Midrasch zu Schemot 32:19

(Deut. 11:26:) “See, I [am setting before you today a blessing and a curse]. This text is related (to Jer. 21:8), “And (to) [unto] this people you shall say, ‘Thus says the Lord, “See, I am setting before you the road of life and the road of death.”’” It is also written (in Ps. 78:1), “A maskil of Asaph. Give ear, O my people, to my Torah […].” And it is written (in Deut. 4:9-10), “Only take heed to yourself and watch [yourself closely, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life; make them known to your children and to your children's children]: The day that you stood [before the Lord your God at Horeb]….” [This is] to tell you that [when] anyone despises the words of Torah, it is as though he were denying the Holy One, blessed be He,, because He only bestowed Torah so that Israel would be occupied with it day and night, as stated (in Josh. 1:8), “and you shall meditate on it (i.e., on the Torah) day and night.” And it is written (in Ps. 1:2), “But their delight is in the law (Torah) of the Lord, [and on his law (Torah) they meditate day and night].” And when anyone occupies himself with the Torah and fulfills it, [it is] as though he had received it from Sinai. It is therefore written (in Deut. 4:9), “make them known to your children […],” and adjacent to it (in Deut. 4:10), “The day that you stood before the Lord your God….” When Asaph came, he began to say (in Ps. 78:1) “Give ear, O my people, to my Torah.” So also did Solomon say (in Prov. 4:2), “For I gave you good instruction; [do not abandon my Torah].” Israel said to Asaph, “Is there another Torah, such that you say (in Ps. 78:1), ‘Give ear, O my people, to my Torah?’ We have already received it from Mount Sinai.” He said to them, “The sinners of Israel say that the Prophets and the Writings are not Torah, and they do not believe in them, as stated (in Dan. 9:10), “And we have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God by walking in His Torah, which He set before us at the hand of His servants the prophets.” Ergo, the Prophets and the Writings are Torah. As so is it stated (in Ps. 78:1), “Give ear, O my people, to my Torah (in this case to a writing of Asaph).” Another interpretation (of Ps. 78:1), “Give ear, O my people, to my Torah.” This text is related (to Prov. 16:23), “The heart of a wise person, instructs his mouth […].” When Israel sins, they are withheld from anything good; and so you find that, when they committed the act (of the golden calf), everything good was withheld from them, as stated (in Exod. 32:19), “And it came to pass that as soon as he drew near unto the camp and saw the calf [and the dancing, Moses burned with anger; so he threw down the tablets from his hands and shattered them at the foot of the mountain].” Then when Moses sought mercy for them, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “Moses, I created the world only for Torah, as stated (in Is. 51:16), “Moreover, I have put My words (i.e., the Torah) in your mouth …, [so that I may plant the heavens and lay the foundations of the earth].” But they have exchanged My glory for the image of a bull,¹Cf. Ps. 106:20. and you have broken the tablets; so how will the world continue without Torah? He said to Him, “What shall I do?” He said to him (in Deut. 10:1), “Carve out two tablets of stone like the first ones.” It is therefore said (in Prov. 16:23), “The heart of a wise person, instructs his mouth….” For that reason, when Asaph [was alive], he mentioned above (in Ps. 77:21), “You led Your people like a flock [by the hand of Moses and Aaron].”²It is Ps. 77:1 that designates this Psalm as a work of Asaph. Then after that it is written (in Ps. 78:1), “A maskil (a psalm of wisdom) of Asaph.”

