- How do the "thirteen attributes (characteristics) of God" appear in the siddur? Check out the beginning of the Torah service on holidays. What is different about how they appear in the siddur than in the Torah? Why?
- According to Rashi, on what day were the second set of tablets given? What is the meaning of this?
- According to Rebbe Nachman's Torah, why are there two tablets and not one?
- Why does Rashi say that the name "Adonai" is repeated at the beginning of the list?
- According to the midrash, what kind of stone were the tablets carved out of? What color is this stone usually? What significance is this color in Judaism?
- Who calls out God's attributes? Why?
- How do commentators explain that children and grandchildren feel the consequences of the actions of their parents and grandparents?
The official parshat hashavua blog of www.debatemidrash.com.
Monday, September 16, 2013
13 is a Lucky Number: Exodus 34:4-7
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Why are the first two attributes just "Adonai"?
ReplyDeleteGod is merciful before and after man sinned & repnted
DeleteI don't really get that...
DeleteTraditionally the divine name is taken to imply mercy, rather than justice, According to The Torah, a Modern Commentary. (Its so nice, you say it twice) God is merciful twice, see above comment
DeleteIn some manuscripts, the nun in notzer(extending kindness) is written large. Some people say this is to keep people from reading it otzer, meaning witholding, not extending.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteThat's really interesting. Plus it looks cool also.
DeleteWhy are two attributes saying "Adonai"?
ReplyDeleteGod's name is important, so it sticks out.
DeleteBecause that is showing respect to G-d. Many times in the torah, when there is repetition, it means this verse is important
DeleteWhy is one of the attributes just saying "El, Who is"...That isn't really an attribute...?
ReplyDeleteWell, El means God, so maybe it's supposed to mean that God, well, is God, like a divine being?
DeleteEl meaning the Almighty or Ruling. Adonai literally means my Lord. Every name for God means something, make of that what you will.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWy only two tablets?
ReplyDeleteto save space
DeleteI would say it the other way around; why not just one?
DeleteYeah, I agree with Alex. Why not just one?
DeleteWhy not one?
DeleteI also agree with Alex (;
DeleteConsidering pretty much the whole Tanakh, I don't think God is slow to anger.
ReplyDeletehe is because he did't kill Jonah in Jonah and the whale
DeleteHe lets people repent if they want to, sometimes (Modern Commentary)
DeleteGod killed Korach's whole family. Why not just Korach? That seems a bit aggresive...
DeleteG-d gave us a whole day to repent! Yomkipur. That's pretty nice of him. To let us repent and give us one last chance to be in the book of life.
DeleteWhat does el, who is, mean?
ReplyDeletegod is saying the thirteen attributes of gob because he wants the Jewish people to know how important they are.
ReplyDeleteSo why only 10 commandments????
DeleteWhy would Moshes just start talking about how great G-d is? G-d doesn't even let Moshes in Israel. So what was Moshes trying to get out of this? There must be a reason! Why?!?!?!
ReplyDeleteThis reasoning is part of what We can take from this text. According to Moshe, God is still compassionate, forgiving, gracious, etc, even though people don't always get what they want.
DeleteDanielle/ Josh Bermel: In the siddur for the 13 attribute all it says are good things about God. Although in the Torah, it says good things but also bad things. For example, "does not cleanse completely" Exodus 34:5
ReplyDeleteI think all humans have flaws but I agree with you because I don't understand why God would write something negative about himself.
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ReplyDeleteIn verses 5-7, G-d tells Moses the 13 attributes of G-d. We do this in days of crisis such as Yom Kippur when we are remembering our horrible sins (Stone Chumash Exodus 34 vs 5-7). We do this because we are telling how great G-d is so he will show us mercy.
ReplyDeleteFrom Yechiel, Mia, and Micah
But why do we focus on the characteristics of God and not focus on our own traits and how we can change them?
Deletecause G-d demands respect to help your problems and that is why we say how great G-d is
DeleteI think that Moses is looking up to God. He wants God to forgive the Tribes of Israel for their idolatry, sin, and murder. God is basically putting together everything the Israelites must do once they enter Canaan. He's forming another covenant and made Moses rebuild the Tablets.
DeleteThe stone is sapphire which is blue. The significance this color has in Judaism is תכלת.
ReplyDeleteIn the fifth verse the verse says"And God passed before him and called out: (1) Adonai, (2) Adonai," My question was who said " Adonai Adonai" was it God? If so then why would he be crying out his own name. But if it wasn't then who was it caling out" Adonai Adonai". When I looked in "The stone Edition of the Tanach" i found out that their opinion is that it was God showing moshe how to pray so at the begining he calls out Adonai Adonai
ReplyDelete-Gavriellle Mayman
Why is it that every time Moses sees God, he does so in the early morning (from what I can remember)?
ReplyDeleteThat is a good question... Maybe because in the dawn there is new light and God created light?
DeleteAccording to Wikipedia, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stone_tablets, the Talmud says that the stone tablets were made of sapphire. Rabbi Hanina ben Gamaliel said that there are two tablets because there is a two way covenant with the Israelites and Adonai. According to Rebbe Nachman, the first tablets were presented with great light, thunder, and lightning which made the people worship the golden calf. The second tablets were received quietly and modestly and endured. The two also corresponds to the number of witnesses needed to prove in court.
ReplyDeleteIt says in the Stone Edition of Chumash that God gave us a text to say when we wants Gods mercy. We say it in the Yom Kippur service. We think it's really smart to have a text just for that, that came from the bible.
ReplyDeleteClara and Ruby
In the Stone Edition of the Humash, the translation says that ויקרא בשם 'ה (verse 5) means "And he called out with the name Hashem. Ebn Ezra says that this means God called out to Moses, teaching him the manner of prayer as He had promised (33:19). I thought it was interesting that Ebn Ezra added "the manner of prayer" to this quote. This quote was made into a prayer later on, but it wasn't a prayer then.
ReplyDeleteLike Rabbi David said, it's the chicken and the egg.
Delete"And God passed before him and called out: (1) Adonai, (2) Adonai"
ReplyDeleteMy question is why is both the first and the second of the thirteen attributes of God simply "Adonai"?
I think that the first attribute, "Adonai", means that God Himself is a covenant keeping God.
The second time it repeats could mean that God never changes. That is who God is, and we can count on that constant character.
Why is Moshe carving the stone. Didn't god give the first ones?
ReplyDelete