Division
The number thirteen is adopted from Talmudic and rabbinic tradition. There are divergent opinions as to which word they begin and with which they conclude. According to some the thirteen attributes begin with the first "Adonai," in verse 6, and end with the word "ve-nakeh" in verse 7. The single attributes are contained in the verses as follows:
- Adonai — compassion before a person sins;
- Adonai — compassion after a person has sinned;
- El — mighty in compassion to give all creatures according to their need;
- Rachum — merciful, that humankind may not be distressed;
- Chanun — gracious if humankind is already in distress;
- Erech appayim — slow to anger;
- Rav chesed — plenteous in mercy;
- Emet — truth;
- Notzer chesed laalafim — keeping mercy unto thousands;
- Noseh avon — forgiving iniquity;
- Noseh peshah — forgiving transgression;
- Noseh chatah — forgiving sin;
- Venakeh — and pardoning.
According to others the thirteen attributes begin only with the second "Adonai," since the first one is the subject of "va-yikra" (and He proclaimed). To secure the number thirteen, some count "noẓer ḥesed la-alafim" as two (Nissim in Tos. l.c.), while others divide "erek appayim" into two, since forbearance is shown both to the good and to the wicked (comp. the gloss on Tosafot, l.c. and Ibn Ezra, l.c.), and still others end the thirteenth middah with "lo yenaḳeh" (he does not pardon; Maimonides, "Pe'er ha-Dor," p. 19b), Lemberg, 1859), this being considered a good quality, since through punishment man is moved to repentance, after which he is pardoned and pure (comp. Yoma 86a; Aaron b. Elijah, l.c.; and "'Ez ha-Ḥayyim," ch. xcii.). Others term "we-naḳeh lo yenaḳeh" a single middah, the thirteenth being, in their opinion, "poḳed 'awon abot 'al-banim" (visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children), "this being regarded as compassionate since the transgressor is not punished immediately" (Maimonides, l.c.; Aaron b. Ḥayyim, l.c.; comp. also "Da'at Zeḳenim").
Read more about this topic: Thirteen Attributes Of Mercy
Famous quotes containing the word division:
“The glory of the farmer is that, in the division of labors, it is his part to create. All trade rests at last on his primitive activity.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“That crazed girl improvising her music,
Her poetry, dancing upon the shore,
Her soul in division from itself
Climbing, falling she knew not where,
Hiding amid the cargo of a steamship
Her knee-cap broken.”
—William Butler Yeats (1865–1939)
“Slow, slow, fresh fount, keep time with my salt tears;
Yet slower yet, oh faintly gentle springs:
List to the heavy part the music bears,
“Woe weeps out her division when she sings.”
Droop herbs and flowers;
Fall grief in showers;
“Our beauties are not ours”:
Oh, I could still,
Like melting snow upon some craggy hill,
Drop, drop, drop, drop,
Since nature’s pride is, now, a withered daffodil.”
—Ben Jonson (1572–1637)