[Avodah] What was actually written on the luchos, zachor

[L Reich]

This reminds of a story told to me by an old acquaintance from Chevron Yeshiva. He heads a Talmud Torah in E.Y. where they learn according to the derech of the Mahral, (concentrating on Tenach and Mishnayos in early years and postponing Talmud until later).

Rav Yaakov Kamenetzky visited this institution and posed the a question to a class. "Which was written on the Luchos, Zochoir or Shomoir?"

A budding scholar raised his hand tentatively and answered "Shomoir".

"How do you know?" asked the Gaon?

"Because we say in Shabbos Shacharis, "Vecosuv Bohem Shmiras Shabbos", was the lad's response.

R' Yaakov hugged the boy and kissd him on the forehead.

Incidentally, The Ramban (Shemos 20:8) suggests that the first Luchos may have had Zochoir and the second Shomoir.  

(Saul Guberman" <saulguberman at gmail.com> posted:-  
"I was just listening to a parsha shiur at  http://www.rabbisitorsky.com , a
Rabbi in Bayswater, NY.  He says that the midrashim state that the first
luchot were written as recorded in Yitro & the second as recorded in
V'Etchanan."  I didn't find this in Midrash.  ER)

As to the way the Luchos were inscribed, one Midrash states that the were written on all four sides. And to respond to a query by R'  T.K; who says that there were precisely five commandments on each stone?

Further details can be found in "Keystones of the World" by Devorah Reich published by Targum/Feldheim in 2002).  Says a proud father.



Elozor Reich





Elozor Reich
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