(א) וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְיָ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה פְּסׇל־לְךָ֛ שְׁנֵֽי־לֻחֹ֥ת אֲבָנִ֖ים כָּרִאשֹׁנִ֑ים וְכָתַבְתִּי֙ עַל־הַלֻּחֹ֔ת אֶ֨ת־הַדְּבָרִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר הָי֛וּ עַל־הַלֻּחֹ֥ת הָרִאשֹׁנִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר שִׁבַּֽרְתָּ׃
(1) Adonai 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.
(א) בָּעֵ֨ת הַהִ֜וא אָמַ֧ר יְיָ אֵלַ֗י פְּסׇל־לְךָ֞ שְׁנֵֽי־לוּחֹ֤ת אֲבָנִים֙ כָּרִ֣אשֹׁנִ֔ים וַעֲלֵ֥ה אֵלַ֖י הָהָ֑רָה וְעָשִׂ֥יתָ לְּךָ֖ אֲר֥וֹן עֵֽץ׃ (ב) וְאֶכְתֹּב֙ עַל־הַלֻּחֹ֔ת אֶ֨ת־הַדְּבָרִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר הָי֛וּ עַל־הַלֻּחֹ֥ת הָרִאשֹׁנִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר שִׁבַּ֑רְתָּ וְשַׂמְתָּ֖ם בָּאָרֽוֹן׃ (ג) וָאַ֤עַשׂ אֲרוֹן֙ עֲצֵ֣י שִׁטִּ֔ים וָאֶפְסֹ֛ל שְׁנֵי־לֻחֹ֥ת אֲבָנִ֖ים כָּרִאשֹׁנִ֑ים וָאַ֣עַל הָהָ֔רָה וּשְׁנֵ֥י הַלֻּחֹ֖ת בְּיָדִֽי׃ (ד) וַיִּכְתֹּ֨ב עַֽל־הַלֻּחֹ֜ת כַּמִּכְתָּ֣ב הָרִאשׁ֗וֹן אֵ֚ת עֲשֶׂ֣רֶת הַדְּבָרִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר דִּבֶּר֩ יְיָ אֲלֵיכֶ֥ם בָּהָ֛ר מִתּ֥וֹךְ הָאֵ֖שׁ בְּי֣וֹם הַקָּהָ֑ל וַיִּתְּנֵ֥ם יְיָ אֵלָֽי׃ (ה) וָאֵ֗פֶן וָֽאֵרֵד֙ מִן־הָהָ֔ר וָֽאָשִׂם֙ אֶת־הַלֻּחֹ֔ת בָּאָר֖וֹן אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשִׂ֑יתִי וַיִּ֣הְיוּ שָׁ֔ם כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר צִוַּ֖נִי יְיָ׃
(1) Thereupon Adonai said to me, “Carve out two tablets of stone like the first, and come up to Me on the mountain; and make an ark of wood. (2) I will inscribe on the tablets the commandments that were on the first tablets that you smashed, and you shall deposit them in the ark.” (3) I made an ark of acacia wood and carved out two tablets of stone like the first; I took the two tablets with me and went up the mountain. (4) After inscribing on the tablets the same text as on the first—the Ten Commandments that Adonai addressed to you on the mountain out of the fire on the day of the Assembly— Adonai gave them to me. (5) Then I left and went down from the mountain, and I deposited the tablets in the ark that I had made, where they still are, as Adonai had commanded me.
וּמָה אֲנִי מְקַיֵּים אֵין בָּאָרוֹן רַק לְרַבּוֹת שִׁבְרֵי לוּחוֹת שֶׁמּוּנָּחִים בָּאָרוֹן
And accordingly, how do I realize the meaning of that which is stated: “There was nothing in the Ark except the two tablets of stone which Moses put there,” which, according to the opinion of Rabbi Meir, teaches that something else was in the Ark besides the tablets themselves? It serves to include the broken pieces of the first set of tablets, which were placed in the Ark.
