Or HaChaim on Numbers 14:18/אור החיים על במדבר י״ד:י״ח

1 ה׳ ארך אפים, The Lord is slow to anger, etc. Why did Moses not invoke all of the thirteen attributes G'd had taught him after the sin of the golden calf? We may understand this in accordance with Rosh Hashanah 17. We quote: "ה׳, ה, I am the Lord before man sins as well as after he has sinned and has repented his sin." In my commentary on Exodus 34,6 I have quoted what the Rosh has to say on this subject as well as my own understanding of it. You have learned that the attribute of Mercy has to be invoked on behalf of man even before he has sinned. In this instance Moses had to invoke that attribute only after the sin. This is why he said השם only once.

2Tossaphot in Rosh Hashanah 17 quote both the Rosh and comments by Rav Nissim according to whom the first word השם in Exodus 34,6 is not part of the 13 attributes at all. It is only inserted to tell us who it is that is reciting the remainder of the attributes. Accordingly, there was never a reason for Moses having to say השם השם. We only need to understand how Rav Nissim could disagree with all the earlier authorities.

3Perhaps we should understand Rav Nissim to mean that he explained what the other authorities had said. When they referred to the two words השם referring to G'd's attribute of Mercy before the sin and after the sin which the sinner repented respectively, they meant to tell us that the quality of G'd's mercy has not changed because man sinned. G'd tells us that there is no new element in His attribute of Mercy as a result of man having sinned. This consideration may also help us answer the question of the Rosh. The latter had asked why G'd's attribute of Mercy needs to be invoked before the sin at all. Actually, it does have to be invoked even then. You will note that Moses also skipped three more attributes of the 13 attributes G'd had revealed to him; he did not mention either קל, רחום, or חנון. The reason was that these three attributes need to be invoked only if someone either finds himself in trouble already and has no means of extricating himself. Or, it may be invoked on behalf of someone already suffering severe pains; it may also be invoked on behalf of someone totally deprived of any of the good (pleasant) aspects of life. Moses commenced with invoking G'd's patience, ארך אפים, which is something He extends even to deliberate sinners. We are told in Sanhedrin 111 that when Moses ascended to the celestial regions in order to receive the Tablets, he found G'd occupied writing the word ארך אפים. He assumed that G'd meant that He extended His patience to the basically Torah-observant people. G'd corrected him saying that he extends His patience even to the habitual sinners. Moses objected saying that those ought to be wiped out. G'd told Moses that he would soon learn that even the habitual sinners had need of this attribute of His. When Israel sinned, G'd asked Moses: "did you not say that I should be patient only with the righteous?" Moses retorted: "Did You not tell me that You extend Your patience even to the sinners?" This is what Moses meant when he said: "now let Your power be great!" In other words, Moses invoked the attribute called ארך אפים. Moses also invoked the attribute of רב חסד, abundant loving kindness, as he wanted G'd to tilt towards love rather than towards retribution when judging the people. He omitted mentioning the attribute of אמת, Truth, neither did he refer to the attribute of נוצר חסד לאלפים, that G'd keeps His mercy towards thousands of generations, as neither of these two attributes were relevant to the situation under discussion. He did mention G'd's attributes as being נושא עון ופשע, forgiving iniquities of varying degrees of severity, as both of these attributes were needed in this situation. He omitted that G'd forgives unintentional sin, חטאה, as it did not apply here either. He mentioned the remainder of the thirteen attributes as they all had bearing on the present situation.