Radiating Rays
Adapted by Channie Koplowitz Stein
Moshe Rabbenu ascended Har Sinai for three forty day periods. After the first forty day period, Moshe descended with the first set of luchot, only to encounter Bnei Yisroel sinning with the golden calf. He ascended a second time to get a reprieve and partial forgiveness for Bnei Yisroel. Finally, he ascended a third time. Hashem then taught Moshe the formula of His thirteen attributes, a formula through which Bnei Yisroel could hope to achieve grace in times of crisis. At this time Moshe also asked to understand Hashem's ways. To this, Hashem responded by telling Moshe He would pass His hand over Moshe as He passed, and Moshe would see Hashem's back but not His face. Finally, Moshe himself was to fashion a second set of Tablets upon which Hashem would again inscribe the Ten Utterances. When Moshe now descended with this second set of luchot, his face radiated light as it had not done when he descended with the first luchot. Due to this radiance, Moshe wore a mask when he was not speaking directly to Hashem or conveying God's words directly to Bnei Yisroel.
Two main questions arise in connection with this light. First, where did this light come from, and second, why did Moshe's countenance radiate this light only with the second set of luchot and not with the first set?
The medrash supplies several different possibilities as to the source of the light. As Medrash is seldom meant to be taken literally, we must examine each medrash to determine the lesson it is meant to teach us. As a first interpretation, our Sages say that the light came from Hashem's hand when Hashem placed Moshe in a cave/crack of the boulder and covered Moshe's face with His hand.
A second response notes that the light came from the Tablets themselves, which contained all spiritual knowledge. Moshe held onto the bottom third while Hashem held the top third. The bottom included the Torah and spiritual knowledge Hashem completely taught Moshe and which is readily attainable by man; the top represented the knowledge totally inaccessible to mankind and retained only by Hashem; the middle represented the bridge between the two that one could struggle to attain. The light on Moshe's face, according to this interpretation, came directly from the luchot themselves and from Moshe's effort.
In Hegyon Levov, he explains that the light on Moshe's countenance was the result of the transformative experience when Moshe was in the cave waiting for Hashem to pass by. That moment, when Moshe existed symbolically between the upper realm of heaven and the lower realm of earth, representing the middle section of the luchot, imbued his outer, earthly countenance with the inner core experience of "contact" with Hakodosh Boruch Hu, bringing that inner radiance to Moshe's visible face. And Rabbi Mordechai Ezrachi adds, the light comes from Moshe himself, from the hard work Moshe invested in learning and teaching Torah.
Perhaps the best known medrash regarding the source of this light is that as Moshe was writing the Torah, there was a bit of ink left on the quill. As he passed his hand with the quill over his head, that bit of ink transferred to his face illuminating it. How the exact quantity of ink necessary to write the Torah could be imprecise also is a matter for thought.
What messages can we extrapolate from the light and from the mask that Moshe wore, and from the fact that the light seems to come only after the second luchot,?
These various approaches seem to be focusing on two distinct paths to connect with Hakodosh Boruch Hu. Rabbi Mintzberg explains that one may connect to Hashem through moments one of deep emotion, of perceiving a personal revelation, of sensing God's presence. Then we can explain the light rays as coming from Moshe's experience in the cave, of feeling Hashem's "hand" covering him. Alternately, one can connect to Hashem through immersing oneself in Torah study and mitzvoth. In that case, the light originated from the luchot. The connection can originate either from the heart or from the head.
The Torah refers to two sources for the emanation of Hashem's voice to Bnei Yisroel. In one verse, the Torah says Hashem will speak to Bnei Yisroel through the altar where the kohanim serve and offer the daily sacrifices on behalf of Bnei Yisroel. Yet, in another verse, Hashem specifically states that He will speak to Bnei Yisroel through the parochet, the covering over the Aron housing the luchot, from between the cherubim embroidered upon them. These two points of God's communication, continues Rabbi Mintzberg in Ben Melech, represent the two paths of our discussion. Hashem's voice speaking to us through the Aron housing the luchot represents the path of Torah, the intellectual path of study, while the voice coming from the altar represents the heartfelt service, today by way of our prayer. In practice, writes Rabbi Mintzberg, both paths are effective. Whether in an individual or on a national level, we fluctuate between these two path. Sometimes one is primary and sometimes the other. Hashem taught Moshe the Torah which he was to transmit to Bnei Yisroel. But now Hashem also taught Moshe a specialized form of Tefillah/Prayer/service of the heart, the Thirteen Attributes. Hashem can be accessed through either path. As proof, the intellectual Sanhedrin Court office was located in the very courtyard of the Beit Hamikdosh so that Torah can emanate from Zion and the voice of Hashem from Yerushalayim.