Another interpretation (of Ps. 78:1): GIVE EAR, O MY PEOPLE, TO MY TORAH. This text is related (to Prov. 16:23): [THE HEART OF] A WISE PERSON, INSTRUCTS HIS MOUTH…. When Israel sinned, they were withheld from anything good; and so you find that, when they committed the act (of the golden calf), everything good was withheld from them, as stated (in Exod. 32:19): AND IT CAME TO PASS THAT AS SOON AS THEY DREW NEAR UNTO THE CAMP AND SAW THE CALF <AND THE DANCING, MOSES BURNED WITH ANGER; SO HE THREW DOWN THE TABLETS FROM HIS HANDS AND SHATTERED THEM AT THE FOOT OF THE MOUNTAIN>. Then when Moses sought mercy for them, the Holy One said to him: Moses, I created the world only for Torah, as stated (in Is. 51:16): MOREOVER, I HAVE PUT MY WORDS (i.e., the Torah) IN YOUR MOUTH …, <SO THAT I MAY PLANT THE HEAVENS AND LAY THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE EARTH>. Now they have exchanged my glory for the image of a bull.³Cf. Ps. 106:20. But since you have broken the tablets, how does the world continue without Torah? He said to him: What shall I do? He said to him (in Deut. 10:11): CARVE OUT TWO TABLETS OF STONE LIKE THE FIRST ONES. It is therefore written (in Prov. 16:23) [THE HEART OF] A WISE PERSON, INSTRUCTS HIS MOUTH…. For that reason, when Asaph was alive, he mentioned above (in Ps. 77:21 [20]): YOU LED YOUR PEOPLE LIKE A FLOCK BY THE HAND OF MOSES AND AARON.⁴It is Ps. 77:1 that designates this Psalm as a work of Asaph. Then after that (in Ps. 78:1): A MASKIL OF ASAPH.

That you smashed (Deuteronomy 10:2): Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Yishmael [differed on the matter]. One said, "[God was saying,] 'Take this here from Me which you broke, Moshe.'" And one said, "He did well." There is a [relevant] parable: To what is the matter comparable? To a a king who betrothed a woman. He said to her, "After some time, I will send your marriage contract through a nuptial agent. After some time the king sent [it]. While [the agent] was going, he found that she was sullied with another [man]. What did the agent do? He tore that marriage contract. He said, "It is better that [the king] judge her as a single woman, and not as a married woman." So [too,] did the Holy One, blessed be He, betroth Israel, as it is stated (Exodus 19:10), "and you shall be sanctified (a word sometimes used to denote marriage) today and tomorrow." Moshe [then] came to give them the Torah, and found that they did that act [of the golden calf]. What did he do? He broke the talets, as it is stated (Deuteronomy 9:16-17), "I saw how you had sinned against the Lord, your God [...]. Thereupon I gripped the two tablets and flung them away with both my hands, smashing them before your eyes." Rabbi Beracheya said in the name of Rabbi Helbo in the name of Rabbi Yishmael bar Nechemiah, "The length of the tablets was six handbreadths and their width was three. Moshe held on to two and the Holy One, blessed be He, to two and there were two handbreadths of space in the middle. And Moshe's hands became strong and he grabbed the tablets and broke them, as it is stated (Exodus 32:19), 'and he flung from his hands.' Therefore the Holy One, blessed be He, said, "that you broke." Why did he break them? Because the writing upon them flew away. And therefore he broke them. There is a [relevant] parable. To what is the matter comparable? To a courier who was going to bring a royal edict in his hand to a province. And he passed through a river and the [documents] fell into the water and the letters were erased. What did that courier do? He tore them. As it is stated (Deuteronomy 9;16), "I saw how you had sinned against the Lord, your God." What did he see? He saw the letters flying away. And so he also broke [the tablets], as it is stated, "which you broke." The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, "I dictated in My Torah and stated (Leviticus 5:23), 'he would restore that which he got through robbery [...], or the deposit that was entrusted to him.' And [so] restore that deposit that was with you. And this is what is stated (Deuteronomy 10:1), 'Carve out for yourself two tablets of stone like the first ones.' And not only that, but tomorrow they will be reviewing that which they will be learning from you, 'If a barrel is broken, and the intermediary breaks it, [the payment] is from him.' You were the intermediary between us, and you broke [them]. Therefore you have to pay." Therefore it is stated, "Carve out for yourself." The Holy One, blessed be He, said, "In this world, you learn and forget, because of the evil impulse. But in the future to come, I am uprooting the evil impulse from you and you will not forget, as it is stated (Isaiah 36:26), 'I will remove the heart of stone from your body and give you a heart of flesh.' And not only that, but you will not need [another] person to teach [you the Torah], as it is stated (Jeremiah 31:34), 'No longer will they need to teach one another and say to one another, "Know the Lord"; for all of them, from the least of them to the greatest, shall know Me.'" And so may it be His will; and let us say, "Amen!"

