A Chronology of Matan Torah
- The people heard the first two commandments explained, but then were overwhelmed and requested that
Moses tell them the rest himself. (20:15-17; Rashi ad loc. and cf. Rashi 19-19).
- At this point Moses enters into the thick cloud, and the people back off. (20:18).
- This last event is described in detail in parshat Mishpatim. After Matan Torah, Moses is
commanded to approach God, and to remain with him to receive the stone tablets.
Moses ascends, accompanied part way by his disciple, Yehoshua. Aaron and Hur are left in
charge. (24:12-14).
- At this point, six days are mentioned, during which the cloud is present on the mountain,
before Moses is invited to enter. Rashi brings two opinions: a) These are the previous six
days, the seventh being the day of Matan Torah itself, after which Moses is invited to enter the cloud.
Or b) These six days begin after Matan Torah, and comprise the first six days out of the
forty which Moses spends with God. (24:15-18; Rashi).
- This ascent took place on the 7th of Sivan. (Rashi 32:1). Moses remains on the mountain
for 40 days and nights. (24:18).
- During these 40 days, Moses receives the laws commanded at the end of parshat Yitro and
the bulk of parshat Mishpatim. (20:19-23:33).
- The end of the 40 days is described in parshat Ki Tisa. When he is finished speaking, God
gives Moses the tablets. (31:18).
- On the 16th of the month of Tammuz, the people came to the mistaken conclusion that Moses was overdue.
The golden calf is constructed. Aaron declares a festival to God for the next day.
(32:1-5; Rashi).
- The Israelites get up early on the morning of the 17th of Tammuz to worship the calf (32:6).
- God tells Moses to descend because of the calf. Moses descends, casts down the
tablets, and breaks them. He grinds up the calf and makes the people drink it. The Levites
are ordered to kill the the idolaters. (32:7-29).
- On the 18th of Tammuz, Moses ascends the mountain to seek atonement for the people. God
says that from now on the divine presence will not be with them. Moses informs the people. Moses
continues to speak with God in his tent, which he has moved out of the camp.
(32:30-33:11).
- Moses pleads that the divine presence should go with them. God agrees. Moses asks to
see God's essence (kavod), and God agrees. Moses is instructed to carve two new
tablets, and prepare to return to the mountain the next morning. (33:12-34:3)
- On Rosh Chodesh Elul (the first day of the month of Elul) Moses once more ascends the mountain. He is instructed in the 13
attributes of mercy and warned that we must not make covenants with the Canaanites. (34:4-17; Rashi does not inform us of the date of the
ascent, but he does tell us that Moses ultimately descends on Yom Kippur, the 10th of the month of
Tishrei (Rashi 34:29), and we are told that he was on the mountain for 40 days (34:28)).
- Rashi informs us that during this second period on the mountain the building of the
tabernacle was commanded (Rashi 31:18), but he does not specify at what point. It seems as if he would place the parshiyot of Truma, Tetzaveh and the beginning of Ki
Tisa (25:1-31:17), between 34:17 and 34:18. Thus the discussion of what to do to the
Canaanite altars (leading up to 34:17) would be followed by the instructions for making an
altar for God. And the discussion of Shabbat in verses 31:12-17, would be
followed by the discussion of the festivals (the usual association), 34:18-26.
- From this point on, the verses are in chronological order. Moses is instructed to carve the words on
the tablets. He remains on the mountain for forty days and nights, as he did before. He
descends with the second tabtlets on Yom Kippur, his face glowing with "rays of
splendor". (34:2735; Rashi).
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The Ten Commandments
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