This sheet on Exodus 34 was written by Adam Mayer for 929 and can also be found here
“It happened, when Moses was descending from Mount Sinai, that the two Tablets of Testament were in Moses’ hands while he descended the mountain, and Moses was unaware that the skin of his face was shining from His (God) speaking with him (Moses)” (Exodus 34:29).
One doesn’t just return from the mystical realm of Sinai, go down the mountain and rejoin the people. In Moses’ encounter with the Divine, he experiences the 13 Divine Attributes (verses 6-7) which include Hashem,(the 4 letter name of God) Lord of kindness, mercy, compassion, truth, patience etc. When Moses descends with the Word of God, he is emanating light. The Divine inspiration takes expression in the thirteen attributes of the Divine. Moses’ response to this exalted revelation is the desire and request of The Holy One to remain with the people of Israel, that is to say, let God's presence, these 13 attributes, forever be in our midst (v. 9).
Moses’ revelation was not just a moment of spiritual ecstasy, it was also a deep and complete experience of all the Divine qualities, and left Moses wanting, even needing, more: more kindness, mercy, truth and compassion. These attributes cannot remain abstract concepts, they must be attached to and be part of our regular daily practice. This is why the middle of the chapter continues with the commandments to stay loyal to The Holy One and celebrate before God three times a year at the Temple. The instruction is a way for the people to connect to God, the source of blessings. Experiencing the Divine imparts upon us the need to bring the Divine into our lives; to create and sustain communities with God and God's Holy Attributes at their centers.
One doesn’t just return from the mystical realm of Sinai, go down the mountain and rejoin the people. In Moses’ encounter with the Divine, he experiences the 13 Divine Attributes (verses 6-7) which include Hashem,(the 4 letter name of God) Lord of kindness, mercy, compassion, truth, patience etc. When Moses descends with the Word of God, he is emanating light. The Divine inspiration takes expression in the thirteen attributes of the Divine. Moses’ response to this exalted revelation is the desire and request of The Holy One to remain with the people of Israel, that is to say, let God's presence, these 13 attributes, forever be in our midst (v. 9).
Moses’ revelation was not just a moment of spiritual ecstasy, it was also a deep and complete experience of all the Divine qualities, and left Moses wanting, even needing, more: more kindness, mercy, truth and compassion. These attributes cannot remain abstract concepts, they must be attached to and be part of our regular daily practice. This is why the middle of the chapter continues with the commandments to stay loyal to The Holy One and celebrate before God three times a year at the Temple. The instruction is a way for the people to connect to God, the source of blessings. Experiencing the Divine imparts upon us the need to bring the Divine into our lives; to create and sustain communities with God and God's Holy Attributes at their centers.
Rabbi Adam Mayer teaches Tanach and Gemara at Kohelet Yeshiva near Philadelphia.
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