What did he eat? Did he even sleep? Let's dive into what Shemot Rabbah, a classical collection of Rabbinic homilies on the Book of Exodus, tells us.

The verse from Exodus 34:27, "The Lord said to Moses: Write for yourself these matters," is our launching point. It’s connected to a verse in Psalms 119:71, "It is good for me that I was afflicted, so I might learn Your statutes." According to the Etz Yosef commentary, the affliction refers to the 120 days Moses fasted on Mount Sinai. That's forty days before descending with the first tablets, forty days interceding after the Golden Calf incident, and forty days before descending with the second set. All that time, he was studying Torah!

But what fueled him? Shemot Rabbah offers a few intriguing answers. One idea is that Moses was sustained by the "aura of the Divine Presence," drawing on Nehemiah 9:6: "And You sustain them all." It's a beautiful image, picturing Moses drawing sustenance directly from God's radiant energy.

Another answer? The Torah itself! The text quotes Ezekiel 3:1, 3, where the prophet is told to eat a scroll: "Son of man, eat what you find, [eat this scroll]…I ate it." Why? Because, as Psalms 19:11 says, the Torah is "sweeter than honey and the nectar of ripe fruit." Think of it: Moses was nourished by the very wisdom he was receiving, a spiritual feast. It was the "bread of Torah," as Proverbs 9:5 puts it: "Come, partake of my bread."

But what about sleep? Did Moses ever doze off? Shemot Rabbah uses a wonderful analogy. Imagine a king who loves his treasurer and gives him a limited time to collect gold from the royal treasury. Overjoyed, the treasurer forgets about food, drink, and sleep, driven only by the desire to gather as much treasure as possible. But eventually, fatigue sets in. He thinks, "If I sleep, I'll lose this opportunity!"

Moses, too, was in a similar situation. He was so engrossed in learning the Torah, realizing the limited time he had, that he forgot to eat, drink, and sleep. He feared that if he slept, he would lose precious learning time.

So, what was the reward for this dedication? God says, "You afflicted yourself; by your life, you will not lose. On the first tablets there were only the Ten Commandments. Now that you afflicted yourself, I will give you halakhot (Jewish laws), midrashim (interpretive stories), and aggadot (anecdotal teachings)." That’s why God commanded Moses to "write for yourself these matters" (Exodus 34:27).

Wait a minute... If the script was "the script of God" (Exodus 32:16) and God inscribed the tablets "like the first inscription" (Deuteronomy 10:4), why tell Moses to write for himself? Here’s the key: God was instructing Moses to write down the Torah, Prophets, and Writings, but the halakhot, midrashim, aggadot, and Talmud would be passed down orally.

This distinction highlights the importance of both the written and the oral traditions in Judaism. The written Torah provides the foundation, while the oral tradition enriches and expands upon it, offering layers of interpretation and understanding.

Realizing this profound gift, Moses exclaims, "It is good for me that I was afflicted" (Psalms 119:71); "The Torah of Your mouth is better for me [than thousands of gold and silver pieces]" (Psalms 119:72). In other words, the effort, the sacrifice, the "affliction" was worth it, because it led to a deeper, richer understanding of God's word.

It makes you wonder: What "afflictions" in our own lives might actually be opportunities in disguise, leading us to a greater appreciation for the wisdom and guidance that surrounds us? Perhaps, like Moses, we too can find sweetness even in moments of hardship, discovering that the greatest treasures are often earned through dedication and perseverance.