Where was the Beit Hamikdosh located? On the mountain named by Avraham Avinu when he there bound Yitzchak as an offering to God. On Har Hamoriah, the Mountain of Teaching, writes Ben Melech citing Rashi. But Onkelos cites the name of Har Moriah as coming from Mor/myrrh, an integral spice of the ketoret/incense offering. Again, both the mind and the heart.
In truth, writes Rabbi Kluger in My Sole Desire, both the physical body of the brain and the emotional essence of the heart should be used together in our attempt to connect to Hashem. The very root of tefillah is petil/thread/connection. The service of the heart is enhanced when we try to understand the words as well, while the study of Torah changes our perspective about the world. We must believe in the power of prayer, and we must passionately observe mitzvoth. Communion with Hashem draws the Divine light into oneself. The first luchot had the complete Torah, but the second luchot, with Moshe's prayers and the incorporation of Hashem's thirteen attributes contained both Torah and tefillah, enabling Moshe to absorb the holy rays of light, writes Rabbi Munk.
The essence, the image of a person is reflected in his name. Since each of us is created in the image of God, writes Meor Vashemesh, the Chernobyl Rebbe, each of us carries within himself some of the light of God. Hashem's essence is reflected in His three most prominent Names, the four lettered Name of YKVK, His Name as Lord/A-d-N-I, and the Name with which He identified Himself to Moshe for Bnei Yisroel, E-H-K-H/I Shall Be. If we add the numerical equivalents of these letters, plus one more for the sum, we reach 112, the same gematria/equivalent of masveh/mask. When Moshe descended Har Sinai with the second luchot, he had incorporated within himself the full image of God with which Hashem had created Man. When speaking to Hashem directly, there should be no division between himself and God. Further, when conveying Hashem's words to Bnei Yisroel, a mask could easily distort the understanding. Therefore, during these times, Moshe did not wear a mask, and the full image of Hashem could shine through him. At all other times, that light was extremely powerful, and Moshe would don the mask.
If we now move on to explore the source of the light as coming from the leftover ink, we must find a justification for the extra ink. In the two explanations our commentators give, both refer to Moshe's humility. When Moshe wrote the Torah words, "And Moshe was the most ana'v/humble of all men, Moshe could not write that about himself fully, with all the letters. He left out the "yud," for he felt he was lacking in the trait of humility. Similarly, other commentators point to the first word in the Book of Vayikra. The Book begins with "Vayikra Hashem/And Hashem called to Moshe." Moshe purposely wrote that last letter smaller to indicate that Hashem may have called to him on occasion, but not regularly. The excess ink could have come from either of these sources, but Hashem nevertheless wanted to show Moshe's greatness and specifically took the proof of Moshe's humility to convey his actual humility and greatness.
Everything that exists in the world is comprised of two components: the basic building materials and the form, the individual atoms, and the energy that combines them into a specific form, In Man, we refer to these as the body and the soul. Rabbi Yehudah Leib Bloch explains that knowledge, and especially Torah study, is also composed of these two elements. One can know all the facts, can observe mitzvoth meticulously, but miss the "soul" of the information.
