The Second Tablets: Twice The Wisdom, Twice The Comfort
Feb 21, 2019
ืืกืณื
?Why did Moshe break the Tablets
Exodus 34
ืึทืึผึนึคืืึถืจ ืึฐืืึธืึ ืึถืึพืึนืฉืึถึื ืคึผึฐืกึธืึพืึฐืึธึ ืฉืึฐื ึตึฝืึพืึปืึนึฅืช ืึฒืึธื ึดึืื ืึผึธืจึดืืฉืึนื ึดึืื ืึฐืึธืชึทืึฐืชึผึดืึ ืขึทืึพืึทืึผึปืึนึืช ืึถืชึพืึทืึผึฐืึธืจึดึืื ืึฒืฉืึถึฅืจ ืึธืึืึผ ืขึทืึพืึทืึผึปืึนึฅืช ืึธืจึดืืฉืึนื ึดึืื ืึฒืฉืึถึฅืจ ืฉืึดืึผึทึฝืจึฐืชึผึธื
“Hashem said to Moses: “Carve two tablets of stone like the first, and I will inscribe upon the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you shattered.”
Shabbat 87a
ืฉืืจ ืืช ืืืืืืช ืืื ืืจืืฉ ืืืจ ืืื ืคืกื ืฉืืื ืืื ืืชืจืื ืืฆืืช ืืืจื ืชืืจื ืืื ืื ื ืืจ ืื ืืืื ืื ืืชืืจื ืืืื [ืืื] ืืืฉืจืื ืืฉืืืืื ืขื ืืืช ืืื ืืืื ืืื ืื ืืืกืืื ืืงืืืฉ ืืจืื ืืื ืขื ืืื ืฉื ืืืจ ืืฉืจ ืฉืืจืช ืืืืจ ืจืืฉ ืืงืืฉ ืืืฉืจ ืืื ืฉืฉืืจืช
“And he broke the tablets following the sin of the Golden Calf. What source did he interpret that led him to do so? Moses said: With regard to the Paschal lamb, which is only one of six hundred and thirteen Mitzvot, the Torah stated: “And the Lord said unto Moses and Aaron: This is the ordinance of the Paschal offering; no alien shall eat of it” (Exodus 12:43), referring not only to gentiles, but to apostate Jews as well. Regarding the tablets, which represented the entire Torah, and Israel at that moment were apostates, as they were worshipping the calf, all the more so are they not worthy of receiving the Torah. And from where do we derive that the Holy One, Blessed be He, agreed with his reasoning? As it is stated: “The first tablets which you broke [asher shibarta]” (Exodus 34:1), and Reish Lakish said: The word asher is an allusion to the phrase: May your strength be true [yishar koแธฅakha] due to the fact that you broke the tablets.”
2. Hidden Wisdom
Midrash Rabbah 46
: ืึฐืึทืึผึถื ืึฐืึธ ืชึผึทืขึฒืึปืืึนืช ืึธืึฐืึธื, ืึทืชึผึธื ืืึนืฆึตื ืึผึฐืฉืึธืขึธื ืฉืึถืึธืึทืจ ืืึน ืึทืงึผึธืืึนืฉื ืึผึธืจืึผืึฐ ืืึผื (ืฉืืืช ืื, ื): ืึถืึฐ ืจึตื ืึผึดื ืฉืึดืึตืช ืขึทืึผึฐืึธ, ืึธืึธื ืชึผืึนืคึตืก ืึผึทืึผืึผืืึนืช ืึฐืึนื ืึธืึธื ืึทืึฒืึดืื ืฉืึถืึธืึฐืืึผ ืึดืฉืึฐืจึธืึตื, ืึธืึทืจ ืึดื ืึตืื ึดื ืจืึนืึถื ืึตืื ึดื ืึทืึฒืึดืื..
