The LORD Wrapped as a Prayer Leader and the Thirteen Attributes

"And the LORD passed before him" (Exodus 34:6). Rabbi Yochanan said: Were it not written in Scripture, it would be impossible to say it. This teaches that the Holy One, blessed be He, wrapped Himself like a prayer leader and showed Moses the order of prayer. He said to him: Whenever Israel sins before Me, let them perform before Me this order and I will forgive them. The Holy One, blessed be He, said: If I keep watch over a person's earlier sins, the world cannot stand; rather, it is upon Me to pass over the first one, and such is the measure. Moses stood in prayer and passed over all that they had sinned, as it is said, "And the LORD passed before him," do not read "vayaavor" (and He passed) but "vayaaver" (and He caused to pass over). And so it says, "Who is a God like You, bearing iniquity and passing over transgression" (Micah 7:18). "The LORD, the LORD" (Exodus 34:6), I am He before a person sins, and I am He after a person sins and does repentance. Rabbi Yehudah said: A covenant is made with the Thirteen Attributes, that they do not return empty, as it is said, "Behold, I make a covenant" (Exodus 34:10). "Slow to anger and abundant in kindness" (Exodus 34:6), He inclines toward kindness. How does He do this? Rabbi Elazar said: He suppresses, as it is written, "He will again have compassion on us, He will suppress our iniquities" (Micah 7:19). Rabbi Yose bar Rabbi Chanina said: He bears, as it is said, "bearing iniquity" (Exodus 34:7). The school of Rabbi Yishmael taught: He passes over the first one each time, and such is the measure, and the sin itself is not erased, and if the iniquities are the majority it is reckoned among them. Rava said: Whoever passes over his own measures, they pass over all his transgressions for him, as it is said, "bearing iniquity" (Micah 7:18), for whom does He bear iniquity? For one who passes over transgression. Rav Huna the son of Rav Yehoshua fell ill. Rav Pappa went in to inquire about him. He saw that the world was growing dim for him, the end was near. He said to those present: Prepare provisions for his journey. In the end he recovered. Rav Pappa was ashamed to see him. He said to him: It was so; the Holy One, blessed be He, said, since he does not stand on his rights, do not be exacting with him, as it is said, "bearing iniquity" (Micah 7:18), for one who passes over transgression. "To the remnant of His inheritance" (Micah 7:18), a defect in it: "to the remnant of His inheritance," and not all His inheritance, but to one who makes himself like leftovers. Ilfa raised a contradiction: It is written "abundant in kindness" and it is written "and truth" (Exodus 34:6). At first "and truth," and in the end "abundant in kindness." A parable. To what is the matter comparable? To a king who was owed a hundred maneh by one of his subjects. He sent a messenger to him and said: Come and make a reckoning with the king. He was distressed. He sent another to him and said: Come and make a reckoning with the king. Again he was distressed. What did the king do? He rose in the night, took a purse, put into it a hundred maneh, and threw it through the window. The man rose and received the purse, and began to be glad. Afterward the king sent another to him, saying: Come and make a reckoning with the king. He came and paid what he owed, so this one pays his debt and the king takes what is his. So it is with people: a person commits a transgression liable to death, and the Holy One, blessed be He, waits for him until he marries a wife and fathers a first and second son. Then the Holy One, blessed be He, takes the son from him; this one pays his debt and the Holy One, blessed be He, takes what is His, and the body remains in its place, as it is said, "If you return, I will restore you, before Me you shall stand" (Jeremiah 15:19).