Introduction: A Psalm of the Revelation of Hashem's Kingship
Psalm 99 continues the trajectory of the preceding psalms, which describe the revelation of the Holy One, Blessed be He's kingship in the world. Here, however, as we will see in the commentary of the Malbim, it is no longer merely a matter of natural governance, but of individual Divine providence (hashgachah pratit), in which the Holy One, Blessed be He, oversees and judges the world in His own glory. Rashi and the Radak explain that the psalm refers to the era of the war of Gog and Magog and the redemption that follows it, and the Malbim reveals three levels of Divine revelation in the psalm. Let us proceed through the verses in order.
Verse 1: "Tanut Ha'aretz" - Trembling or Collapsing?
יְהֹוָה מָלָךְ יִרְגְּזוּ עַמִּים יֹשֵׁב כְּרוּבִים תָּנוּט הָאָרֶץ׃ - Hashem reigns, nations tremble; He sits enthroned upon the cherubim, the earth quakes.
Rashi explains that the verse speaks of the war of Gog and Magog, when nations will truly "tremble," as it is written that there will be a plague among the nations. Through this - when Hashem is manifested as "He who sits enthroned upon the cherubim" - "the earth quakes (tanut ha'aretz)." The word tanut is related to leaning or tilting (netiyah), as in "my feet almost slipped (natayu raglay)," meaning the earth tilts from its place, like one who leans to fall and collapses.
Ibn Ezra explains "tanut ha'aretz" as "the earth shakes," but he does not connect the word to the concept of leaning. Instead, he states that "it has no fellow" - meaning there is no comparable verse in Scripture. This reflects a fundamental principle observed often: when commentators explain a word, they consistently look for a similar scriptural usage from which its meaning can be clarified. Here, whoever links tanut to "natayu raglay" - where "natayu raglay" is parallel to "my steps slipped," a matter of falling - explains that the earth is collapsing. Ibn Ezra does not link the two words; therefore, in his view, the word has no parallel in Scripture, and he interprets it as an expression of earthquake and shaking.
The Radak addresses an apparent contradiction: in the previous psalms it is said, "Hashem reigns, let the earth rejoice," and "Hashem reigns... the world is firmly established, it cannot be shaken," whereas here it says, "Hashem reigns, nations tremble... the earth quakes." The Radak explains that both are true. "Nations tremble" and "the earth quakes" occur during the downfall of Gog and Magog, and afterward comes "let the earth rejoice" and "the world is firmly established, it cannot be shaken," for there will never be war in the world again. In other words, there are two stages: in the first stage, the earth will shake and collapse as Gog and Magog fall upon the mountains of Israel; afterward, the redemption will arrive, and then the world will be established and never falter again, and the earth - now free of the wicked - will rejoice and endure eternally.
What Does "He Sits Enthroned Upon the Cherubim" Mean?
"He sits enthroned upon the cherubim" means that the Holy One, Blessed be He, dwells, as it were, in the place of the cherubim. Where is the resting place of the Shechinah? Whenever a person stands to pray - if he is outside the Land of Israel, he faces toward the Land of Israel; if he is in the Land of Israel, he faces toward Jerusalem, toward the Holy Temple, toward the Holy of Holies, toward the cherubim atop the Ark between the poles. There, between the cherubim, is the dwelling place of the Shechinah. Even today, when the cherubim are absent, we direct our hearts toward the very place where the cherubim stood. From there, everything spoke: when Moshe Rabbeinu heard the Voice speaking to him, it was from between the cherubim. Therefore, after the Holy One, Blessed be He, destroys the enemies who come against Israel, the world will be firmly established and will not falter, Hashem will rebuild the Beit HaMikdash for us, and the reality of "sitting upon the cherubim" will return - and out of that immense joy, "the earth will rejoice."
The Malbim's Explanation: From Natural Order to the Governance of the Cherubim
The Malbim explains that our psalm continues the preceding one. There, we saw how the kingship of the Holy One, Blessed be He, will be revealed, but this time through individual providence - unlike the earlier psalms, where the governance was more natural. When the kingship of Hashem is revealed in the world through this manner of governance, "nations tremble," as it is written, "Nations heard, they trembled."
