Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Exodus 32:15/אבן עזרא על שמות ל״ב:ט״ו
אויפן. הזכיר במקום הזה וההר בוער באש (דבר' ט טו), וטעם ויפן כאדם מסתכל מה יעשה, וראה כי חייב לרדת מהרה כדרך ויפן כה וכה (למעלה לב):
1AND MOSES TURNED. Scripture here tells us,70 and the mount burned with fire (Deut. 9:15). The meaning of and Moses turned is that Moses looked around like a person who looks around and contemplates his course of action71 (turned) is to be taken metaphorically. Its meaning is, he contemplated his course of action (Sarim).. Moses saw that he had to descend quickly. Va-yifen (turned) here is similar to va-yifen koh va-kho (and he looked this way and that way) (Ex. 2:12).
בוטעם בידו. ברשותו, כמו ולקחת בידך עשרה אנשים כי תמהים אנחנו איך יוכל להוריד לוח אחד, ואף כי שנים ביד אחד:
2[IN HIS HAND.] In his possession.72 is to be interpreted as in his hands (Filwarg). It is similar to And take with thee ten men.73. On the other hand, the reference might be to Take from hence thirty men with thee (Jer. 38:10). For we cannot understand how Moses was able to bring down one tablet in his hand. It is next to impossible to believe that he carried down two tablets in his hand.74
גואחר שהכתוב מפורש שהיו כתובים משני עבריהם, אינם אלה שני האבנים מהאבנים הנזכרים בחשן כי מה שיכתוב מעבר אחד יראה בעבר האחר, ואין פי' כתובים נראים רק כתובים כי כאשר כתב מזה העבר, כן היה כתוב בעבר השני, והנה הלוח עב, ואין צריך מ"ם וסמ"ך שבלוחות שיעמדו בנס כי מחלוקת היא בפירוש מלת אשורית, אם מאושר באותיותיו או על שם שעלה עמהם מאשור ועוד אלו היו נראים יראו הפוכים, ואין ראוי לטעון עלי אם היו אלו האבנים יקרות, והתשובה כי היו יקרות מאוד בעבור מכתב אלהים שהוא חרות עליהם, כי היו צריכים להיות עבות, ואנה ימצא אבן יקרה מאד וארכה אמה ורחבה אמה וחצי ואמה קומתה, ועוד מאין יפסול משה שני לוחות אבנים יקרים כמדת הראשונים, והנה לא ידענו האיך היו כתובים עשרת הדברים בשתי הלוחות ולא יהפכם ע"כ כתוב מזה ומזה הם כתובים אחר שאמר כתובים משני עבריהם ולא נוכל לדעת אם הלוח נכתב כלו, או נשארו לו מארבע פאותיו שיורין כאשר נעשה אנחנו היום בספרים אלו אם היה המכתב עב או דק, ודבר שלא מצאנוהו בקבלה אין טעם לסברותינו:
3[TABLES THAT WERE WRITTEN ON BOTH THEIR SIDES.] Now since Scripture explicitly tells us that the tablets were written on both sides, they could not have been made out of any of the stones that are mentioned with regard to the breastplate,75 for what was seen on one side would then be seen on the other side. The word ketuvim (written) does not mean seen.76 Ketuvim means written. Scripture tells us that what was written on one side was also written on the other side.77. Each tablet was thus thick. There is no need to assume that the mem and the samekh which were inscribed in the tablets were miraculously suspended,78 2b and Sabbath 104a. Rabbi Chisda believed that the writing on the tablets was cut through the stone. Most letters of the alphabet are so shaped that it is possible to inscribe them in this manner. However, the final mem and samekh are round and cannot be so engraved. Hence Rabbi Chisda says that these letters stood on the tablets miraculously. I.E., as will soon be seen, disagrees with this interpretation. for there is a difference of opinion regarding the meaning of the term ashurit.79. There is a difference of opinion in the Talmud as to the origin of this term. See San. 22a. Some believe that the word ashurit means a praise-worthy script.80. See San. 22a. According to this opinion the square script was the one in which the tablets were written. The Talmud, which maintains that the mem and the samekh were miraculously suspended on the tablets, accepts this opinion. So does I.E. in his comments on Ex. 1:9. Nevertheless, he argues that one does not have to assume that the mem and the samekh were miraculously suspended on the tablets, as he believes that the tablets were written on both sides and not chiseled through. Others maintain that it refers to the script which they brought up from Assyria.81. Hence the term ashurit. According to this opinion the Torah was given in ketav ivri, the ancient Hebrew script. In this script neither the samekh nor the mem is oval. According to this opinion there is no need to assume that the mem and the samekh were miraculously suspended on the tablets. I.E. quotes these two opinions in order to show that the rabbis themselves were divided as to whether the mem and the samekh were miraculously suspended on the tablets. Furthermore, if the letters were visible on the reverse side, then the letters would appear backwards.82 There is no room for one to argue with me and ask whether these stones were precious.83 The answer is that the stones were very precious because the writing of God was engraved upon them. The stones had to be thick. Where would Moses find very precious stones that were a cubit in length, a cubit and a half in width,84 and a cubit in height? Furthermore, where would Moses get the raw material to hew out two tablets of precious stones of the same dimensions as the first stones? Now we do not know the way the Ten Statements were written on the two tablets without Moses having to turn them over.85 implies that some of the Statements were written on one side of the tablet and others on the reverse side. Thus Moses had to turn them around to read them or show their complete comments to the people. Hence Scripture goes on to say, on the one side and on the other side were they written; i.e., what was written on one side was written on the other side. Hence after telling us that were written on both their sides, Scripture goes on to say, on the one side and on the other side were they written. We have no way of knowing whether each one of the tablets was completely covered with writing, or whether some blank spaces were left on the four corners as we do today with our books. We similarly do not know whether the writing was thick or thin. There is no reason for us to speculate concerning things for which we do not have a tradition.