[Avodah] Moshe Rabenu got rich from the shivrei luchos

[Micha Berger]

On Sun, Apr 04, 2021 at 02:20:23PM +0300, Marty Bluke via Avodah wrote:
> Today's Daf (Yerushalmi Shekalim 14) states that Moshe Rabenu got rich from
> the pieces of the broken luchos. This statement seems quite strange to me
> given the living conditions in the midbar....

TL;DR: RSS says this aggadita is about how to earn money -- that it should
be coming as a side effect of working on our middos.


It seems quite strange either way... Like the bit about Yaaqov going back
for pachim qetanim, but writ even larger. A means of Moshe
gaining wealth seems to be more than a shade petty and mundane use of
the sacred -- I mean, we're talking The Luchos. And talk about making one's
Torah a "qordom lachapor bahem"!?

Rav Shimon Shkop discusses this medrash in relation to a couple of
others. The full discussion of the Luchos is in the Haqadamah to Shaarei
Yosher, in the fourth paragraph as it was originally published. You can
see it in the original Hebrew together with my translation in Widen Your
Tent sec 1.4 (pp 60-65), available at
<https://www.aishdas.org/asp/ShaareiYosher.pdf#page=19>.

R Shimon asks why Moshe destroyed the First Luchos rather than put
them aside for later. His answer rests on Chazal's idea that anything
one learns from the Luchos Hashem carved would never be forgotten.

    This alleviated much of Moshe's concern, because according to the
    value and greatness of the person in awe/fear of Hashem and in middos,
    which are the Tablet of his heart, this will be the measure by which
    Heaven will give him acquisition of Torah. And if he falls from his
    level, by that amount he will forget his Torah, just as our Sages
    said of a number of things that cause Torah to be forgotten. Upon this
    great concept our Sages told us to explain the text at the conclusion
    of the Torah, "and all the great 'Mighty Hand' [and Awe-Inspiring
    acts] which Moshe wrought before the eyes of all of Israel."[12]

    [12] Devarim 34:12, the closing words of the Torah.

And therefore the Cheit haEigel proved the need for a different kind of
Luchos. Ones that required preperatory work on our part. Which brings
us to this section:

    To my mind, one can use this idea to elaborate what our Sages
    explained in Nedarim (38a)[13] [commenting] on the verse "Carve out
    for yourself." Moshe only became wealthy through the extra pieces of
    the Luchos. This is an amazing idea -- [is it possible that] Hashem
    couldn't find any way to make Moshe wealthy except through the extras
    of the Tablets? But through what we said, we can explain this.

    Because of this change in how the Tablets were prepared, it provided
    opportunity for those who receive the Torah to fear, to accept upon
    themselves the yoke of Torah. Through this, it becomes appropriate
    for anyone entering the gates of Torah to separate themselves from
    all the preoccupations of the world. As they interpret the verse,
    "It is not on the other side of the sea,"[14] that it is not found at
    salesmen or importers.[15] However, if the First Luchos had remained,
    then it would be sufficient to establish a small amount of time for
    Torah, and spend most of one's time trading and buying.

    For this reason, the Holy One showed Moshe as a sign to all who
    accept the Torah that He would prepare their income for them through
    the making of the Tablets; any "extras that are carved away" will
    provide them with income.

    [13] Also in Yerushalmi, Shekalim 5:2, Vilna ed. 22b.
    [14] Devarim 30:13.
    [15] Loosely paraphrasing Devarim Rabbah ad loc. (Nitzvim 6,
    Leiberman ed.)

When it comes to our own lives, "carving the luchos" so that we can retain
the Torah we learn and embody it means working on our Yir'as Hashem and
other Middos. The side effect of such work corresponds to the piece of
sapphire / lapis lazuli Moshe sold.

Kind of like saying that we don't find win-win solutions because they
are a successfull route to making money. Instead Hashem sent Adam off to
work to give him an opportunity to become the kind of person who desires
and works toward win-win solutions in which all of humanity is better off.

(More analysis at Widen Your Tent ch. 7, in particular sec.s 7.5, 7.9.)

I admit all of this description of a nimshal is a destraction from your
question about the logistics of the mashal. But I think it's a pretty
one nonetheless.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger                 Today is the 9th day, which is
http://www.aishdas.org/asp   1 week and 2 days in/toward the omer.
Author: Widen Your Tent      Gevurah sheb'Gevurah: When is strict justice
- https://amzn.to/2JRxnDF                          most appropriate?