The Malbim depicts it in this manner: until now, the Holy One, Blessed be He, was like a king seated in the heavens who governs through the cosmic order, with His throne in heaven. The aspect of "heaven" is governance via the natural order - through the stars and the laws of nature, the regular and natural framework. Now, however, the Holy One, Blessed be He, aligns the heavenly governance to match the spiritual governance required here below, which is the governance of individual providence, wherein He Himself directly watches over everything that takes place here. This is the aspect of "He comes to judge the earth; He will judge the world with righteousness," with which the preceding psalm concluded.
And now, Hashem is as though dwelling on earth and already enthroned upon the cherubim. "He who sits upon the cherubim" refers to the miraculous guidance, administered through the angels who are His ministers fulfilling His will - and this is the depiction of the cherubim: they have two wings, spreading their wings, and although their faces are "like a child" (keravya), resembling a boy and a girl, in any case their form is that of angels. That is to say, a miraculous Providence conducted through angels, rather than through nature and the stars, which represent natural guidance. Through this, "the earth quakes" - out of dread of the great King Who dwells in it. The earth trembles, as it were, in awe of the Creator's sovereignty. This does not mean fear in a negative sense, but rather the opposite: a positive reverence, that Hashem dwells in our midst and we stand in awe before Him, because He dwells in Zion, dwells among us, enthroned upon the cherubim.
Verse 2: Great in Zion, Exalted Above All Nations
יְהֹוָה בְּצִיּוֹן גָּדוֹל וְרָם הוּא עַל־כׇּל־הָעַמִּים׃ - Hashem is great in Zion, and He is exalted above all the peoples.
The Radak explains: At that time, Hashem will be great in Zion, for His Name will become magnified over all the nations - since this refers to the time after He brings down Gog and Magog upon the mountains of Israel, through which His Name will be magnified, "And I will make Myself great and sanctify Myself before the eyes of many nations." And Midrash Shocher Tov states: "Hashem is great in Zion" - when He restores His Shechinah to Zion. That is to say, at present His greatness is not evident, but when He restores His Shechinah to Zion, His greatness will become apparent for all to see.
The Malbim prefaces that three levels are described in this psalm, with corresponding hemistichs parallel to one another: when "Hashem is great in Zion" - then "They shall praise Your Name"; when "The strength of a king who loves justice" - then "Exalt Hashem our God and bow at His footstool"; and when "Moses and Aaron are among His priests" - then "Exalt Hashem our God and bow at His holy mountain." This introduces the stages of divine revelation.
The Difference Between "Gadol" (Great) and "Ram" (Exalted)
The first level is: "Hashem is great in Zion, and He is exalted above all the peoples." Why is He "great" with us and "exalted" to them? The Malbim explains: "Great" (gadol) extends quantitatively from top to bottom, like a pillar standing on the ground with its top reaching the heavens. The Eiffel Tower is great - spanning from bottom to top. By contrast, an airplane is exalted (ram), a hot-air balloon is exalted, a star is exalted - not because it stretches from bottom to top, but because it is elevated and sits in the heights.
The practical difference is this: something that is "great" can be grasped by everyone according to their stature. Even Og, king of Bashan, can grasp the Eiffel Tower according to his height, and a dwarf can grasp it up to a height of five feet. The dwarf holds onto the base of the pillar, the giant grasps it midway up, and each grasps it as far as he can. But something that is "exalted" - I cannot reach it at all; it is entirely beyond me.
So too regarding the Holy One, blessed be He: in Zion He is "great," meaning that everyone can grasp something of that supreme spiritual reality, from the place where His Shechinah rests, according to their own preparation. A spiritual dwarf will grasp a little, and a spiritual giant will grasp much - but the Holy One, blessed be He, is present with each and every person, and even the "dwarfs" can attain something. By contrast, among the nations He is perceived as "exalted," like something in the heavens that cannot be reached - and this is what the nations themselves say: that He is unattainable and does not supervise this lowly world.
We have often noted: the nations exalt Hashem for the sake of convenience. If you will pardon the expression, they kick Divine Providence upward: Hashem is high and exalted - do you really think He sees what I do down here? Does He really know what is happening with me in detail? It is very convenient to live in a world where no one sees what you do, where you can give free rein to all your desires. Thus, "Hashem is exalted above all nations." But we say: "Hashem is great in Zion" - He extends from bottom to top, He is right there with you, and He knows what is happening with you even in the smallest matters.
