The Broken Tablets and the Famine for the Word of God

Another interpretation of "who faint with hunger": the Sages said: when Moses came down from Mount Sinai and saw the foulness with which Israel had befouled themselves by their deeds, Moses looked at the tablets and saw that their writing had flown off from them. At once Moses broke them beneath the mountain; Moses was struck dumb and could not answer a word. At that time a decree was decreed upon Israel that they would learn Torah amid pain and amid servitude and amid wandering and amid harrying and amid pressure and amid having no food; and in reward for that pain the Holy One, blessed be He, is destined to pay their reward in the days of the son of David doubled and redoubled, as it is said, "Behold, the Lord GOD comes with might... behold, His reward is with Him" (Isaiah 40:10), and it says, "Who has given to Me first, that I should repay him? Whatever is under all the heavens is Mine" (Job 41:3). And as the Sages said: for his good the leg of his cow was broken so that his wage would be complete, so Aaron said: had it not been for Korah, that covenant would not have stood firm for me, as it is said, "a memorial for the children of Israel, so that no stranger, who is not of the seed of Aaron, should draw near to burn incense before the LORD" (Numbers 17:5); and Aaron said: for my good the leg of my cow was broken. Another interpretation of "who faint with hunger": "hunger" is nothing other than for words of Torah, as it is said, "Behold, days are coming, says the LORD, when I will send a famine in the land, not a famine for bread nor a thirst for water, but for hearing the words of the LORD" (Amos 8:11). From here the Sages said: a person should learn Torah in dread and in fear, in trembling and in sweat, and let a person look at himself and know what will be of him after death. Therefore let a person lift his eyes and look at the heavens and say: Who created the stars and the constellations in the firmament and gave a place and a way and a path to each one? And likewise let him look at the earth and see how many towers the idolatrous kingdom built; who cut them down and threw them to the ground? And how many towers the kingdom of Media built; who cut them down and threw them to the ground? Who kicked over the first tower and put its head in one place and its body in another, twenty-one miles between this and that? as it is said, "Your heart shall meditate on the dread; where is the scribe, where is the weigher, where is he who counted the towers?" (Isaiah 33:18). From here the Sages said: a person should always be in fear of Heaven, complete fear, fear upon the truth, acknowledging the truth and speaking truth in his heart; and every single day let him rise early and say: Master of all the worlds and Lord of lords, it is not on account of our righteous acts that we cast our supplications before You, but on account of Your abundant mercies. What are we, what is our life, what is our kindness, what is our righteousness, what is our salvation, what is our strength, what is our might? What shall we say before You, O LORD our God and God of our fathers? Are not all the mighty as nothing before You, and the men of renown as though they never were, and the wise as without knowledge, and the discerning as without understanding? For most of their deeds are emptiness, and the days of their life are vanity before You, and the advantage of man over beast is nothing, for all is vanity. But we are Your people, the children of Your covenant, the children of Abraham who loved You, to whom You swore on Mount Moriah; the seed of Isaac his beloved, who was bound upon the altar; the congregation of Jacob Your son, Your firstborn, whom out of Your love for him and Your joy in him You called by the name Israel and Jeshurun. Therefore we are obligated to give thanks to You and to praise You and to glorify You and to bless and sanctify and give praise and thanksgiving to Your name. Happy are we, how good is our portion, and how pleasant our lot, and how beautiful our inheritance. Happy are we who rise early and stay late, evening and morning, and say twice each day, "Hear, O Israel, the LORD is our God, the LORD is One." Blessed be the name of the glory of His kingdom forever and ever. You are He before You created the world, and You are He since You created the world; You are He in this world, and You are He in the world to come. Sanctify Your name over those who sanctify Your name, and sanctify Your name in Your world, and in Your salvation raise and lift up our horn. Blessed are You, O LORD, who sanctifies His name among the multitude. You are the LORD our God in heaven and on earth and in the highest heaven of heavens. You are true; You are first and You are last, and besides You there is no God. Gather those who hope in You from the four corners of the earth, so that all who come into the world will recognize and know that You alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and who among all the works of Your hands, above or below, can say to You, What are You doing? Our Father in heaven, deal with us in charity and kindness for the sake of Your great name that is called upon us, and fulfill for us, O LORD our God, what is written, "At that time I will bring you in, and at the time I gather you, for I will make you a name and a praise among all the peoples of the earth, when I restore your fortunes before your eyes, says the LORD" (Zephaniah 3:20).