The 13 Attributes of Mercy in Sefer Tomer Devorah

Why I’m Sharing This:

I recently started learning sefer Tomer Devorah, and I’ve been putting in a lot of effort to understand it – especially since it’s based on concepts I don’t have much experience with. So far, the first chapter has been the most approachable for me, thanks to some really helpful seforim and online shiurim that explain things clearly. I put together a short summary to help me remember what I worked hard to understand, and I figured I’d share it in case it’s helpful to anyone else too.

A Note About the Content:

Just a heads-up: unlike most of this site, where I mainly stick to quoting pesukim or seforim, here I’m sharing some of my own thoughts – specifically, which ideas from the seforim and shiurim resonated most with me, and how I understood them. There’s definitely a chance I may have misunderstood something along the way, so please take that into consideration – and if you notice anything off, I’d really appreciate the feedback!

What Sefer Tomer Devorah Chapter 1 Teaches:

The first chapter of Sefer Tomer Devorah teaches us about the 13 Attributes of Mercy (from Micha 7:18–20) and encourages us to emulate Hashem by treating others with the same patience, compassion, and kindness that He shows us. The sefer also explains that through middah k’neged middah, when we act with these qualities toward others, Hashem, in turn, brings those same attributes of mercy down upon us and into the world.

A Personal Takeaway:

It is clear to me that by embodying these middos, we also have the opportunity to fulfill many mitzvos – such as walking in Hashem’s ways, loving our fellow as ourselves, judging others favorably, and more.

1. מִי אֵ-ל כָּמוֹךָ – Who, Hashem, is Like You? (Patience & Kindness in the Moment)

Hashem’s Attribute: Hashem continues to sustain a person even while they are sinning, showing incredible patience and kindness.

Application: If someone is mistreating you, don’t just hold back from anger- go a step further and continue treating them kindly. Just like Hashem doesn’t cut off a sinner’s life force, don’t withhold your goodness from those who wrong you.

2. נוֹשֵׂא עָוֹן – He Bears Sin (Patience & Kindness After the Fact)

Hashem’s Attribute: Even after a person sins and creates מְקַטְרְגִים (spiritual accusers), Hashem continues to sustain them, giving the sinner time to repent.

Application: If someone wronged you in the past and hasn’t yet made amends, don’t just avoid revenge – go further and continue doing kindness for them when the opportunity arises. Hashem doesn’t withhold good from a sinner while waiting for their תְּשׁוּבָה, and neither should we.

3. וְעוֹבֵר עַל פֶּשַׁע – He Removes Iniquity (Helping Teshuvah & Actively Fixing the Damage)

Hashem’s Attribute: Hashem not only helps sinners return through תְּשׁוּבָה, but also actively repairs the effects of sin – cleansing both the sinner and the damage done.

Application: Go beyond just forgiving. If someone wronged you, don’t just wait for them to fix things – help repair the damage yourself. If someone “spilled the drink,” so to speak, be the one to clean it up rather than leaving the mess. This applies to emotional harm, financial harm, or even physical damage.

4. לִשְׁאֵרִית נַחֲלָתוֹ – To the Remnant of His Inheritance (Treating Others as Close Family)

Hashem’s Attribute: Hashem considers בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל His close family and therefore does not rush to punish us, tolerates our shortcomings, and continues to do kindness for us even when we are undeserving.
Application: Just as Hashem treats us with patience and kindness because we are His close family, we must extend the same to others due to our feelings of being like close family. Forgive, tolerate, and do acts of kindness for others. Value their well-being and honor as your own. As it says: “בְּכָל צָרָתָם לוֹ צָר” – “In all their suffering, He suffers” (Yeshayahu 63:9). So share in their pain and in their joy

5. לֹא הֶחֱזִיק לָעַד אַפּוֹ – He Does Not Maintain His Anger Forever (Letting Go of Anger and Showing Patience)

Hashem’s Attribute: Hashem does not maintain His anger forever, even when a person continues to sin. If Hashem does maintain His anger, it is only temporary-He lessens or eliminates His anger, waiting for us to do Teshuvah.

Application: Just as Hashem does not maintain His anger, if we get angry at someone, we should not stay angry at them but should eliminate our anger and not remain angry indefinitely.

6. כִּי חָפֵץ חֶסֶד הוּא – For He Desires Kindness (Valuing Acts of Kindness)

Hashem’s Attribute: Hashem wants us to do acts of kindness. So even if Bnei Yisrael are guilty in some ways, but consistently does acts of kindness, Hashem has mercy on them because “He Desires Kindness.”
Application: Just as Hashem values acts of kindness that people do, we should do the same. Even if someone wrongs us, if they consistently do acts of kindness or even have some other good trait, we should focus on that and forgive them.