An idolater asked Rabban Gamliel, "Why was the Holy One, Blessed be He revealed to Moses in the Burning Bush?" Rabban Gamliel replied to him, "If God had been revealed in a carob tree or a fig tree, you would have asked me the same thing, and I could not send you away without an answer. This teaches you that there is no place in the world devoid of the Shekhinah."

"And it was on the day that Moses had finished" (Numbers 7:1). What is written above the matter? "May the Lord bless you and keep you" (Numbers 6:24). Rabbi Yehoshua of Sakhnin said, "[There is a relevant] parable about a king who had his daughter betrothed and [prepared] the wedding for her, when the evil eye overpowered her. [But] the king stood [in his decision] to marry off his daughter. What did he do? He gave her a charm and said to her, 'This charm should be upon you, so that the evil eye not overpower you.' So [too], when the Holy One, blessed be He, gave Israel the Torah, He made for them a public [ceremony], as it is stated (Exodus 20:15), 'And all the people saw the sounds.' And this was nothing but marriage (kiddushin), as it is stated (Exodus 19:10), 'And the Lord said to Moshe, "Go to the people and sanctify them (kiddishtam)...."' And [so] the evil eye overpowered them and the tablets were broken, as it is stated (Exodus 32:19), 'As soon as he came near the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, Moshe became enraged; and he hurled the tablets from his hands and shattered them at the foot of the mountain.' Once they came and made the tabernacle for themselves, the Holy One, blessed be He, gave them the blessings first, so that the evil eye not overpower them. Hence it is written, 'May the Lord bless you and keep you,' first; and afterwards, 'And it was on the day that Moses had finished.'" Rabbi Abahu said, "The trait of the Holy One, blessed be He, is not like the trait of flesh and blood. When a king of flesh and blood enters a province, it is after the people of the province praise him and honor him that he gives them satisfaction in the province. But the Holy One, blessed be He, is not like this. Before Israel [completed] the tabernacle, the Holy One, blessed be He, gave them the blessings. As it is stated, [first] 'May the Lord bless you and keep you'; and afterwards, 'And it was on the day that Moses had finished erecting the tabernacle.' Therefore David said (Psalms 85:9), 'Let me hear what God, the Lord, will speak; for He will speak peace to His people, His faithful ones.'"

Similarly, since He had indicated His wrath through the words Go, get thee down, He became reconciled with him through the words Depart, go up hence. The Holy One, blessed be He, said: With the very expression (with which) I humbled you, I will exalt you, as is said: Depart, go up hence. Another comment on Depart, go up hence. What is written previously concerning this matter? And Moses turned, and went down from the mountain (Exod. 32:15). After they had performed the wicked deed, Moses descended from the mountain and, as he approached the camp, observed the golden calf they had made. Until that moment, the tablets that the Holy One, blessed be He, had given him had been virtually self-borne, but as he descended the mountain, approached the camp, and saw the calf, the letters flew from the tablets and they became heavy in the hands of Moses. Forthwith, Moses’ anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hand (ibid., v. 19).

Moses took || the tables (of the law), and he descended, and the tables carried their own weight and Moses with them; but when they beheld the calf and the dances, the writing fled from off the tables, and they became heavy in his hands, and Moses was not able to carry himself and the tables, and he cast them from his hand, and they were broken beneath the mount, as it is said, "And Moses' anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount" (Ex. 32:19).

...He started feeling bad that he broke the tablets, G-d told him: Do not feel bad about the first tablets, for they only contained the ten commandments, however in the second tablets I will give you, that they will have Halcaha Midrash and Agadah, this is what is said: (Job 11): I will tell you hidden wisdom for it shall be double comforting