Daf HaShavuah

After giving instructions for the payment of a half-shekel by every male aged twenty and over, God detailed further requirements for the sanctuary - the laver, oil and incense - and named Bezalel and Oholiav as the craftsmen.

During Moses' prolonged absence, the Children of Israel feared he would never return and persuaded Aaron to supply them with "a god who will go before us."  Aaron melted down the Israelites' earrings and created a golden calf, before which everyone sang, danced and offered sacrifices.  This incurred God's wrath and he threatened to wipe out the people, relenting only after Moses pleaded with him to be merciful.

Carrying down the tablets of the Law engraved by God, Moses heard the revelry and dashed the stones to the ground.  He destroyed the calf by fire, ground it, and made the Israelites drink the powder after casting it into a stream.  Moses called for support and the Levites responded, killing some three thousand of the rebels.

Alone with Joshua in his tent outside the camp, Moses sought God's help in leading the people (who had earlier expressed contrition).  He asked to witness the Divine glory, but God replied that no man could see Him and live; from a cleft in a rock, however, Moses would be allowed a glimpse of God's presence.

With two further tablets of stone, Moses again went up to the mountain. The Almighty descended in a cloud, revealed His many attributes, renewed His covenant with Israel, and repeated the major injunctions.  He then wrote the Ten Commandments on the stone, while Moses transcribed the essence of the covenant.

After forty more days and nights on Sinai, Moses returned to the camp.  His face shone with a Divine glow and the people were afraid to look at him; but he reassured them and repeated all that God had told him on the mount. Thereafter, he covered his face with a veil and removed it only in God's presence or when delivering his word to the people.

It is also Shabbat Parah when we read a special Maftir and Haftorah relating to the Red Heifer , an unblemished animal whose ashes made pure the impure and so allowed them to celebrate Pesach.

Questions and Possible Answers

1. And He said: "I will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the LORD before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy." (Ex.33:18)

...which means, I will act according to "measure for measure".  I will be gracious to the person who is always to say to his neighbor, "I forgive you", and I will show mercy to one who always says, "I will show mercy".  (Razin D'oraita)

a.  Is this the literal meaning of the text?

b.  Must one always be willing to forgive?

2.  The LORD 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. (Ex. 34:1)

  You broke the first ones, now carve yourself new ones. (Rashi)  The first tablets which you received without effort or labor, were easy for you to break. Therefore, "carve yourself" -  with effort and the labor of your own hands, and then it will not be so easy for you to break them. (Ha Rav Y. Nisenbaum)

a.  Do you think that it was easy for Moses to break the first tablets?

b.  To what else might this apply?

 ANSWERS

1a. Probably not.  It means that we cannot expect to fully understand the ways of God.

 1b.  While there are some obvious exceptions, the rule should always be that we are ready to forgive others.

2a.  It is good for the drash to assume so, however, it must have been very difficult for him to do so.

2b.  In the raising of children it is very important to teach them the value of money and possessions so that they realize the importance of taking care of things and valuing the effort required to get something.