ืึดืชึฐืึดืื ืึดืฆึฐืึทืขึตืจ ืขึทื ืฉืึดืึผืึผืจ ืึทืึผืึผืืึนืช, ืึฐืึธืึทืจ ืืึน ืึทืงึผึธืืึนืฉื ืึผึธืจืึผืึฐ ืืึผื ืึทื ืชึผึดืฆึฐืึธืขึตืจ ืึผึทืึผืึผืืึนืช ืึธืจึดืืฉืืึนื ืึนืช, ืฉืึถืึนื ืึธืืึผ ืึถืึผึธื ืขึฒืฉืึถืจึถืช ืึทืึผึดืึผึฐืจืึนืช ืึฐืึธื, ืึผืึทืึผืึผืืึนืช ืึทืฉึผืึฐื ึดืึผึดืื ืึฒื ึดื ื ืึนืชึตื ืึฐืึธ ืฉืึถืึฐืึตื ืึธืึถื ืึฒืึธืืึนืช ืึดืึฐืจึธืฉื ืึฐืึทืึผึธืืึนืช, ืึฒืึธื ืืึผื ืึดืึฐืชึดืื: ืึฐืึทืึผึถื ืึฐืึธ ืชึผึทืขึฒืึปืืึนืช ืึธืึฐืึธื ืึผึดื ืึดืคึฐืึทืึดื ืึฐืชืึผืฉืึดืึผึธื, ืึฐืึนื ืขืึนื, ืึถืึผึธื ืฉืึถืึทืชึผึธื ืึฐืึปืฉึผืึธึนืจ ืฉืึถืึผึธืึทืึฐืชึผึดื ืึฐืึธ ืขึทื ืึทืึผึธืึธื ืฉืึถืึผึฐืึธ, ืฉืึถื ึผึถืึฑืึทืจ (ืืืื ืื, ื): ืึฐืึทืข ืึผึดื ืึทืฉึผืึถื ืึฐืึธ ืึฑืืึนืึผึท ืึตืขึฒืึนื ึถืึธ.
“He started feeling bad that he broken the tablets, G-d told him: Do not feel bad about the first tablets, for they only contained the ten commandments, however in the second tablets i will give you, that they will have Halcaha Midrash and Agadah, this is what is said: (Job 11): i will tell you hidden wisdom for it shall be double comforting.”
ืขืืจืืืื ื ืดื ื:ืืดื-ืืณ
ืื"ืจ (ืืืืขืืจ) ืืื ืืืชืื (ืฉืืืช ืื, ืื) ืืจืืช ืขื ืืืืืืช ืืืืื ืื ื ืฉืชืืจื ืืืืืช ืืจืืฉืื ืืช ืื ื ืฉืชืืื ืชืืจื ืืืฉืจืื ืจื ืืื ืืจ ืืขืงื ืืืจ ืืื ืื ืืืื ืืืฉืื ืฉืืืืช ืืื ืฉื ืืืจ ืืจืืช ืื ืชืืงืจื ืืจืืช ืืื ืืืจืืช
Eruvin 54a:19-20
“..And, lastly, Rabbi Eliezer said: What is the meaning of that which is written: “And the tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved upon the tablets” (Exodus 32:16)? This teaches that had the first tablets, the subject of this verse, not been broken, the Torah would never have been forgotten from the Jewish people, as the Torah would have been engraved upon their hearts. Rav Aแธฅa bar Ya’akov said: Had the tablets not been broken, no nation or tongue would ever have ruled over them, as it is stated: “Engraved”; do not read it engraved [แธฅarut] but rather freedom -แธฅeirut.”]
G-d desires the human effort
Rambam Introduction to the Mishnah 2:1-26
Know that each commandment that the Holy One, blessed be He, gave to Moshe, our teacher – peace be upon him – was given to him with its explanation. He would say to him the commandment and afterward tell him its explanation and content; and [so too with] everything that is included in the Book of the Torah. And the manner of its teaching to Israel is as it is said in Eruvin 54b.
Malbim on Exodus 34:1:1
Carve out two stone tablets: If the first tablets had not been broken, those who studied Torah would never forget what they had learned. The Divinely fashioned tablets paralleled the angelic level of the Israelites themselves and the writing upon them symbolized the Divine word engraved upon their hearts. After the sin, however, just as the Israelites returned to the level of ordinary human beings, so were the second tablets of human origin. Nevertheless, God commanded Moshe to carve them himself, knowing that in his saintliness he would prepare them properly to receive the holy script.