And measure for measure: since they treat Him as exalted and distant, His conduct toward them is accordingly - "Hashem is distant from them." If you consider Me distant, says the Holy One, blessed be He, then I will keep My distance. We, however, see Him as close - "Hashem is close to all who call upon Him." You call to Me - I come; you need salvation - I save you; I exercise individual Divine Providence over you, because to you I am great. And because Hashem is exalted above all the nations, He turned them over to the hands of natural guidance, as it is written, "Which Hashem your God apportioned to all the nations" - the sun, the moon, and the stars, smoothing things out for them with these intermediaries. This is not an encouragement to worship them, but rather, since they do not perceive Him anyway, He assigned them natural forces upon which they pin their salvation. We, on the other hand, know that although Hashem is great and His dwelling is in the highest heavens, He nevertheless reaches all the way down, and His individual Providence watches over every single person. And He is great in Zion, where His rule is supreme and extensive, for that is the unique place where His Shechinah dwells.
An Allusion: Everything Depends on Us
In the book Otzrot HaHaggadah by Rabbi Zakkai, the verse is explained homiletically. If Torah scholars crown the Blessed Holy One as King and are meticulous in their actions to perform them with ultimate perfection, then the masses, the simple people, learn from them and likewise walk in the ways of Hashem and improve their conduct. But if a person sees that those whom he perceives as God-fearing and wholesome act in an immoral and unworthy manner, he tells himself: Behold, so-and-so does this; all the more so can I allow myself to do so.
By the same token: if the people of Israel accept upon themselves the kingship of the Creator, conduct themselves with proper etiquette, with integrity and love, conduct business faithfully, pay their debts, do not rob or extort, and interact with people gently - they bring about a sanctification of Hashem's Name among the nations, and then the nations too conduct themselves with honesty and justice. This is the meaning of "Hashem is great in Zion": if you, who dwell in Zion, crown and magnify the Blessed Holy One over yourself - then "He is exalted above all the peoples." But if you, who are meant to be a light unto the nations, God forbid turn into darkness unto the nations, the gentile will say: If this is how the people about whom it is said, "You are children to Hashem your God" behave, I can certainly permit myself improper deeds. Everything depends on us: to the extent that we sanctify our deeds, so will His Name be magnified among the nations.
The Boiling Water of the Mikveh
In the same vein, regarding the dynamic between us and those who are distant from mitzvot: the more sacred a matter is to us, the greater the influence it will have even on those who are far. As the Chofetz Chaim once related: He went to the mikveh to immerse and felt that the water was cold. He asked the attendant, "Why is the water so cold?" The attendant replied, "What are you talking about? I just poured a cauldron of boiling water into the mikveh a moment ago!" The Chofetz Chaim put his finger into the cauldron from which the "boiling water" had been poured, and felt that it was lukewarm to begin with. He said to himself, "If this is what the boiling water meant to heat the mikveh looks like, it is no wonder the mikveh itself is cold."
And this is precisely the case here. If we are boiling water - and truly boiling - the mikveh will warm up. But if we are lukewarm from the outset, what do we expect will impact the mikveh, and what will remain of it? The hotter we are, the greater the impact will be on our surroundings, so that they too will be strengthened. But if we are lukewarm to begin with, those who are far will already be completely frozen.
Verse 3: They Shall Praise Your Name - Not Praise Him
יוֹדוּ שִׁמְךָ גָּדוֹל וְנוֹרָא קָדוֹשׁ הוּא׃ - They shall praise Your Name, great and awesome; holy is He.
Radak explains: All the nations will acknowledge that Your Name is great and awesome. The Malbim notes precisely: They do not praise Hashem Himself, but rather His Name - "They shall praise Your Name." For when a person stands before me, I thank him; but when he is not before me and only his name is known to me, I praise his name. So it is regarding the Holy One, Blessed be He: when His Name is heard from afar, I praise His Name; but when He is close to me, I praise Him directly. The nations did not grasp His Divine essence; they only knew of Him through what was publicized from what transpired in Zion - beyond that, they have no comprehension of the Divine. And when they heard that Hashem exercised providence in Zion, they heard His Name and praised His Name.