...The Gemara further asks: And from where does Rabbi Meir derive that the broken pieces of the first set of tablets were placed in the Ark, as the verse from which Rabbi Yehuda learns this: “There was nothing in the Ark except” (I Kings 8:9), is needed by Rabbi Meir to teach that the Torah scroll was placed there? The Gemara answers: He derives this point from what Rav Huna expounded, as Rav Huna says: What is the meaning of that which is written: “The Ark of God, whereupon is called the Name, the name of the Eternal of hosts that sits upon the cherubs” (II Samuel 6:2)? The phrase “the name, the name of the Lord” teaches that both the second tablets and the broken pieces of the first set of tablets were placed in the Ark. The Gemara asks: And what does the other Sage, i.e., Rabbi Yehuda, derive from this verse? The Gemara responds: He requires that text for that which Rabbi Yoḥanan says, as Rabbi Yoḥanan says that Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai says: This teaches that the ineffable name of God and all of God's appellations were placed in the Ark. The Gemara inquires: And doesn’t the other Sage, Rabbi Meir, also require it for that? The Gemara answers: Yes, it is indeed so. Rather, from where does he derive that the broken pieces of the first set of tablets were placed in the Ark? The Gemara expounds: He derives this from that which Rav Yosef taught, as Rav Yosef taught a baraita: The verses state: “At that time the Eternal said to me: Hew for yourself two tablets of stone like the first…and I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke, and you shall put them in the Ark” (Deuteronomy 10:1–2). This teaches that both the second set of tablets and the broken pieces of the first set of tablets were placed in the Ark. The Gemara asks: And what does the other one, Rabbi Yehuda, learn from this verse? The Gemara answers: He requires it for that which Reish Lakish teaches, as Reish Lakish says: What is the meaning of that which is stated: “The first tablets, which you broke [asher shibbarta]”? These words allude to the fact that God approved of Moses’ action, as if the Holy One, Blessed be God, said to Moses: May your strength be straight [yishar koḥakha] because you broke them.
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 B’nei Yisrael themselves and the writing upon them symbolized the Divine word engraved upon their hearts. After the sin, however, just as the B’nei Yisrael 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.
In the morning, Moses woke up to an amazing site. All around him people were looking for pieces of the Ten commandments. There were folks with no legs, or one leg, or broken legs crawling around on the ground. There were old people who would find a few pieces, stop to catch their breath, wipe their foreheads, and say, "Oh, boy, it's hot!" There were blind people who were feeling around for the rocks with the writing on them. There were also some go-fast people who thought about things a little and decided that going fast was okay unless you missed everything that was going on around you. All these people were out there helping Moses in the place where he smashed the commandments....
When it was all done, Moses put the commandments in the box, and then he said to the people, "I know that we should put the broken pieces into the box with the whole commandments. I know now that we should remember that even the broken pieces of God's word are holy. And most of all I know now that nobody is a broken person because of their age or their hearing or because of their sight or their speed or their memory. I'm sorry. I should have known that all along. Thanks to all of you who taught me that really the only broken people are the people who lose hope or who forget that God is with them and loves them always."
While Bezalel put the finishing touches on the Ark, we walked around the base of the mountain again, carefully picking up the pieces of the first set of tablets. We brought them to Bezalel, who placed them inside the Ark. They were beautiful and broken--just like us. We wouldn't forget what we'd done, how scared we'd been, the mistakes we'd made. We'd carry all of that with us, as we went forward and tried to do better this time.
When Moses returned, he laid the newly carved tablets in the Ark next to the old ones, carefully, as if he were laying a baby to sleep in a basket. He smiled when Bezalel showed him the broken pieces already in the Ark. It was the first smile we'd seen from him in a long time.
There is a story that when Moses went up the mountain and stayed for forty days, God personally inscribed the Torah onto the tablets that Moses carried. They were made holy by the signature of the Divine. When Moses descended the mountain carrying these holy tablets, he saw below him the people worshipping and celebrating the Golden Calf. Moses cried out to God, "Look at what the people are doing! If I bring them this Torah inscribed with the Divine hand, they will make this into an idol too. They will worship it instead of You!"
God heard the cry of Moses and sent a strong wind, which blew the stone tablets out of his hand. They smashed at his feet into a million particles of dust, each particle inscribed with the signature of God. Then God sent all the winds--north, east, south and west. They lifted up those holy particles, each inscribed by the hand of God, and scattered them across the wide world until a fine dust covered our planet.
"If the people wish to know Me," said God, "they can ponder and appreciate My Creation. When their eyes are opened, they will see my handwriting everywhere."
Why do you think this was important for the rabbis to say?
What might we learn from the idea that the broken tablets are preserved and kept alongside the new tablets?
What "broken" things are important for us to carry along with us and why?
English lyrics and music by Dan Nichols (2015)
I thank You for my life, body and soul
Help me realize I am beautiful and whole
I’m perfect the way I am and a little broken too
I will live each day as a gift I give to you