“He Washes the Stain Himself”: The Profound Mercy of God in the Teachings of Rabbi Moshe Cordovero

In his deeply influential work Tomer Devorah, Rabbi Moshe Cordovero (known by the Hebrew acronym "Ramak") explores the Thirteen Attributes of Divine Mercy and explains how a person can emulate God by adopting these attributes in daily life. Each trait, rooted in the verse from Micha (7:18): “Who is a God like You, forgiving iniquity and overlooking transgression for the remnant of His heritage...” reflects a Divine path of compassion that the Ramak urges us to imitate.

Forgiveness That Comes Only from God

The Ramak writes that “v’over al pesha” (He overlooks transgression) represents a unique and lofty Divine act: “Forgiveness is not given through a messenger—it comes directly from God Himself.” He cites the verse from Tehillim (130:4): “For with You is forgiveness.”

What is this forgiveness? The Ramak explains through verses in th books of Yeshayahu and Yechezkel that God “washes” away sin:
“If God washes away the filth of the daughters of Zion…” and
“I will sprinkle pure water upon you…”
This, says the Ramak, is the meaning of “over al pesha”—God sends cleansing waters and personally washes away the sin.

Imitating God’s Mercy

The Ramak then turns to us and asks: If God Himself, in His infinite greatness, cleans the “filth” of human transgression, how can we not extend that same mercy to one another?

“A person must not say, ‘Why should I fix what someone else ruined?’” he writes. “After all, people sin, and God, without a messenger, repairs their corruption and washes the filth of their sin.”

This is not just a lesson in Divine mercy; it is a call to action. The Ramak teaches that just as God washes the stain of sin Himself, so too must we help wash away the sins of others, even if the offense was not ours to begin with.

Moreover, this awareness should inspire deep humility.
“Let a person be ashamed to sin again,” the Ramak concludes, “for the King Himself is washing the filth of his garments.”

The King Who Cleans

To sin, knowing that God—the King—will lovingly cleanse the grime we bring upon ourselves, should evoke both awe and trembling. The Ramak teaches that this compassion is not only a reason to emulate God, it is also a reason to resist sin entirely.

This profound teaching offers a powerful lens through which to view forgiveness, responsibility, and Divine love. In Rabbi Moshe Cordovero’s words, we can sense that God is not only the Judge, but also the One who, in love and mercy, stoops to wash us clean.