The Two Tablets at Sinai and Why First Equaled Second

Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Ki Tisa 20:1

Curated by Arthur·Translated by Maggid (Beta)·

"And He wrote upon the tablets [the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments]" (Exodus 34:28) — for the first and the second were identical. And how were they written? Ten commandments, five upon this tablet and five upon that tablet, as it is said: "the Ten Commandments."

Themes

MosesSinaiSinCommandmentsWisdom

Biblical References

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Mekhilta DeRabbi YishmaelWhen God Offered the Torah to the Israelites at Mount SinaiWhen God offered the Torah to the Israelites at Mount Sinai, the entire nation responded with one of the most remarkable declarations in all of Scripture. As thMekhilta DeRabbi YishmaelGod's Bargain at Sinai - Accept My Rule Then Accept My LawsBefore God gave a single commandment at Sinai, He made a remarkable statement that the Mekhilta preserves as a kind of divine negotiation. "I am the Lord your GSifrei DevarimThe Debate Over What God Commanded Us to RepeatThat’s something Jewish tradition has grappled with for centuries, especially when it comes to understanding the Torah.It's all about the idea of repetition, orSifrei DevarimAre the Ten Commandments Included in the TefillinSifrei Devarim turns to Are the Ten Commandments Included in the Tefillin. The question? Whether the Ten Commandments are included in the commandment to bind thMidrash Tanchuma Buber, ChukatHow Israel Lost the Glory of Sinai at the Golden CalfWho is the wise man? Israel, says the verse, for of them it is written, "Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people." And who knows the interprBook of JasherAbraham and Creation of MosesThe Book of Jasher, an ancient Hebrew text referenced in the Bible itself (Joshua 10:13 and (2 Samuel 1:1)8), fills in some of those gaps. It's like a behind-th