Chapter 1 · Me'eimatai

Mercy Beyond Strict Judgment

Lesson 6 of 64 26 min

The sugya asks, in aggadic language, what God prays. Rav’s answer centers on mercy. This is an aggadic portrayal of divine conduct, not a formula allowing a person to cancel a halakhic obligation.

Lesson goals

01Locate the contrast between mercy and anger.
02Interpret beyond strict judgment in context.

Source and decoding

Berakhot 7a

אמר רב זוטרא בר טוביה, אמר רב: ״יהי רצון מלפני שיכבשו רחמי את כעסי, ויגולו רחמי על מדותי, ואתנהג עם בני במדת רחמים, ואכנס להם לפנים משורת הדין״.

Rav Zutra bar Toviyya reports in Rav’s name a prayer that mercy overcome anger, that God deal mercifully with His children, and that He go beyond strict judgment for them.

The sugya asks, in aggadic language, what God prays. Rav’s answer centers on mercy. This is an aggadic portrayal of divine conduct, not a formula allowing a person to cancel a halakhic obligation.

Building the reasoning

1Locate the contrast between mercy and anger.
2Interpret beyond strict judgment in context.

Practice

Return to the source and locate the contrast between mercy and anger. Then explain how the central distinction follows from the excerpt. Mark what is explicit and what is explained by the surrounding discussion.

Lesson wrap-up

The sugya asks, in aggadic language, what God prays. Rav’s answer centers on mercy. This is an aggadic portrayal of divine conduct, not a formula allowing a person to cancel a halakhic obligation.

Check your understanding

Test yourself before marking the lesson complete.

Question 1 of 1

What does the prayer ask to prevail?

Previous lessonDivine Presence in Prayer and Study

Next lessonAn Opportune Time and Communal Prayer