ELUL JOURNAL, DAY of Mercy

The Thirteen Attributes of Mercy,  Not only to say, but to do...

There is something extraordinary about the prayers of Elul.

During Selichot, we repeatedly return to the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy , Yud-Gimel Middot HaRachamim.

We say them slowly.

We say them aloud.

And we ask God for mercy.

But there is a deeper meaning hidden in the words.

When Moses stood before God after the sin of the Golden Calf, he asked for forgiveness for the people of Israel.

God revealed Himself to Moses and taught him the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy , a path that would allow the people to return after they had sinned.

The Talmud describes something remarkable.

God tells Moses:

“Whenever Israel sins, let them do this order before Me, and I will forgive them.”

The Hebrew word used is ya'asu ,  let them do.

Not simply let them say.

Let them do.

Perhaps this is one of the most beautiful lessons of Elul.

When we recite the Thirteen Attributes, we are not only asking God to be compassionate toward us.

We are learning how to become compassionate ourselves.

The two Names of God

The Thirteen Attributes begin with the Divine Name repeated twice.

Why twice?

The sages explain that the first Name refers to God before the sin.

The second refers to God after the sin, when we return through Teshuvah.

The message is profound:

The relationship does not disappear because we have fallen.

There is a space between the two Names.

And perhaps that space is where Teshuvah lives.

The space between who we were
and who we can become.

The space between a mistake
and the courage to return.

The space between falling
and beginning again.

God is there before.

And God is there after.