[Avodah] The Two Tablets

[Prof. Levine]

Micha Berger wrote:

 > The first luach, that with the 5 mitzvos BALM, had far more words on
 > it than the second luach and its list of 5 mitzvos BALC. Assuming each
 > text was written to fill the space, this means that the letters on the
 > second luach were far larger and could be read from a further disance
 > than those on the first.

Zev Sero responded

Why would we make that assumption?  Surely it's more straightforward
to assume the writing was the same size throughout.

In his commentary of Shemos 32

15 Now Moshe turned and went down from the 
mountain with the two Tablets of the Testimony in 
his hand, tablets inscribed on both
their sides; on the one side and on the other side were they inscribed.

16 And the tablets were a work of God, and the 
writing was God’s writing, cut right through the tablets.

RSRH writes,

The foregoing offers insight into the various opinions cited in
Yerushalmi Shekalim 6:1 regarding the Tablets. According to one opinion,
all ten commandments were written on each of the two tablets.
According to another opinion, twice ten were written on each tablet —
ten on each side. According to yet another opinion, even four times
ten: on the front, on the back, and on each side. Thus, from the beginning,
there were two copies of the Commandments, and each of the
Tablets was inscribed on all sides. The Tablets of the Testimony thereby
demonstrated that the Torah is to be spread among the people throughout
all its ranks, and that Moshe had no exclusive or excluding position
as regards the Torah.

So it is not at all clear to me what was written 
where and in what size on the Luchos.

Yitzchok Levine 
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