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Why did the second luchos require Moshe to carve the tablets himself? The shift from written to oral Torah (תורה) represents a fundamental restructuring of creation—God granting Klal Yisrael a share in His reality. Through Torah Shebe'al Peh, our understanding becomes God's Torah itself, giving us the "space" the generation of the Eigel desperately sought.
The shiur addresses fundamental questions in Parshas Ki Sisa concerning the transition from the first luchos to the second luchos and the revelation of the Yud Gimel Midos (Thirteen Attributes of Mercy). The Midrash states that for the first luchos, God did everything, but for the second, Moshe had to carve the tablets himself (psol lecha). This reflects a profound shift in the relationship between God and the Jewish people. The core difficulty addressed is theological: how can sins simply be forgiven through reciting the Thirteen Attributes without genuine teshuvah and change? This appears to contradict the fundamental principle that atonement requires transformation. Additionally, why does Moshe Rabbeinu—described as the humblest person who ever lived—suddenly become so bold as to threaten God ("erase me from Your Torah (תורה)")? The Midrash relates that when Moshe saw God writing "erech apayim" (slow to anger), he questioned whether this applied even to the wicked, and God told him he would need this attribute in the future.
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Parshas Ki Sisa
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