We followed in step with our guide as he led us through the darkness, up the winding trail, over granite crags and slippery rocks. I'm not religious, but the irony of the moment hit me: I'd literally put all my faith in this man I'd just met. For others on the hike, the expedition had deep religious significance. The Bible says this is where God gave Moses two stone tablets inscribed with the commandments.
Moses received these laws after leading the Jews out of slavery in Egypt, a story that is retold during the Jewish holiday of Passover, which begins this year at sundown March But Sinai is an important site for Jews, Christians and Muslims alike, and every night, hundreds of pilgrims make the climb. There are two routes for the 4.
For me, the camel route was challenging enough. I could feel my heart pounding through layers of clothes, and the sweat trickling on my forehead felt like a fever chill. The sanctity of the hike was disrupted by scores of other hikers vying to reach the top quickly to mark their spot to watch the sunrise, and the constant calls of, "Camel ride, camel ride" from Egyptian entrepreneurs.
But I preferred following the guide on foot rather than trusting a camel on the messy, pebbly trail. The hours rolled into each other. At about 5 a. Our guide stopped short of the final ascent; we were to lead ourselves up the last rocky steps to the summit. Your answer will reveal what you think the essence of Judaism and the meaning of Jewish existence are in the world today. In Breaking the Tablets: Jewish Theology after the Shoah , David Weiss Halivni 1 suggests that the first set of tablets was pristine: The second set of tablets was defective.
Our task is tikkun hamikra, "repairing the text," trying to restore the meaning of God's original Revelation. There is a "first cousin" to this teaching. The first set of tablets, Jewish mystics taught, was a purely spiritual Torah, coming from the Tree of Life. But when Moses shattered those tablets, the spiritual element disappeared. But the "majority opinion" is that the second set of tablets was better.
They contained the rest of the Tanach and the entire Rabbinic tradition: "God said to Moses: 'Do not be distressed over the first tablets, which contained only the Ten Commandments. In the second tablets, I am giving you also halachah , midrash, and aggadah " Sh'mot Rabbah Finally, whereas God wrote the first set of tablets, Moses and God, together, wrote the second set.
The new tablets represent the Jewish people's partnership with God. Do we seek the original meaning of Torah or its spiritual essence — or do we create a Judaism of the old text in a new frame? I opt for the latter, but then again, that's just me. You might see it differently. Whatever it is — just do it. Rabbi Peter S. Affiliate Hat ReformJudaism. Although he is High Priest, Aaron demonstrates a lack of leadership for which there are several possible explanations: He is just as frightened by Moses's absence as the people are.
He lacks leadership experience as Moses gave him very little independent responsibility. As High Priest, he assumes that if he distracts the people with a festival, he can bide his time until Moses returns.
He might not understand just how big a violation of God's rules his actions are because his experience with idol-free religion is limited. He might be afraid, as the text indicates, that if he does not do what the people ask, they will kill him Exodus He might see this as his opportunity to ingratiate himself with the people and supplant Moses as leader — perhaps sibling rivalry had become too much for Aaron to bear.
See W. Take Two Tablets Daver Acher By: Jeffrey Salkin. The first possibility: the first set of tablets represented a fuller understanding of Torah. Reference Materials. Breaking News. Iran News. World News. JPost NY Conference. Diplomatic Conference. IvritTalk- Free trial lesson. The Jerusalem Report. Jerusalem Post Lite. March of the living. Kabbalat Shabbat.
Shapers of Israel. Maariv Online. Maariv News. Tools and services. JPost Premium. Ulpan Online.
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