The Ninth Level: Bury the Past “The Scapegoat (Bury the Past),” illustration of Level 9 by Rebecca Odessa, Courtesy The Wisdom Daily The Ninth Level: Bury the Past Translator’s Introduction  The Ninth Level of Mercy addresses a principal common to both Kabbalah and physics: energy never dissipates of its own accord; rather it is redirected…

The Eighth Level: Maintain a Core of Love “Maintain a Core of Love,” illustration of Level 8 by Rebecca Odessa, Courtesy The Wisdom Daily The Eighth Level: Maintain a Core of Love Rabbi Cordovero expands upon the metaphysics of forgiveness in the Eighth Level. God preserves a core region of positive regard for every human…

The Seventh Level: A Knot is Stronger “Building a Fence (A Knot is Stronger),” Illustration of Level 7 by Rebecca Odessa, Courtesy The Wisdom Daily The Seventh Level: A Knot is Stronger Translator’s Introduction Rabbi Cordovero begins the Seventh Level of Mercy with a well-known teaching from the Talmud (Berakhot 34b): “in a place where penitents…

The Sixth Level: Who Makes Your Lunch? “Who Makes Your Lunch?” illustration of Level 6 by Rebecca Odessa, Courtesy The Wisdom Daily The Sixth Level: Who Makes Your Lunch? Translator’s Introduction The Sixth Level begins with a deeply mystical passage in Ezekiel, set in the years immediately prior to the 6th century BCE destruction of…

The Fifth Level: Release the Anger “Release the Anger,” illustration of Level 5 by Rebecca Odessa, Courtesy The Wisdom Daily The Fifth Level: Release the Anger Translator’s Introduction The prophet Zechariah portrays God as a shepherd with two staffs: one is called “pleasantness” (נאם) and the other is called “woundings” (חובלים). In his commentary on Date…

The Fourth Level: Remember the Family “In the Same Boat (Remember We are Family),” illustration of Level 4 by Rebecca Odessa, Courtesy The Wisdom Daily The Fourth Level: Remember the Family Translator’s Introduction The Fourth Level of Mercy calls attention to the fundamental connectedness of humanity. The Jewish people in particular maintain a strong familial…

The Third Level: Take Care of it Personally “Part of the Process (Take Care of it Personally),” illustration of Level 3 by Rebecca Odessa, Courtesy The Wisdom Daily The Third Level: Take Care of It Personally Translator’s Introduction The Third Level of Mercy addresses the personal role that God plays in the process of forgiveness. Rather…

The Second Level: Let it Go for Now “Whose K’tegors are These? (Let it Go)” Illustration of Level 2 by Rebecca Odessa, Courtesy The Wisdom Daily The Second Level: Let it Go for Now   The second of the Thirteen Levels, “Who Bears Sin,” describes a degree of mercy that is even more profound than…

The First Level: The King who Endures Insult “The Insulted King,” illustration of Level 1 by Rebecca Odessa, Courtesy The Wisdom Daily   Translator’s Introduction Rabbi Cordovero’s discussion of the Thirteen Levels of Mercy begins with an awesome depiction of human sin from God’s perspective. Given that all power in the Universe has God at…

Conclusion “The Insulted King,” Illustration of Level 1 by Rebecca Odessa, Courtesy The Wisdom Daily Rabbi Cordovero’s Conclusion עַד כַּאן הִגִּיעַ שְׁלֹשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה מִדּוֹת שֶׁבָּהֶן יִהְיֶה הָאָדָם דּוֹמֶה אֶל קוֹנוֹ שֶׁהֵן מִדּוֹת שֶׁל רַחֲמִים עֶלְיוֹנוֹת וּסְגֻלָּתָן כי כְּמוֹ שֶׁיִּהְיֶה הָאָדָם מִתְנַהֵג לְמַטָּה כָּךְ יִּזְכֶּה לִפְתֹּחַ לוֹ מִדָּה עֶלְיוֹנָה מִלְמַעְלָה מַמָּשׁ כְּפִי מַה שֶּׁיִּתְנַהֵג כָּךְ מַשְׁפִּיעַ מִלְמַעְלָה…

The Thirteenth Level: The Moment of Innocence “The Moment of Innocence,” illustration of Level 13 by Rebecca Odessa, Courtesy The Wisdom Daily The Thirteenth Level: The Moment of Innocence Translator’s Introduction The Thirteenth and final Level of mercy carries an absolute guarantee: one who masters this level can forgive anyone. The Thirteenth Level renders all…

The Twelfth Level: Remember Where They Came From “Family Tree (Remember Where They Came From),” illustration of Level 12 by Rebecca Odessa, Courtesy The Wisdom Daily The Twelfth Level: Remember Where They Came From Translator’s Introduction              The final element of the triad is Level Twelve.  In Level Ten we…

The Eleventh Level: Do More for Those Who Do More “Serve and Protect (Do More for Those Who Do More),” illustration of Level 11 by Rebecca Odessa, Courtesy The Wisdom Daily The Eleventh Level: Do More for Those Who Do More Translator’s Introduction  The second part of the triad of Levels Ten, Eleven and Twelve…

The Tenth Level: Do the Right Thing Anyway “The Hook (Do the Right Thing Anyway),” illustration of Level 10 by Rebecca Odessa, Courtesy The Wisdom Daily The Tenth Level: Do the Right Thing Anyway Translator’s Introduction  The Tenth, Eleventh and Twelfth Levels together comprise a triad of strategies for forgiving others, particularly people with whom…