And by all the strong hand and awesome power that Moshe performed before the eyes of all Yisrael. (34:12)
Rashi teaches that the yad ha’chazakah, strong hand, refers to Moshe Rabbeinu having received the Luchos from Hashem in his hands. “Before the eyes of all Yisrael” refers to his decision to shatter the Luchos before the nation, in response to their sin with the Golden Calf. Hashem’s response was: Yiyasher kochacha asher shibarta. Not only did Hashem thank Moshe Rabbeinu for shattering the Luchos; it became his epitaph. His ability to make a decisive -- almost inexplicable -- decision to break the Luchos demonstrated his leadership capabilities. Maintaining, preserving, building are marks of a great leader. Tearing down, breaking, and destroying, because the time is not right and could ultimately affect the future trajectory demands an uber leader: Moshe Rabbeinu. That is the simple p’shat, explanation. The commentators, each in his own manner, explain why it was important to shatter the Luchos.
Perhaps we can offer an alternative approach. We view breaking as destruction and, for the most part, it is. At times, however, breaking is the beginning of the healing process. Thus, shattering something precious becomes the segue for something deeper and truer. The well-known aphorism of the Kotzker Rebbe, zl, “There is nothing so whole as a broken heart,” comes into play. Klal Yisrael were in a spiritually challenged predicament when Moshe descended the mountain. To put it in simple terms: They had sinned egregiously. Bowing to the molten calf, followed by reveling, dancing and immoral behavior, meshed together to create a sin of monumental iniquity. These people were sadly far-removed from accepting the Torah. Moshe understood that their relationship with “whole” Luchos would never be the same. They had gone too far, but, perhaps, they would return through remorse and sincere teshuvah. When Moshe broke the Luchos, he was actually preserving the Torah. The nation would feel the hurt and humiliation of what they had done wrong. When they, too, would feel broken, they could hope to become whole again.
The second Luchos were the product of that brokenness – of remorse, teshuvah, hope and faith. The second Luchos brought with them the Torah She’Baal’Peh, the Oral Law, which has preserved our commitment and was the springboard for a more enduring relationship with Hashem. The breaking of the Luchos was not an act of despair. Moshe had not given up on Klal Yisrael. He saw that they needed an awakening, an act of seismic proportion, a thunderclap of emotion that would shock the souls of his nascent People. The breaking of the Luchos was an act of deep faith in us. It was a profound statement that, even in failure, we can hope. We are not discarded. Yes, from our brokenness of heart, we can once again become whole – with Hashem and with ourselves. The brokenness brought out the best in us.