Deuteronomy 34:12
ืจืฉ"ื ืขื ืืืจืื ืืดื:ืืดื:ืืณ ืืขืื ื ืื ืืฉืจืื. ืฉื ืฉืื ืืื ืืฉืืืจ ืืืืืืช ืืขืื ืืื, ืฉื ืืืจ ืึธืึฒืฉืึทืึผึฐืจึตื ืึฐืขึตืื ึตืืึถื (ืืืจืื ื, ืื), ืืืกืืืื ืืขืช ืืงื"ื ืืืขืชื, ืฉื ืืืจ ืึฒืฉืึถืจ ืฉืึดืึผึทืจึฐืชึผึธ (ืฉืืืช ืื, ื), ืืืฉืจ ืืื ืฉืฉืืจืช (ืฉืืช ืคื):
ืืขืื ื ืื ืืฉืจืื WHICH MOSES SHOWED] BEFORE THE EYES OF ALL ISRAEL — This refers to the fact that his heart inspired him to shatter the Tablets before their eyes, as it is said, (Deuteronomy 9:17) “And I broke them before your eyes” (Sifrei Devarim 357:45), and the opinion of the Holy One, blessed be He, regarding this action agreed with his opinion, as it is stated that God said of the Tablets, (Exodus 34:1) ืืฉืจ ืฉืืจืช "Which you have broken", [which implies] "May your strength be fitting (ืืืฉืจ; an expression of thanks and congratulation) because you have broken them" (Yevamot 62a; Shabbat 87a)
F. R. Yitzhak Arama, Akeidat Yitzhak, 15th century Spain
Why didn’t God sculpt the second tablets, the way He sculpted the first ones? Because that which is totally Divine is not sustainable in the hands of humans. Therefor the first tablets, which were “made by God and written by God”, were not sustainable. Therefore God told Moses “sculpt [the second Tablets] for yourself” – you make them and I will shape them, thus retaining
both the shape and image of the first ones, but these will be sustainable.”
Broken Tablets are also placed in the Arc
ืืื ืืชืจื ืืดื ื:ืืดื-ืืณ
ืืชื ื ืจื ืืืกืฃ (ืืืจืื ื, ื) ืืฉืจ ืฉืืจืช ืืฉืืชื ืืืื ืฉืืืืืืช ืืฉืืจื ืืืืืช ืืื ืืื ืืืจืื
Bava Batra 14b:6
Rabbi Joseph learned: [The verse states: “the tablets] that you broke and put them” (Deuteronomy 10): [the juxtaposition of these words] teaches us that the tablets as well as the broken pieces of the tablets were placed in the Ark.”
Reshit Hokhma, R. Eliyahu deVidash, Gate of Holiness 16th C Kabbalistic
The Zohar teaches that the human heart is the Ark. And it is known that in the Ark were stored both the Tablets and the Broken Tablets. Similarly, a person’s heart must be full of Torah… and similarly, a person’s heart must be a broken heart, a beaten heart, so that it can serve as a home for the Shekhina. For the Shekhina [divine presence] only dwells in broken vessels, which are the poor, whose heart is a broken and beaten heart. And whoever has a haughty heart propels the Shekhina from him, as it says “God detests those of haughty hearts”.
Kabbalah of the Broken Tablets
ืืืืจ ืืณ:ืืดื ื:ืืณ
ืึฐืึดืึฐืขึตื ืึผึฐืืึนืจึทืึฐืืชึธื ืึผืึฐืึดืฉืึฐืชึผึทืึผึธืึธื ืึธืึผ ืึผืึฐืึทืคึผึธืฉืึธื ืึธืึผ ืึผึฐืึธื ืืึนืึธื ืึฐืชึทืงึผึฐื ึธื ื ึทืคึฐืฉืึตืืึผ ืึฐืจืึผืึตืืึผ.
“To profusely speak the Torah and to exert effort in understanding and expounding in it each day, in order to fix one’s soul and spirit”. To be expanded upon in class…
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