Rabbi Elazar said: what is the meaning of what is written, "tablets of stone" (Exodus 31:18)? If a person makes his cheeks like this stone that does not wear away, his learning endures in his hand; and if not, his learning does not endure in his hand. And Rabbi Elazar said: what is the meaning of what is written, "engraved upon the tablets" (Exodus 32:16)? Had the first tablets not been broken, the Torah would never have been forgotten from Israel. Rav Aha bar Yaakov said: moreover, no nation or tongue would have ruled over them. Do not read "engraved" [charut] but rather "freedom" [cherut]. "Written by the finger of God" (this is written at sign 183).
The Tablets of Stone and the Freedom Engraved Upon Them
Yalkut Shimoni on Torah 391:6
אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר. מַאי דִּכְתִיב לֻחֹת אֶבֶן. אִם מֵשִׂים אָדָם לְחָיָיו כְּאֶבֶן זוֹ שֶׁאֵינָהּ נִמְחֵית, תַּלְמוּדוֹ מִתְקַיֵּם בְּיָדוֹ. וְאִם לָאו, אֵין תַּלְמוּדוֹ מִתְקַיֵּם בְּיָדוֹ. וְאָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר. מַאי דִּכְתִיב "חָרוּת עַל הַלֻּחוֹת". אִלְמָלֵי לֹא נִשְׁתַּבְּרוּ לוּחוֹת הָרִאשׁוֹנוֹת, לֹא נִשְׁתַּכְּחָה תּוֹרָה מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל. רַב אָחָא בַּר יַעֲקֹב אָמַר. אַף אֵין אֻמָּה וְלָשׁוֹן שׁוֹלֶטֶת בָּהֶן, אַל תִּקְרֵי "חָרוּת" אֶלָּא חֵרוּת. כְּתֻבִים בְּאֶצְבַּע אֱלֹהִים (כ' בְּרֶמֶז קפ"ג).