Three Attributes - Three Modes of Divine Governance
"Great and awesome, holy is He" - these are three types of descriptions, and the Malbim explains that they correspond to the three modes of Divine governance discussed in these psalms. The title "great" indicates that the Holy One, Blessed be He, is the primary cause and the ultimate end of all causes - as we explained, that "great" extends from bottom to top, meaning that everything stems from Him from the very beginning of the matter to the end of the chain of causality. The title "awesome" indicates that He can alter the cosmic order, that He holds mastery over nature and can create a reality in which the natural order aligns with the Divine will. Just as we find with Avraham Avinu, who said before Him: Behold, I have seen through astrology that I will not bear children, and the Holy One, Blessed be He, answered that He would rearrange the stars to align with Avraham fathering a child - Hashem overturns the heavenly constellations to conform to the Divine will. And the title "holy" indicates, as the term kadosh always connotes being distinct and elevated, that Hashem is transcendent above the regular governance that operates through nature: that He performs miracles, which are holy actions elevated above nature. And everything comes from Him, and there is no other power in the world that intervenes in this governance.
Verse 4: Justice, Equity, and Righteousness
וְעֹז מֶלֶךְ מִשְׁפָּט אָהֵב אַתָּה כּוֹנַנְתָּ מֵישָׁרִים מִשְׁפָּט וּצְדָקָה בְּיַעֲקֹב אַתָּה עָשִׂיתָ׃ - And the strength of a king who loves justice: You established equity; You executed justice and righteousness in Jacob.
"You established equity (meisharim)" - Rashi explains that this refers to compromise and establishing peace between people. And where did the Torah establish this equity? "When you see the donkey of your enemy lying under its burden," "When you encounter the ox of your enemy" - for who could see his enemy bestow kindness upon him and his heart would not prompt him to embrace and kiss him (Tanchuma)? Chazal taught that there is a mitzvah to assist one's enemy first, in order to subdue one's evil inclination and thereby foster love between them. You established this equity; You gave us a Torah endowed with uprightness, and one who witnesses this is drawn to closeness and love for his fellow.
The Radak explains: "The strength of a King who loves justice" - then the strength of Hashem, blessed be He, will be revealed, and it will be manifest that He rules over all, and it will become evident to all that Hashem loves justice and that He did everything with righteousness. "Justice and righteousness in Jacob You have performed" - "Jacob" expresses the Jewish people at their lower level. When the Holy One, blessed be He, exiled us, this was "justice" (mishpat), in the sense of judgments and retribution - bringing us into distress; and afterwards He performed "righteousness" (tzedakah) with us - taking us out of exile, for the psalm speaks of a state in which the Jewish people emerge from exile. And all of it You have performed. That is to say, there are not two separate powers in creation as the ancients believed, a power of evil and a power of good, as though we were exiled due to the force of the Sitra Achra separate from Him, blessed be He, and then later the force of good overcame it. It is not so. Rather, both the justice - the punishment we endured - and the righteousness, the chesed He showed us in gathering us from exile, are all from You, blessed be He, and there is no other power besides Him. Then everyone will recognize the uprightness of the Creator, and will not claim that Israel suffers because they are unworthy, but rather recognize that all He did was for our good, and in this, all nations will give thanks to Hashem, blessed be He.
The Second Level: Directing the Natural Order with Uprightness
The Malbim explains that this verse speaks of the second level: You, Master of the Universe, established the strength of a King who loves justice upon equity. That is to say, You are not merely "exalted" - whom the nations view as detached and distant, as if He does not see what happens down here - but rather You are like a judge Who directs everything through justice and according to the law. Here lies the strength of a King Who loves justice, and He establishes His strength upon equity: the King's power and might stem from the fact that He acts with uprightness and leads His people with equity.
It turns out, therefore, that the cosmic order - which is an aspect of Hashem's Throne, the providence operating through the forces of nature - functions according to equity and justice, in accordance with the One Who established it, Who loves justice and loves equity. And so we recite daily: "A King Who loves righteousness and justice." This is the manner in which the Holy One, blessed be He, conducts the nations of the world: with them He guides the natural order according to equity and justice, meaning according to reward and punishment. The nations are governed according to the celestial system, according to the constellations and stars, but the stars themselves are directed with equity. And as we find: "I cut off nations, their towers are desolate," and in the many prophecies of "the burden of Hashem" against Edom and the other nations - the Holy One, blessed be He, exacts retribution from the nations when they corrupt their ways, and this is a providence of uprightness.
