Limmud NY 2016

Moses’ breaking of the Tablets is usually understood to be a result of his uncontrollable anger toward the people for building a golden calf. In the rabbinic imagination it is far more. It is at the very heart of the Jewish narrative and central to the way the ancient rabbis understood the meaning of Torah. The story becomes a warning to avoid even the idolatry within religious life, and a reminder of how essential human initiative is for shaping an expansive and interpretative tradition.