7. יָשׁוּב יְרַחֲמֵנוּ – He Will Again Have Mercy on Us (Drawing Closer After Teshuvah)

Hashem’s Attribute: When a person sins and does Teshuvah, Hashem not only forgives them but brings them even closer than before.
Application: Just as Hashem increases His love and mercy for those who return, we should not only forgive people when they apologize – we should bring them even closer than before they wronged us.

8. יִכְבֹּשׁ עֲוֹנוֹתֵינוּ – He Suppresses Our Sins (Focusing on the Good and Letting Go of the Bad)

Hashem’s Attribute: Hashem does not let sins rise before Him. Instead, Hashem suppresses sins. We must still pay for our sins (especially if Teshuvah was not done), but Hashem does not deduct from a person’s mitzvos on account of their sins. While the sins are suppressed, the mitzvos rise before Hashem, flourish, and bring reward.
Application: Just as Hashem suppresses sins and focuses on mitzvos, we should do the same with others. Instead of thinking about the wrong they did to us, we should focus on the good they have done and see them in a positive way. Rabbi Daniel Glatstein (quoting Rabbi Goldberg) explains that this middah goes further than middah #6. Even if a person does not have any consistently good middos, but has done occasional good deeds, we should still focus on that.

9. וְתַשְׁלִיךְ בִּמְצוּלוֹת יָם כָּל חַטֹּאותָם – And You Will Cast All Their Sins into the Depths of the Sea (Letting Go of Judgment Once Punishment is Complete)

Hashem’s Attribute: When Bnei Yisrael sin, Hashem may allow their enemies to punish them. However, once Bnei Yisrael receive their punishment, Hashem does not merely stop their suffering – He turns against those who harmed them and repays them for their cruelty.
Application: Rabbi Yitzchak Breitowitz explains (Tomer Devorah shiur – Part 31) that we should view a רָשָׁע who has suffered as if their suffering has provided כַּפָּרָה (atonement) and their oppressor is now being punished. Since they have received atonement, we should therefore treat them with greater kindness.

10. תִּתֵּן אֱמֶת לְיַעֲקֹב – You Will Give Truth to Yaakov (Fairness with a Tilt Toward Kindness)

Hashem’s Attribute: Hashem deals with people according to their approach to life. Those who follow the law exactly as it is – without going beyond it – are called Yaakov. Hashem, in turn, treats them with fairness and truth, but with a tilt toward kindness.
Application: Just as Hashem treats those who follow the letter of the law – without going beyond it – with fairness and truth, but with a tilt toward kindness, we should do the same.

11. חֶסֶד לְאַבְרָהָם – Kindness to Avraham (Going Beyond the Letter of the Law and Being Treated with Extra Kindness)

Hashem’s Attribute: Those who go beyond the strict requirements of the law-whether in kindness, Torah learning, or other aspects of serving Hashem-follow in the ways of Avraham Avinu. Hashem, in turn, interacts with them lifnim mishurat hadin – beyond strict justice – showing them extra kindness.
Application: While we should treat everyone fairly and justly, those who go beyond the letter of the law in their service of Hashem deserve to be treated with extra kindness. We should be especially patient with them, value them deeply, and bring them into our close circle of friends.

12. אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּעְתָּ לַאֲבוֹתֵינוּ – That You Swore to Our Fathers

Hashem’s Attribute: Hashem extends kindness even to those who are undeserving because of the zechut Avot – the merit of Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov – and the commitments He made to them.
Application: Just as Hashem shows kindness, patience, and mercy toward Bnei Yisrael due to His promises to the Avot regarding their descendants, we should do the same when encountering fellow Jews, even those who have strayed or harmed us. We should remember that they are the children of Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov, and one who disgraces their children also disgraces their ancestors.

13. מִימֵי קֶדֶם – From the Days of Old

Hashem’s Attribute: When a person has no merit in the present, Hashem does not abandon them. Instead, He recalls every mitzvah they have ever done since the day they were born and applies all the 12 attributes of mercy we have discussed to those past merits in order to show them compassion.
Application: If someone has strayed or wronged us and seems to have no merit-making all the other 12 attributes of mercy seem inapplicable-we should remember that there was once a time when they had not sinned or had done good. By focusing on that, we can extend compassion and kindness to them, just as Hashem does.

Credits:

This summary of Tomer Devorah Chapter 1 is based on the original text as well as insights from the following sources:

Tomer Devorah, Chapter 1 – Rabbi Moshe Cordovero zt”l
Tomer Devorah – Artscroll’s Translation and Commentary
The Elucidated Tomer Devorah – Feldheim
The Palm Tree of Devorah – A Targum Torah Classic – Targum/Feldheim
Rabbi Yitzchak Breitowitz’s Tomer Devorah shiurim (online)
Rabbi Daniel Glatstein’s Tomer Devorah shiurim (online)
Dr. Henry Abramson’s Tomer Devorah shiurim (online)