Morning Blessings-Tenth of Tevet-Akeidah Meditation

“Master of the Universe! Just as Abraham our forefather suppressed his mercy for his only son in order to do Your will wholeheartedly, so make Your mercies suppress Your anger from upon us and may Your mercy overwhelm Your attributes and deal with us, God, our Lord, with the attribute of kindness and the attribute of mercy. In Your great goodness may You turn aside Your burning wrath from Your people, Your city, Your land, and Your heritage.”

Rabbi Judah said: “In truth, God does heed us and remember us, otherwise, Israel would not be able to stand for a single day in captivity, for so it is written, ‘And yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies…’ (Leviticus 26:44).” God does not requite us according to our deeds. (Zohar III 112a-b)

Application:

It is essential for us, as we prepare for the Tenth of Tevet, to remember that, “God does not requite us according to our deeds,” as we pray for God to protect us from our enemies.

We tend to fall into the trap of believing that we do not merit salvation, much as what happened to those suffering inside besieged in Jerusalem, and to feel that even our prayers cannot save us.

It is therefore beneficial to focus on this meditation that calls on God to use His mercy to suppress His anger; the same attribute of mercy that does not determine God’s response to us based on our deeds.