As I've been working on the trilogy over the last 10 years, I've often found myself in the frustrating position of drafting scenes of Rashi's family celebrating one Jewish holiday at the complete opposite time of year, while I myself am celebrating another. Thus I have ended up in the bizarre situation of writing about Purim during September and Pesach in December.
So I was thrilled when, for the first time, the holiday I was observing coincided with where I was in my first draft of Book III - RACHEL. In a hint of things to come, I can tell you that I have just finished writing a series of scenes in which Joheved's daughter Hannah wants to blow the shofar at Rosh Hashanah and the family immediately gets into an argument over whether a woman who performs such a time-bound positive mitzvah should say the appropriate blessing. This debate is an important one for medieval women, with Rashi ruling that since women are not commanded, they are forbidden to say the blessings, while his grandson, Rabbenu Tam (Joheved's youngest), insists that they must bless if they perform the mitzvah. Of course, Rabbenu Tam isn't even born yet at this point in Book III, so Joheved and her sisters argue his side against their father.
“Adonai, Adonai, a God (El) compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in mercy and faithfulness, extending kindness to the thousandth generation, forgiving iniquity, transgression and sin and acquitting …”
These verses from Exodus (34:6-7) contains what has become known as The Thirteen Divine Attributes, which we repeat often during our penitential prayers this time of year. Those of you who have read Book II - MIRIAM may recall the scene set during Selichot, when we learn from Tractate Rosh Hashanah:
"Rav Yohanan said, The Holy One, Blessed be He, told Moses, ‘Any time that Israel sins, let them perform this prayer before Me and I will forgive them.’ "
But how do we get 13 attributes from the list above? It's not obvious. It's no surprise that Rashi and his grandson, Jacob (Rabennu Tam) disagreed over what they were, but to put you in the mood for Yom Kippur, here are Rashi's explanation of the Thirteen Divine Attributes:
(1) The first Adonai refers to the Holy One having mercy on the sinner before he sins, (2) The second Adonai after he has sinned and repented, (3) El is the God who comforts us in our dark despair, (4) He is compassionate, (5) and Gracious, (6) He is slow to anger, (7) He is abounding in mercy, (8) and faithfulness, even after scrutinizing our conduct, (9) His kindness extends to future generations, (10) Iniquity means He forgives sins committed willfully, (11) Transgression means He forgives sins committed in defiance of His will, and (12) Sin means, as well as those committed unwittingly. The thirteenth attribute is an interpretation of the next line of Scripture, ‘Yet does not remit all punishment,’ which the Sages in Tractate Yoma clarify to mean that the Holy One does in fact remit punishment for those who repent. Only those who refuse to repent are punished.
Thus we repeat this supplication that Moses prayed after the Israelites sinned with the Golden Calf in hopes that our prayers will prove equally as efficacious. L'shana tova and may you have an easy fast.