What Did the Tablets Look Like?

Question:

I read in the Torah that Moses came down from the mountain with two tablets of stone,1 but did not see anything about their size, shape, or what kind of stone they were made of. Can you shed some light?

Response:

The Dimensions:

Tradition tells us that they were thick square blocks of stone, six handbreadths tall, six handbreadths wide, and three handbreadths deep. In modern measurements, that is about 18″ × 18″ × 9″. The sages of the Talmud demonstrate how tablets of this size—along with a few other relics—fit neatly into the Ark of the Covenant that Moses made as described in Exodus.2

It is interesting to note that nowhere is there any mention of them having the rounded tops that are so common in the popular drawings of Moses and the tablets. This design appears to be the invention of non-Jewish artists.

The Material:

The tradition is that both sets of tablets were made of sapphire. After Moses broke the first set, G‑d revealed a large deposit of sapphire under Moses’ tent. Moses used some of the stone to carve the second tablets, and was permitted to keep the remainder.3

The Writing:

The most common understanding is that the first five commandments were written on one tablet, and the other five commandments were on the second.4

The Torah describes the writing as “inscribed from both their sides; on one side and on the other side they were inscribed.”5

This means that the inscription was engraved through and through. As such, the words were clearly legible on one side and written in mirror writing on the other. Now there are two Hebrew letters, the ם and the ס, that are closed from all sides. The centers of these letters, Rav Chisda concludes, must have been miraculously suspended in place.6

Others teach that the writing was miraculously legible on each side—in other words, although the letters were engraved all the way through, they could nevertheless be read from right to left on both sides. Rabbeinu Bechayei explains that this is because the Torah can be understood on two levels, one revealed and one hidden.

FOOTNOTES
1.	Exodus 31:18.
2.	Talmud, Bava Batra 14a.
3.	Rashi to Exodus 34:1.
4.	This is the tradition of Rabbi Chanina ben Gamliel, Jerusalem Talmud, Shekalim 6:1.
5.	Exodus 32:15.
6.	Talmud, Shabbat 104a; Rashi ad loc. Chizkuni explains that it was these holes that rendered the tablets so easily breakable.

By Menachem Posner

Rabbi Menachem Posner is a member of the Chabad.org Ask the Rabbi team.

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February 16, 2012

Sapphire Tablets

Sapphire is not a common stone like quartz-granite or shale or slate. Just the rareity of sapphire to be carved this huge approx 18x18x9 is massive and quite heavy to carry. The physical viewing of tablets this large with ambient light shining on them had to be quite majestic.

Also the tools needed to carve stone is one thing, however sapphire is in a unique class in and of itself, just ask your local gemologist. Along with the dialogue with Moses while on Sinai, it would take almost the span of 40 days to carve the second set of tablets.

Dennis M Schuemaker
El Cajon, CA

January 2, 2012

Underground chamber beneath the Holy of Holies

I have read that the Knights Templar excavated the Temple Mount extensively but found nothing or did they? Apparently they also had knowledge of an underground "safe place" for the Ark. So, about rebuilding the Temple I understand that Mount Moriah is the Temple Mount and that the Holy of Holies was positioned right under the Dome of the Rock. That is correct right? So, to rebuild the 3rd Temple we need the Dome removed, the Ark "brought up" and I understand that we have everything else in place. I heard that we have the Red Heifer breed and all the vessels for worship ready. When do the Arabs give up the Mount for us to rebuild?

Anonymous
Bradenton, FL

January 1, 2012

To Anonymous

About where the ark is now, I suggest that you have a look at this wonderful <a href="/article.asp?aid=144580" target="_blank">article</a>.

Rabbi Menachem Posner

January 1, 2012

Sapphire like tablets

I agree with this commentary, I have read this from a few other sources and they agree. Sapphire llke tablets in the dimension described, blue and written on both sides. Interesting how it is said that they read the same thing on both sides and that it was cut through and through, very interesting and I have no problem believing it. Written by the finger of G-d. No problem with that either. The whole experience of Sinai was other-worldly and mysteriously supernatural. Interesting also about how it was said that the stones fit into the Ark perfectly, hadn't thought that one through. So, what about the other elements inside the Ark? The Manna and the Staff? What purpose did they serve in the "properties" of the Ark? And, by-the-way, where is the Ark now and will it ever be found again. Will the new Temple be complete without it?

Anonymous
, FL

August 3, 2011

the tablet

I'm quite amazed that the tablets were made of sapphire and accurately cut. At first I thought the tablets were kept in broken pieces it's my first time to know this so thank you for sharing.

alida
tarlac, philippines

June 19, 2011

stencil

You younger people imagining Moses hoisting large rocks up mountains- I advise you to study some items, before a lot of it is lost in yard sales and intellectual layering.
Look for:
images in glass, antique crstal, especially salter crystal.
images in gemstones and even the content of paste or Swarovski crystal rhinestones images from clay slicks on hand made ceramics

sue
Kanata, ON

June 10, 2011

The Tablets

The Tablets written on Sapphire(rather than just as MOST people have been led to believe "STONE" with a dome top)I believe also reveals the SUPREME ROYALTY & MAJESTY of "Ha Shem". Sapphire is such a beautiful & precious stone, when MOSHE was returning from the mountain top he must have been thinking "I have something here of SUPER extraordinary value & worth . . surely ISRAEL will be delighted with what G-d has done these tablets are a delight to behold . . . Beautiful,, Thank-you Menachem Posner for this posting

Nicholas
Cheshire , Handforth

June 8, 2011

"The Torah describes the writing as "inscribed from both their sides; on one side and on the other side they were inscribed." "
Onest, I see a stencil as beign "inscribed from one side through tto the other. I note (Although I do not know Sumerian, Babylonian ,Egyptian or Hebrew well, that the Hebrew language has been described as descriptive with plasticity, rather than having many defining words for any instance .
Honest, I see a stencil used toward a type of natural rock material print arrangement.

sue
Kanata, ON

June 8, 2011

Ancient Hebrew

The Torah would have been written in ancient Hebrew which mean the tet would have looked like a zero with an x in it and the sameh would look like a old tv antena. G-d would have written in the same way they did. Not the NEW Hebrew so the letters would not have the centers suspened in air. Just a thought.

Sherri Schrier -
Casa Grande, AZ

June 7, 2011

Only G-d Knows!

What a philosophical remark! Never entered my mind that one day it would be brought up. All these years we took it for granted the way we grew up with the image that both sides together were almost shaped as the top of a heart—no argument there. It was suspected that our parents and their ancestors learn it from the torah. Did they ever discuss the shape of the tablets that Moise brought down from the Mt Sinai? I doubt otherwise they would have told us, their children. I guess they had enough stress keeping alive from all persecutions they went through for centuries.
If it is not in the Torah anywhere, then there is no comments or arguments as what shape it was. No one knows, only G-d.

Feigele
Boca Raton, FL

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