Freethought & Rationalism Archive

Julio · 10-28-2009, 01:14 AM

It is a story [fable, myth] plagued with imponderables, but the meaning of a “Liberator” destroying a list of divine commandments is puzzling.
What was Moses plan, after killing three thousand fellowmen in his act of madness?
In other words, what’s the meaning of breaking the tablets of the Law?

“As he drew near the camp, he saw the calf and the dancing. With that, Moses' wrath flared up, so that he threw the tablets down and broke them on the base of the mountain.” Exodus 32:19.

rizdek · 10-28-2009, 01:35 AM

The people were "breaking" God's law, so the law was symbolically broken in that story in the form of stone slabs upon which God had written the law with his own brittle finger. Clearly it didn't really happen, but that was the way the story tellers explained the infidelity of the people; they were breaking their God's law.

Julio · 10-28-2009, 02:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rizdek

The people were "breaking" God's law, so the law was symbolically broken in that story in the form of stone slabs upon which God had written the law with his own brittle finger. Clearly it didn't really happen, but that was the way the story tellers explained the infidelity of the people; they were breaking their God's law.

Yes, in a "symbolic" context; although the entire Exodus epic being written as if fully literal.
Therefore, literally examined, one of the imponderables is that if Moses’ anger resulted in breaking the sacred tablets with the 10 Commandments [carved by the very finger of Jehovah - literally...!], which would be a CAPITAL sin in Jehovah’s eyes [we'd imagine], so could the slaves break any other law about worshiping idols!
What’s good for the goose…

GakuseiDon · 10-28-2009, 02:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Julio

In other words, what’s the meaning of breaking the tablets of the Law?

“As he drew near the camp, he saw the calf and the dancing. With that, Moses' wrath flared up, so that he threw the tablets down and broke them on the base of the mountain.” Exodus 32:19.

God had told Moses, "In case of bad calf, break two tablets and call Me in the morning."

NoeL · 10-28-2009, 02:39 AM

He actually tripped and dropped them, but when people heard the tablets breaking and looked at him he claimed it was on purpose as to not appear to be a klutz. True story, I read it on the internet.

dog-on · 10-28-2009, 02:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GakuseiDon

Quote:

Originally Posted by Julio

In other words, what’s the meaning of breaking the tablets of the Law?

“As he drew near the camp, he saw the calf and the dancing. With that, Moses' wrath flared up, so that he threw the tablets down and broke them on the base of the mountain.” Exodus 32:19.

God had told Moses, "In case of bad calf, break two tablets and call Me in the morning."

:notworthy:

GakuseiDon · 10-28-2009, 03:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NoeL

He actually tripped and dropped them, but when people heard the tablets breaking and looked at him he claimed it was on purpose as to not appear to be a klutz. True story, I read it on the internet.

Ha! You pinched that from Mel Brooks:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TAtRCJIqnk

Julio · 10-28-2009, 03:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GakuseiDon

Quote:

Originally Posted by Julio

In other words, what’s the meaning of breaking the tablets of the Law?

“As he drew near the camp, he saw the calf and the dancing. With that, Moses' wrath flared up, so that he threw the tablets down and broke them on the base of the mountain.” Exodus 32:19.

God had told Moses, "In case of bad calf, break two tablets and call Me in the morning."

LOL! LOL!!

John Kesler · 10-28-2009, 07:12 AM

The account in Exodus 32 reads as if Moses broke the tablets in anger; no symbolic meaning need be inferred. However, the retelling in Deuteronomy implies that Moses' act was deliberate, done in view of the people with a symbolic intent.

Quote:

Exodus 32:19
19 As soon as he came near the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, Moses' anger burned hot, and he threw the tablets from his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain.

Deuteronomy 9:16-17
16 Then I saw that you had indeed sinned against Yahweh your God, by casting for yourselves an image of a calf; you had been quick to turn from the way that Yahweh had commanded you. 17 So I took hold of the two tablets and flung them from my two hands, smashing them before your eyes.

semiopen · 10-28-2009, 07:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Kesler

The account in Exodus 32 reads as if Moses broke the tablets in anger; no symbolic meaning need be inferred. However, the retelling in Deuteronomy implies that Moses' act was deliberate, done in view of the people with a symbolic intent.

Quote:

Exodus 32:19
19 As soon as he came near the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, Moses' anger burned hot, and he threw the tablets from his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain.

Deuteronomy 9:16-17
16 Then I saw that you had indeed sinned against Yahweh your God, by casting for yourselves an image of a calf; you had been quick to turn from the way that Yahweh had commanded you. 17 So I took hold of the two tablets and flung them from my two hands, smashing them before your eyes.

They say the letters were engraved all the way through so that the commandments could be read from either the front or back. One of the paleo Hebrew letters was a circle (not sure if it was a samekh) and it was suspendend in the rock. Too bad they were broken, they would have been a great recruiting tool.

http://www.chabad.org/library/articl...he-Tablets.htm

These are other explanations that make some sense. The commandments symbolized the marriage between God and the Hebrews, Moses broke the tablets as a way of temporarily disolving the marriage and thus saving the nation.

10-28-2009, 01:14 AM	#1
Julio Banned Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Johannesburg Posts: 5,187	Why did Moses break the Tablets? It is a story [fable, myth] plagued with imponderables, but the meaning of a “Liberator” destroying a list of divine commandments is puzzling. What was Moses plan, after killing three thousand fellowmen in his act of madness? In other words, what’s the meaning of breaking the tablets of the Law? “As he drew near the camp, he saw the calf and the dancing. With that, Moses' wrath flared up, so that he threw the tablets down and broke them on the base of the mountain.” Exodus 32:19.

10-28-2009, 01:35 AM	#2
rizdek Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Florida Posts: 1,609	Seems to be a symbolic story The people were "breaking" God's law, so the law was symbolically broken in that story in the form of stone slabs upon which God had written the law with his own brittle finger. Clearly it didn't really happen, but that was the way the story tellers explained the infidelity of the people; they were breaking their God's law.

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10-28-2009, 02:39 AM	#5
NoeL Regular Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Brisbane. Posts: 351	He actually tripped and dropped them, but when people heard the tablets breaking and looked at him he claimed it was on purpose as to not appear to be a klutz. True story, I read it on the internet.

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