Providence with Jacob: Justice and Righteousness Together
In contrast, when the verse turns to speak of His providence with us - "Justice and righteousness in Jacob You have performed." With the Jewish people, the providence is different and on a higher plane: they are not governed by the cosmic order or celestial bodies, but directly by Him, blessed be He, an intimate and direct providence from the Holy One, blessed be He, Himself. This is unlike the nations of the world, who are subject to the forces of nature and the seventy heavenly princes of the nations, which are expressions of external intermediaries, so to speak, through which the Holy One, blessed be He, channels bounty. All the nations receive their sustenance indirectly; only the Land of Israel and the people of Israel are in the realm of "which the eyes of Hashem your God are always upon, from the beginning of the year to the end of the year." This is "in Jacob You have performed" - directly from You, without intermediaries and without secondary forces.
This level, which the Malbim defines as "justice and righteousness," is composed of both. For miraculous providence alone does not depend on what you did or did not do - Hashem simply performs miracles for you; and providence based purely on justice does not involve miracles, but gives strictly what is deserved - if you deserve it, you receive it; if you do not, you are exiled and suffer punishment. Yet the Holy One, blessed be He, guides us with a dual providence: a miraculous and wondrous providence, yet aligned with individual retribution, which is justice. When we are worthy, He guides us in a supernatural, miraculous manner, and in His lovingkindness performs righteousness (tzedakah) with us to bring about hidden miracles on our behalf.
"Whoever Says That the Holy One, Blessed Be He, Forgoes"
In the sefer Tehillos Maharith, the author cites the teaching of Chazal (Bava Kama 50a): "Whoever says that the Holy One, blessed be He, forgoes, his life shall be forgone." That is to say, there is no such reality as arbitrary concession. There is forgiveness and pardon, and there is mercy tempered with judgment, but there is no such thing as having one's sins dismissed without any reckoning at all. If so, who can endure the rebuke of the Creator, blessed be He? What is the remedy? Emulate His attributes. If you wish to merit mercy - and these matters are deeply relevant to us during the month of mercy and forgiveness (Elul) - cling to His traits: just as He is merciful, so too must you be merciful. When a person forgoes his rights in interpersonal matters (bein adam lachaveiro), the Holy One, blessed be He, likewise overlooks his transgressions between man and God (bein adam laMakom) - not an absolute waiver, but judging him with compassion. As King David said: "And to You, my Lord, is kindness, for You reward a person according to his deeds" - if a person is forgiving and yielding, the Holy One, blessed be He, acts with kindness toward him in exact accordance with his deeds, measure for measure.
Indeed, Rav Shteinman would always say: I was young and have also grown old, and I have never seen anyone who yielded and lost. Why? Because when you are willing to pardon, forgive, and forgo, you evoke a corresponding Heavenly providence toward yourself, and from Heaven they forgo, pardon, and forgive your shortcomings. But when a person insists on strict justice, stubbornly demanding every last penny and declaring, "I will not yield; I will sue him," he draws strict judgments upon himself, ensuring that Heaven will deal with him in that very same exacting manner.
"Perform Before Me According to This Order"
Therefore, regarding the recitation of the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy, it is said: "Act before Me in this order, and I will forgive you for all your sins." It is taught that there is a covenant concerning the Thirteen Attributes that they never return empty-handed - there is no situation where one recites the Thirteen Attributes and it has no effect. But take note of the nuance highlighted by the holy books: it does not say, "Recite before Me in this order," but rather "Act before Me." The Ramak in Tomer Devorah explains how all the Thirteen Attributes represent ways of conduct of the Holy One, blessed be He, that we ourselves must emulate. Our Sages already taught: "Merciful, gracious, slow to anger - just as He is gracious, so must you be gracious; just as He is merciful, so must you be merciful; just as He is slow to anger, so must you be." In other words, these are practices we must adopt. This is the meaning of "Act before Me in this order": conduct yourselves according to the order of the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy, and then they will never return empty-handed. It does not mean merely chanting and reciting them.
