(Exod. 34:28:) AND HE WROTE DOWN UPON THE TABLETS [THE WORDS OF THE COVENANT, THE TEN COMMANDMENTS]. Thus the first and the second (copies of the commandments) were the same.⁹⁰. 99a and Numb. R. 4:20, the fragments of the earlier, broken tablets were deposited in the Ark of the Covenant along with the second pair of tablets. Cf. Acts 7:38–43, which implies that the Torah which Israel now followed was something other than the “living oracles” which Moses had received the first time on Sinai. And how were the ten commandments written? Five on one tablet and five on the other tablet. Thus it is stated (ibid.): THE TEN COMMANDMENTS.

footnotes: ⁹⁰ Exod. R. 47:6. According to Men

(Exod. 34:29:) AND IT CAME TO PASS THAT, WHEN MOSES CAME DOWN… FROM THE MOUNTAIN, [MOSES DID NOT KNOW THAT THE SKIN OF HIS FACE WAS SHINING]. From where did Moses receive the rays of glory?⁹¹., Exod. 9:37. Our masters say: From the cave. Thus it is stated (in Exod. 33:22): AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS THAT WHEN MY GLORY PASSES BY, [I WILL PUT YOU IN A CLEFT OF THE ROCK]. R. Berekhyah said: From the tablets.⁹² R. Berekhyah⁹³, Exod. 406. Cf. Tanh., Exod. 9:37, which attributes what follows to R. Samuel bar Nahman. said: Their length was six handbreadths, and their width was three handbreadths.⁹⁴. 6:1 (49d); BB 14a. Then Moses grasped two handbreadths, the Holy One grasped two handbreadths, and there was a space of two handbreadths in the middle. It was from there that Moses received the rays of glory. R. Judah bar Nehemiah says: While Moses was writing the Torah, a little ink remained on the pen.⁹⁵ (“reed,” “reed pen”). So he passed it over his head (to dry it on his hair), and it was from there that the rays of glory were produced for him. (Exod. 34:29:) MOSES DID NOT KNOW THAT THE SKIN OF HIS FACE WAS SHINING (QRN). All the glory that he received came as an extra reward, but the principal (QRN) remained in tact, as stated (in Hab. 3:4): {AND} RAYS COMING FROM HIS HAND. So when the righteous receive their reward in the world to come, he will also receive his reward. Where is it shown? Where the prophet has so declared, when he said (in Is. 40:10): BEHOLD, THE LORD GOD COMES IN MIGHT, AND HIS MIGHTY ARM RULES FOR HIM. BEHOLD, HIS REWARD IS WITH HIM, AND HIS RECOMPENSE BEFORE HIM.

footnotes: ⁹¹ Tanh ⁹² Cf. Deut. R. 3:12, which attributes this view to R. Samuel bar Nahman. ⁹³ The name is supplied from Yalqut Shim’oni ⁹⁴ See ySheq ⁹⁵ Lat.: calamus

The End of Parashah Ki Tissa