קבלה אויף שמות 34:6

(The matter of the Divine names and principles pertaining to them)
60. [When our teacher Moshe was about to go down to Egypt to redeem the children of Israel, he asked God,⁶¹Exodus 3:13 “Now, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your forefathers sent me to you,’ and they will ask me, ‘What is His name?’ what should I say to them?” He was asking to know the Essential Name HaShem-יהו"ה, which is called Shem HaEtzem-the Name of His Essential Self. Since this Name cannot be grasped by any being other than HaShem-יהו"ה Himself, HaShem-יהו"ה did not fulfill his request, but instead answered, “I shall be as I shall be – אהי"ה אשר אהי"ה.”]⁶²See at length in Ginat Egoz of Rabbi Yosef Gikatilla, translated as HaShem Is One, Vol. 1, The Gate of Intrinsic Being (Shaar HaHavayah), section on Eheyeh-אהי״ה. In Midrash Rabba, our sages, of blessed memory explained,⁶³Midrash Rabbah, Shemot, Parasha 3. “HaShem-יהו"ה said to Moshe, ‘You wish to know My name? [In My relationship to My world] I am called according to my deeds. I may be called El Shaddai-א"ל שד"י, Tzvaoth-צבאות, Eloh”im-אלהי"ם or HaShem-יהו"ה. When I judge the creatures, I am called Eloh”im-אלהי"ם, when I battle the wicked, I am called Tzvaoth-צבאות, when I suspend the sins of man, I am called⁶⁴The Lunar year consists of 354 days. The forty days from the beginning of the month of Elul are days of Judgement. Minus these days, there are the 314 days of the rest of the year, the numerical value of Shaddai-שד"י-314. El Shaddai-א"ל שד"י and when I have mercy upon My world, I am called HaShem-יהו"ה.’” In His relationship with His world the name HaShem-יהו"ה always denotes the quality of mercy, as stated, “HaShem-יהו״ה, HaShem-יהו״ה is a merciful and gracious God.”⁶⁵Exodus 34:6 This is the meaning of “I shall be as I shall be,”⁶⁶Exodus 3:14 that is “I will be called according to my deeds.” (The sages stated that also the names of the angels correspond to their mission, and differ accordingly.)⁶⁷Rashi, Genesis 32:30 based on Midrash Rabbah, Bereshit, Parsha 78.

140. Chochmah of Keter, which is the second head, and is called, The Hidden Brain-Mocha Stima'ah; possesses thirteen influences-Tikkunim, that influence downward. These are the thirteen attributes of Mercy which were given over to Moshe.¹⁹⁰See Exodus 34:6-7. They are:
1. E-L – Benevolent G-d
2. Rachum – Compassionate
3. V'Chanun – and Gracious
4. Erech – Long (slow)¹⁹¹Erech Apayim-Long Suffering (slow to anger), is counted as two, as stated in Talmud Bavli, Bava Kama 50b, “Long suffering to the righteous, as well as to the wicked.”
5. Apayim – Suffering (to anger)
6. V'Rav Chessed – and Abounding in Kindness
7. V'Emet – and Truth
8. Notzer Chesed – He Preserves Kindness¹⁹²Notzer Chesed L’Alalaphim-He preserves kindness for two thousand generations, is also counted as two.
9. L'Alaphim – for two thousand generations
10. Noseh Avon – Pardoning Iniquity
11. VaPeshah – and Transgression
12. V'Chata'a – and Sin
13. V'Nakeh¹⁹³From here we see that Notzer Chesed-He preserves kindness, is a higher level than V’Nakeh- and HE cleanses, since there, kindness is stated explicitly, whereas here, the shortcoming of the recipient of kindness are recognized. Therefore, V’Nakeh only applies to the penitent. – and He Cleanses.

After we have occupied ourselves in the previous chapters with the state of our beliefs that are accepted by all kabbalists, that the Sefirot are ten, not less, not more, in this chapter we want to safeguard the student against from the place of confusion and error, and this is the question asked to rav Hai Gaon [the last of the Geonim of Pumbeditha, lived 939-1038]. And those who asked said: “Will our teacher instruct us, as we have found that our sages of blessed memory [taught] the Thirteen Attributes which Moses, our teacher of blessed memory, received [Babylonian Talmud, Rosh Hashanah 17b, based on Exodus 34:6-7]. And [we found] that Abraham our father of blessed memory in the book that our sages of blessed memory attributed to his name, which is Sefer Yetzirah, counts there ten Sefirot. And we need to learn from his [= your] holy mouth whether the ten Sefirot are the thirteen Attributes. If this is so, we find thirteen Attributes, [but] we do not find thirteen Sefirot. Or are the thirteen Attributes [something] on themselves and the ten Sefirot [something else] on themselves? We need your teaching and are waiting for your answer. Until here the citation of the question.