A teacher can convey all the information, but the topic may remain nothing but an intellectual exercise. The great disciples of great teachers remained physically close to their mentors where they could observe every nuance of their bodies, every smile, every expression of the eyes, for these conveyed the heart of Torah even more than the words. [Think of Yehoshua who studied Torah and leadership through his constant presence in and service to Moshe Rabbenu. CKS] One must develop an appreciation of the heart and soul of Torah, to see the essence conveyed through the words. [It is said that Michelangelo saw the form he was to create within the slab of marble before he began sculpting. CKS] A Torah scholar and teacher must transmit the excitement and joy of Torah to his students. He must face them directly and see their faces and their reaction, writes Pirkei Torah. The emotional and intellectual connection can only be expressed and received when the student and the teacher see each other's faces. [This is indeed one of the great consequences of the pandemic, the masking of teachers, students, and indeed of all individuals.]
Verbally, Moshe Rabbenu could transmit only Hashem's words of Torah, the "material," when he spoke to Bnei Yisroel. But when Bnei Yisroel could see Moshe's face, they understood how to apply the principles and interpret the messages, not just do the mechanics, adds Rabbi Bernstein. That is why Moshe Rabbenu removed the mask when he taught the Torah to the people.
The glow on Moshe's face represents the white parchment upon which the actual words of the Torah are written. One must understand the spirit of the Torah that informs the action. As Rabbi Weinberg asks, is the size of the skullcap the important thing, or the level of yarmeka/yirah-me'kah/fear of God symbolized by the head covering the essence of the commandment? These are the lessons we can learn from that which is unwritten, from the white spaces in the Torah. We learn them from something as small as the point of the letter "yud" that Moshed omitted in writing about his humility.
Just seeing the face of a tzadik can have a lasting impact, writes Rabbi Zeichik. A man became a great philanthropist for his entire life because he once saw the face of Rabbi Yisroel Salanter. [My mother a"h would describe the appearance of a great Rav as a hadras panim/a person with a glorious countenance. CKS]
Rabbi Mintzberg turns us in a different direction. Had Bnei Yisroel not sinned when Moshe brought down the first luchot, he and all of Bnei Yisroel would have been infused with that light. The first luchot, according to the Ben Melech, somehow contained both the written Torah and the Oral Torah, thereby not necessitating Moshe's intermediate teaching. The second luchot contained only the written law, and Moshe, having absorbed the oral law, shone with that light.
This light was a reflection of the very creation of Adam. The twofold process by which Adam was created had the body of Adam created from the earth, and clothed in the light of the soul, writes Rabbi Glatstein. After the sin, the clothing of אור/ohr/light was changed to a clothing of עור/ohr/skin/animal skin/leather. Now, our material, physical bodies surround and protect the internal light of the neshamah/soul. At Sinai, with our acceptance of the Torah, we regained that original radiance. Bnei Yisroel surrounded and protected the luchot. But in the second set of luchot, the radiance of the oral Torah had left and had to be transmitted [mesorah] from one individual to the other. We symbolically are the words, and when we transmit the oral Torah to each other, we represent the glowing white parchment of the oral tradition. Initially, parchment is just animal skin. However, when the words or the Torah are inscribed on it, the parchment becomes holy. So too, when we learn Torah and Mesorah, we too transform ourselves from physical beings into spiritual beings. Therefore we pray, "Light our eyes with Your Torah," help us, Hashem, to be conduits of light.
On Purim, when we joyfully accepted the oral Torah along with the written Torah there "was light for the Jews." We became the parchment, the shining light of leftover ink. We are tasked with becoming the conduits of both the written and oral Torah as was Moshe. As Moshe received that radiance from his effort in learning the oral Torah, so must we strive to achieve this radiance. On Purim we wear masks to remind us to strive for this light, to reenact the experience of Har Sinai, and to absorb within ourselves that same light that was shining from Moshe Rabbenu's countenance. We can change the ohr of our skin to the ohr of light.
Indeed, writes the Baal Haturim, every Jew has within him an aspect of that Divine Presence manifestly visible on Moshe's face. Every Shabbat, every Jewish face reflects a new aspect of light and sanctity. This "new Shabbat face" can thus be considered the fresh face present at a Shabbat sheva brachot in lieu of inviting a new guest.
The light of Moshe's countenance continues to teach us and lead us, teaching us intellectually and emotionally to connect to Hakodosh Boruch Hu through prayer, through Torah study, through mitzvah observance, through the nuances of the spaces between the words and lines of the written Torah.