֶם לִפְנִים מִשּׁוּרַת הַדִּין״.
Along the same lines, Rabbi Yoḥanan said in the name of Rabbi Yosei: From where is it derived that the Holy One, Blessed be He, prays? As it is stated: “I will bring them to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in the house of My prayer” (Isaiah 56:7). The verse does not say the house of their prayer, but rather, “the house of My prayer”; from here we see that the Holy One, Blessed be He, prays. The Gemara asks: What does God pray?Rav Zutra bar Tovia said that Rav said:
God says: May it be My will that My mercy will overcome My anger towards Israel for their transgressions,
and may My mercy prevail over My other attributes through which Israel is punished,
and may I conduct myself toward My children, Israel, with the attribute of mercy,and may I enter before them beyond the letter of the law.
God says: May it be My will that My mercy will overcome My anger towards Israel for their transgressions,
and may My mercy prevail over My other attributes through which Israel is punished,
and may I conduct myself toward My children, Israel, with the attribute of mercy,and may I enter before them beyond the letter of the law.