It is important to emphasize that this applies specifically when one reflects upon the Thirteen Attributes. It has been noted that a person can go through the forty days of Elul, reciting Selichot day after day, and repeat the Thirteen Attributes countless times on Yom Kippur - yet not fulfill the matter even once. Why? Because he did not pay attention to what he was saying. One must pay attention to what is uttered: "Hashem, Hashem, Kel, Rachum veChanun" - what each and every attribute signifies, having the proper intention (kavanah) for each. There are siddurim where this is elaborated, and sheets distributed before Yom Kippur that detail the matter; and for those who wish, there are shiurim on this topic accompanied by sheets explaining what each attribute means and what one should intend while reciting it. Just as with the recitation of the Shema a person already knows how to concentrate naturally because he is accustomed to it, so should one train himself when reciting the Thirteen Attributes. At first it will take more time, rather than rushing through to "Chata'ah veNakeh" without knowing what was said or intended. What is the difference between Rachum (merciful) and Chanun (gracious)? What is Erech Apayim (slow to anger)? What is Rav Chessed (abundant in kindness)? What is Noseh Avon (forgiver of iniquity)? If one did not understand what was said, it is as if the Thirteen Attributes were not recited at all. Reciting the Thirteen Attributes requires focusing on their meaning, and this is indispensable. One should train oneself gradually, and then it will come naturally, just like in the Shema.
Justice and Charity - Beyond the Letter of the Law
Let us return to the verse. When does the Holy One, blessed be He, act with kindness toward a person? When "You pay each man according to his deeds" - when you act with kindness, when you are merciful and gracious, that is how the Holy One, blessed be He, acts toward you, measure for measure. And this, says the Tehillot Maharith, is the plain meaning of the verse: "The might of a king loves justice" - the Holy One, blessed be He, loves justice, and He gave the Jewish people laws for how to judge between one person and another. Even so, although there are laws and one could sue another and insist on everything strictly according to the law, "You established fairness" - You act with the Jewish people beyond the letter of the law, as in "and you shall do what is upright and good," which our Sages interpreted as compromise and acting beyond the letter of the law. Why? "Justice and charity in Jacob" - between us there is not justice alone, not merely "let justice pierce the mountain," but also an aspect of charity.
And as we find with King David: "And David administered justice and charity for all his people." What is justice and charity? Justice (mishpat) is strict law, and charity (tzedakah) is kindness beyond the requirements of the law. The Gemara recounts: when a poor person came before King David for judgment, David made sure that he received what was due in a dignified way. How? He would adjudicate the case, and if he saw that the poor man was liable, he would rule against him according to the law. And since the poor man had no means to pay, David would give him from his own money so that he could pay his creditor. On the one hand, justice - "let justice pierce the mountain," for a judge cannot show favoritism out of pity for the poor, which is a perversion of justice and strictly forbidden; the law is the law, and the ruling is issued against you. But if you have no way to pay, King David would pay from his own household.
This is alluded to in what David said: "I have practiced justice and righteousness; do not leave me to my oppressors." David was deeply concerned that this practice might be exploited by schemers: two people might come to court, one presenting himself as poor and the other as wealthy, and according to the law it would seem that the wealthy man is right and the poor man is in the wrong. David would then obligate the poor man to pay ten thousand, the poor man would leave weeping, and afterward David would pay him from his own pocket to cover the debt - only for the entire thing to have been a charade, not a genuine case at all, both of them impostors, each walking away with five thousand from the scheme. Therefore, he prayed: do not bring me to a situation where people exploit and swindle me as a result of this practice.
In summary: The psalm describes the revelation of Hashem's kingdom in the world: in the first stage, "peoples will tremble and the earth will shake" at the downfall of Gog and Magog, and afterward the world will be established and the earth will rejoice when Hashem returns to be the "Enthroned upon the Cherubim" in His Holy Temple. The Malbim reveals levels of comprehension in the psalm: for the nations, Hashem is "exalted" - distant and unattainable, and therefore they were left to the natural order; but for us He is "great" - spanning from above to below, where each person perceives according to his preparation, and thus "Hashem is near to all who call upon Him" through individual Divine providence. From this also comes the practical message: "Hashem is great in Zion" leads to "He is exalted above all the peoples" - the more sacred and fervent these matters are among us, the more His Name will be magnified, influencing even those who are far away. Finally, His conduct toward us is "justice and charity" combined. Since the Holy One, blessed be He, does not simply overlook wrongdoing, the way to be vindicated in judgment is to cleave to His attributes: to act upon the Thirteen Attributes and not merely recite them, and to treat others beyond the letter of the law - then Heaven will treat us measure for measure, with pardon, forgiveness, and mercy.