The Backstory: God has instructed Moses to ascend Mount Sinai and try to repair the damage of the sin of the Golden Calf. God invites Moses to carve a new set of tablets since Moses dropped (or threw) the first set at the sight of the Golden Calf. Amidst receiving these tablets, Moses and God exchange words of forgiveness and compassion. But what exactly can be said at a moment like this, after all that has happened between Bnei Yisrael, Moses and God?
(א) וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֶל מֹשֶׁה פְּסָל לְךָ שְׁנֵי לֻחֹת אֲבָנִים כָּרִאשֹׁנִים וְכָתַבְתִּי עַל הַלֻּחֹת אֶת הַדְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר הָיוּ עַל הַלֻּחֹת הָרִאשֹׁנִים אֲשֶׁר שִׁבַּרְתָּ. (ב) וֶהְיֵה נָכוֹן לַבֹּקֶר וְעָלִיתָ בַבֹּקֶר אֶל הַר סִינַי וְנִצַּבְתָּ לִי שָׁם עַל רֹאשׁ הָהָר. (ג) וְאִישׁ לֹא יַעֲלֶה עִמָּךְ וְגַם אִישׁ אַל יֵרָא בְּכָל הָהָר גַּם הַצֹּאן וְהַבָּקָר אַל יִרְעוּ אֶל מוּל הָהָר הַהוּא. (ד) וַיִּפְסֹל שְׁנֵי לֻחֹת אֲבָנִים כָּרִאשֹׁנִים וַיַּשְׁכֵּם מֹשֶׁה בַבֹּקֶר וַיַּעַל אֶל הַר סִינַי כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהוָה אֹתוֹ וַיִּקַּח בְּיָדוֹ שְׁנֵי לֻחֹת אֲבָנִים.
(ה) וַיֵּרֶד יְהוָה בֶּעָנָן וַיִּתְיַצֵּב עִמּוֹ שָׁם וַיִּקְרָא בְשֵׁם יְהוָה.
(ו) וַיַּעֲבֹר יְהוָה עַל פָּנָיו וַיִּקְרָא יְהוָה יְהוָה אֵל רַחוּם וְחַנּוּן אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם וְרַב חֶסֶד וֶאֱמֶת. (ז) נֹצֵר חֶסֶד לָאֲלָפִים נֹשֵׂא עָוֹן וָפֶשַׁע וְחַטָּאָה וְנַקֵּה [לֹא יְנַקֶּה פֹּקֵד עֲוֹן אָבוֹת עַל בָּנִים וְעַל בְּנֵי בָנִים עַל שִׁלֵּשִׁים וְעַל רִבֵּעִים.]
(ח) וַיְמַהֵר מֹשֶׁה וַיִּקֹּד אַרְצָה וַיִּשְׁתָּחוּ. (ט) וַיֹּאמֶר אִם נָא מָצָאתִי חֵן בְּעֵינֶיךָ אֲדֹנָי יֵלֶךְ נָא אֲדֹנָי בְּקִרְבֵּנוּ כִּי עַם קְשֵׁה עֹרֶף הוּא וְסָלַחְתָּ לַעֲוֹנֵנוּ וּלְחַטָּאתֵנוּ וּנְחַלְתָּנוּ.
(1) And the LORD said to Moses: ‘Carve two tables of stone like the first; and I will write upon the tables the words that were on the first tables, which you broke. (2) And be ready by the morning, and come up in the morning to Mount Sinai, and present yourself there to Me on the top of the mount. (3) And no man shall come up with you, no one else shall be seen throughout all the mountain; neither let the flocks nor herds feed before that mount.’ (4) And he hewed two tables of stone like unto the first; and Moses rose up early in the morning, and went up to Mount Sinai, as the LORD had commanded him, and took in his hand two tables of stone.
(5) And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. (6) And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed: ‘The LORD, the LORD, God, merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in goodness and truth; (7) extending kindness to the thousandth generation, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin; [and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and unto the fourth generation.’]
(8) And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped. (9) And he said: ‘If now I have found grace in Your sight, O Lord, let the Lord, I pray, go in the midst of us; for it is a stiffnecked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for Your inheritance.’