This sheet on Exodus 32 was written by Michal Kohane for 929 and can also be found here
After 40 glorious days with God, Moses is on such a high, no one can drag him back to mere earthly matters. As he slowly comes down and approaches the camp, he hears loud singing and dancing. ‘That must be the people, rejoicing and readying themselves to get the holy Tablets which I carry down!’, he thinks with great excitement. When he approaches, he sees that the dancing is actually around a golden calf, and his brother, the high priest, conducts the festivities. No matter, Moses is a strong leader, close to God and extremely spiritual. Gently, he places the precious sapphire tablets and walks over with a smile. He hugs Aaron compassionately and says calmly as he turns down the volume, ’seems like things got just a little out of hand, and I’m a bit uncomfortable. How about you and I have coffee next week and process this?’…
If you haven’t seen this latter part, it’s, of course, because it’s not there. The story of Moses breaking the Tablets is famous and widely commentated on: anger, say the sages, is like avoda zara, idolatry! How could he?! I wonder about that too, but then again, I wonder, what if he hadn’t? What if he had taught us that anger must always be squelched; that there is nothing worth getting really mad for, that we have to get things right, right away? I think that would be so much worse.
Indeed, the sages of Talmud (Bava Batra 14:b & Shabbat 97) praise Moses in God’s name: “Way to go on smashing the Tablets!” By doing that, he taught us the power and value and of a second try, of teshuva, trying again. And again.
He taught us that things will break; and that we will be able to pick up the pieces and try again.
If you haven’t seen this latter part, it’s, of course, because it’s not there. The story of Moses breaking the Tablets is famous and widely commentated on: anger, say the sages, is like avoda zara, idolatry! How could he?! I wonder about that too, but then again, I wonder, what if he hadn’t? What if he had taught us that anger must always be squelched; that there is nothing worth getting really mad for, that we have to get things right, right away? I think that would be so much worse.
Indeed, the sages of Talmud (Bava Batra 14:b & Shabbat 97) praise Moses in God’s name: “Way to go on smashing the Tablets!” By doing that, he taught us the power and value and of a second try, of teshuva, trying again. And again.
He taught us that things will break; and that we will be able to pick up the pieces and try again.
(יח) וַיֹּ֗אמֶר אֵ֥ין קוֹל֙ עֲנ֣וֹת גְּבוּרָ֔ה וְאֵ֥ין ק֖וֹל עֲנ֣וֹת חֲלוּשָׁ֑ה ק֣וֹל עַנּ֔וֹת אָנֹכִ֖י שֹׁמֵֽעַ׃
(18) But he answered, “It is not the sound of the tune of triumph, Or the sound of the tune of defeat; It is the sound of song that I hear!”
Currently based in Israel, Michal Kohane is a scholar in residence and student at Yeshivat Maharat.
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