Ki Tisa: Moshe on Mt. Sinai: First Get to Work!

by Rav Yehuda Roth, Yeshivat Beit El, yeshiva.org.il, translated by Hillel Fendel.

This week's Torah portion of Ki Tisa (Sh'mot 30,11-34,35) tells the famous and momentous story of the sin of the Golden Calf, followed by Moshe's smashing of the first set of Luchot HaBrit, Tablets of the Covenant. 

We also find here that Moshe asks G-d: "Please show me Your glory" (33,18). Hashem agrees in principle, but stipulates that He can show him only His back, not His front. 

The Torah does not state straight out that G-d in fact showed Moshe His glory. However, it can be implied that this is what happened later on when the Torah tells us: "G-d passed by before Moshe's countenance" (34,6), and told him the 13 Attributes of Mercy (verses 6-7). This follows also from the next verse, which tells us that "Moshe hurried and bowed his head and prostrated himself." That is, here is where Moshe saw the great revelation of G-d's presence, and for this he bowed down. (The verses at the end of Chapter 33 tell us only that G-d told Moshe what was to happen, not that it happened.)

A few verses earlier, G-d commanded Moshe to fashion a second set of Tablets and to bring them up to the mountain. And here we ask: Why was this command issued to Moshe precisely here, between his request to see G-d's glory and the actual fulfillment, even if only partial, of this request? What is the essential connection between the second set of Tablets and G-d's revelation to Moshe?

Much can be said and explained about the difference(s) between the two sets of Tablets. Here, however, let us just say in short that the first set was on a high level of Divine revelation, and that mankind had nothing to do with making them. Rather, the assignment to man was simply to take from these Tablets as much as possible on his level. In the event, the illumination of these Tablets was so great that Israel was unable to receive any of it, and the Tablets were broken.

The second set, however, are on a level of human activity. It was one of mortal work, of building and constructing and ascending, adapted to a human level. As such, it need not be broken, and can exist in our world, "as is." How do we know this? Because G-d told Moshe that he himself must make the second Tablets! "Carve out two tablets for yourself," G-d told Moshe (34,1). 

The first set, therefore, was made by G-d, while the second set was sculpted by Moshe Rabbeinu. This critical difference expresses the distinction that we stated: Tablets fashioned by Moshe have a human touch and are connected to our mortal world. In addition, the work required to make them symbolizes the work that is necessary for us to climb up from one spiritual level to another. 

Moshe had asked to see G-d's glory, to attain an understanding of Divinity. G-d answers him with a hint as to what is necessary: "I will allow you to see My glory, but first you must 'carve out for yourself' a set of Tablets. First you must work with the spiritual vessels at your disposal, and only then will you be able to merit attaining a level of knowledge of G-d."