BREAKING UP IS HARD TO DO

 By Rabbi Joshua (shatteringly known as the Hoffer) Hoffman. 

    This week’s parsha presents an account of the tragic incident of the eigel, or the golden calf.  This account is immediately preceded by a statement that Moshe received the Luchos, the tablets of the Torah, which are described as being written by the finger of God (Shemos 31:18). Immediately preceding that verse there is a section commanding the Jews to observe the Shabbos (Shemos 31:12-17). Reb Nachman of Breslov, apparently understood that the verse describing Moshe’s receiving of the Luchos is part of the account of the incident of the eigel.  Since the people demanded the eigel at the very time that Moshe received these Luchos, he derived a message from the juxtaposition of the eigel with Shabbos.  He said that this teaches us that no matter how serious the sin a person commits, even if it is idolatry, in the merit of observing Shabbos he will merit to repent and attain forgiveness (Likutei Halachos 3 pg. 38a). I would like to suggest, however that the statement about the Luchos should be seen as an independent verse, and that this verse taken together with the section on Shabbbos teaches us an important message about the incident of the eigel. 

   The Torah tells us that “Ach es Shabsosai tishmoru” – “only” keep my Shabbos.  The word “ach”, “only,” serves to limit what follows, and Rashi says that “ach” as used here teaches us that the work of the Mishkan does not override the rules of Shabbos, in cases of a clash.  The Ramban however, feels that “ach,” as used here, implies a limitation on Shabbos observance.  Therefore, he says, that the “ach” teaches that in some instances we suspend the laws of Shabbos for a higher purpose. The example he says is breaking the rules of Shabbos to save the life of a Jew in danger.  Rav Moshe Sofer, known as the Chasam Sofer, says that if we take these two laws together, we’ve learnt something very important about the Jewish people.  On the one hand, Shabbos is not overriden by the work of the holiest place on earth – the  Mishkan.  On the other hand, saving the life of a Jew in danger does override the laws of Shabbos.  We thus see how holy a Jew really is.  With this comment of the Chasam Sofer we can understand how the section of Shabbos observance and a verse describing the Luchos, serve together to teach us something about the Jewish people. 

   The verse about the Luchos describes them as having been written by God.  As such, they certainly contain a higher level of holiness. Rav Yaakov Kaminetsky comments that the name of God appears on the Luchos several times, and that Moshe, by shattering them, was in effect erasing a name of God, which is a severe prohibition, and ostensibly a literal Chilul Hashem, or desecration of the Name of God. Why, then, did Moshe break them?  Rav Yaakov explains that had he not done so the Jews would have persisted in their idolatry and would then have to be destroyed.  The destruction of the Jewish people, who are meant to be the representatives of God in this world, would have been a bigger Chillul Hashem than the desecration of the Luchos.  Therefore, Moshe went ahead and broke them.  The section of Shabbos, as we have seen, teaches us about the holiness of the Jewish people, while the verse on the Luchos teaches us about their holiness.  The juxtaposition of these two elements, to the account of the eigel teaches us, that, as holy as the Luchos are, the Jewish people are more holy and their preservation takes precedence over the preservation of the Luchos.