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EXODUS | 34:6 compassionate — EXOD1022 Even in cases in which the person does n...

EXOD1022 Even in cases in which the person does not complete the process of teshuvah, though, it is not always easy to identify a proper response to the perpetrator, for just as Judaism values justice, so too it values compassion and mercy. This flies in the face of many Christian stereotypes of Judaism, which see Judaism as a religion of law and Christianity as a religion of love. Neither is exclusively true. Christianity speaks much of God's love, but also values justice. Conversely, Judaism places great emphasis on justice and law, but only because it understands love to be most effectively expressed in families and societies where there are good laws. Even so, sometimes the requirements of law must be set aside in an act of mercy. Thus on the Day of Atonement we Jews ask God Himself to move from his seat of justice to his seat of mercy in judging us, and since God is our paradigm, we too must manifest such compassion. The Rabbis said this explicitly: "To walk in His ways" (Deuteronomy 11:22). These are the ways of the Holy One: [This verse]. "This means that just as God is gracious and compassionate, you too must be gracious and compassionate."

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Source KeyDORFFLOV
Verse34:6
Keyword(s)compassionate
Source Page(s)223
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