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