因为无酵饼节的原因(The English notice is placed behind) ，本周的摩西五经的通常读经进度暂停，但是在新的周末，犹太人要读出埃及记 33:12-34:26。参见
https://jcca.org/news-and-views/shabbat-chol-hamoed-pesach-3312-3426/
这里是我以前写的一个有关读经笔记：http://mijiale.mypressonline.com/2022/04/19/（出34）为十三平反/
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Because of the Festival of the unleavened breads, the usual weekly Torah reading is paused this week. However, in the new weekend, Jews will read Exodus 33:12-34:26. See, e.g.,
https://jcca.org/news-and-views/shabbat-chol-hamoed-pesach-3312-3426/
The following article is translated from a Chinese article that I wrote some time ago related to this special Torah reading:
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(Exodus 34) The number thirteen
(ChatGPT translation from Chinese, edited by Mijiale）
Thirteen, it is said, is an unlucky number in the West. In China, “thirteen o’clock” is a derogatory term. But in reality, the thirteenth hour of time is just one o’clock, because hours are in base twelve. In Hebrew, “one” is composed of the letters aleph (א), chet (ח), and dalet (ד), which add up to thirteen (just like the Roman numeral for eleven, xi, represents 10+1=11).
So Hebrew culture also associates one with thirteen, and with the best of meanings. They believe that the Creator is one (Deuteronomy 6:4) and that the Creator has “thirteen attributes of love.” In Hebrew, the word for “love,” ahavah (אַהֲבָה), also adds up to thirteen (1+5+2+5=13). (Interestingly, the traditional Chinese character for love (愛) also has thirteen strokes.) The Creator is one, and the Creator is love (1 John 4:8).
So what are these “thirteen attributes of love” that the Jews speak of regarding the Creator? It is based on Exodus 34:6-7.
At that time, when the Israelites, led by their leader Moses, had made a golden calf to worship in the absence of Moses, they offended the Creator. When Moses returned, he, in anger, broke the two tablets of the covenant, which were supposed to be a gift from the Creator to the Israelites. The Israelites would have been destroyed because of this sin, but fortunately, Moses, their leader, prayed for them, and the Creator forgave them. The Creator then prepared to rewrite the two tablets of the covenant to give to the Israelites again. Exodus 33:19 records the Creator telling Moses, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the L-rd.” When Moses accepted the new tablets of the covenant, the Creator declared to him the thirteen attributes of love.
The Creator proclaimed in front of Moses (Exodus 34:6-7), “The L-rd, the L-rd, the compassionate and gracious G-d, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet He does not leave the guilty unpunished; He punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.“
The Jews consider the final statement, “Yet He does not leave the guilty unpunished; He punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation,” to be directed towards unrepentant sinners, not belonging to the attributes of love. The preceding phrases, from the Hebrew perspective, contain the thirteen attributes of love. These can be translated as:
- The L-rd (He is the L-rd before we sin)
- The L-rd (He is still the L-rd after we sin)
- G-d (Has the power to give mercy)
- Is compassionate (Shows compassion for human weakness)
- And gracious (Bestows grace upon us that we do not deserve)
- Slow to anger (Patiently waiting for our repentance)
- And abounding in love (To save those lacking good deeds)
- And faithfulness (Rewards righteousness faithfully)
- Maintaining love to thousands (preserving the effects of good deeds)
- And forgiving wickedness (intentional sin)
- Rebellion (deliberate offenses against the Lord)
- And sin (unintentional wrongs)
- And absolving (vnakei, this phrase is missing in the translation) (declaring us completely innocent if we truly repent).
These thirteen attributes of love, the Jews recite publicly on the Day of Atonement and the other public Fast days. During the Sabbaths in the intermediate days of the Festival of unleavened bread and the Festival of the booths, their special Torah readings also cover these relevant verses.
The thirteen attributes of love of the Creator are so precious for us weak, sinful people! We may fail, but the love of the Creator never fails.
References:
［1］Thirteen attributes of mercy, Wikipedia
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thirteen_Attributes_of_Mercy
［2］ Rashi on Exodus 34:6-7, Sefaria
https://www.sefaria.org/Rashi_on_Exodus.34.7.2?lang=bi
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