SEPTEMBER 2 • 2021 | 29
T
he special Selichos prayers, which we
recite before and during the High
Holidays, revolve around the “13 attri-
butes of compassion.” These
“attributes” were pronounced
by God Himself to Moshe as
Moshe interceded on behalf
of the people following the
sin of the golden calf.
The Talmud teaches that
God instructed Moshe that
when we ask for forgiveness,
we must invoke these 13 attributes that
describe various aspects of God’s compas-
sion toward His beloved nation.
Most of these attributes — qualities
like rachum (“merciful”) and erech apayim
(“patient”) — require little explanation.
The first, however, seems more difficult
to understand, as it is simply one of God’s
Names, the Name of “Havaya,” spelled yud-
hei-vav-hei, but pronounced “Ado-nai.”
This Name, somehow, represents one of the
attributes of mercy which we invoke as we
beg for God’s forgiveness.
One explanation arises from the rabbis’
understanding of this Name as an allusion
to the phrase היהי הווה היה — “was, is and
will be.” The Name of Havaya expresses
God’s transcending time, that for Him,
there is no difference at all between the
past, the present and the future. He sees
everything simultaneously — everything
that is happening now, everything that has
ever happened in the past and everything
that will happen in the future.
We do not pronounce the Name of
Havaya the way it is written because we
are incapable of this perspective and can
perceive only that which we see and expe-
rience in the present, remember a small
fraction of past experiences and only
guess about the future.
This implication of the Name “Havaya”
might explain why it is associated with
God’s compassion. When we see some-
body act improperly, our assessment of
the individual and the act is, necessarily, a
function of our very limited purview. But
God sees the broader picture. He knows
everything about this person’s past and is,
therefore, able to put this particular mis-
deed into a broader perspective and view
it against the backdrop of the individual’s
upbringing and experiences throughout
his life.
And, God also knows the future. He
knows that any mistake a person makes
is not necessarily the last chapter of the
book, so to speak. He knows, already now,
whether the person will learn and grow
from this mistake, such that it will become
a valuable learning experience, rather than
simply a failure.
When a negative action is viewed from
the perspective of היהי הווה היה — past,
present and future — it can be assessed
with compassion, with an awareness of the
countless mitigating factors involved and
of the prospect of future growth. And thus
the Name of Havaya is associated with
God’s unparalleled mercy.
Many rabbis have taught that we earn
God’s mercy not by simply invoking these
13 attributes, but also by applying them
to our interpersonal relationships, by
following God’s example of compassion
in our dealings with people. Accordingly,
the attribute of “Havaya” informs us of
the way we are to regard our fellow —
with the perspective of “past, present and
future.”
There is so much about other people
that we don’t know. There are so many
reasons why people act and speak as they
do. There is so much invisible “baggage”
that we all carry.
And, no less importantly, everyone has
the capacity to change and improve. The
mistakes people make are not their final
word. We need to believe in them and give
them a chance to grow and recover.
This perspective will help us be more
compassionate and forgiving, in the merit
of which we will be worthy of God’s com-
passion and forgiveness, and a year filled
with joy and blessings, amen.
Rabbi Dov Loketch is a rabbi at Agudas Yisrael Mogen
Avraham synagogue in Southfield.
The Compassion of Transcending Time
Rabbi Dov
Loketch