Return Policy: Divine Edition
Raboyseyee and Ladies,
Givaldige news as we begin this week with three mazel tov shout outs among close friends. In no particular order, here we go.
First, to Shevy and Richie Cooperberg upon the birth of a granddaughter, born to their children Jodi and Tzachi Popowitz. Welcome to the world
צביה רחל Celia Rose!
May you be a source of pride and joy to your parents and grandparents. Richie wanted me to mention that he is a longtime subscriber, but did not want me to mention that he only reads the mazel tov shoutouts.
Next, in really nice and exciting news… mazel tov to our friends Jenny and Joey Felder upon the engagement, earlier this week, of their beautiful daughter Jillian whose smile is mamish infectious -to Idan Ben Hamo. We missed the engagement party as we are still in Alaska, but look forward to joining in this great simcha. Mazel tov to the entire extended Felder family. May Jillian and Idan merit to build a beautiful life together.
And, last, but certainly not least, mazel tov to our friends Malki and Phil Rosen upon the engagement -also earlier this week-of their amazing son Joseph to Rebecca Silber, she, the beautiful daughter of Sirena & Danny a’h Silber. We have known Joe since birth and are very much looking forward to dancing and participating at his wedding. May Rebecca and Joe merit to enjoy many years and decades of blissful marriage.
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Shoin, while you’re reading this week’s parsha post, the heylige Ois and eishes chayil are somewhere in Alaska – just in case Trump and Putin require some high-level advice – spending time marveling at the RBSO’s creations; the Ois is avada talking about His non-human creations found in glaciers and other eye-popping scenery here in this part of the country. All I can say is taken from Tehillim 104:24 where we find this thought:
מָה רַבּוּ מַעֲשֶׁיךָ יְהוָה כּּוּלָם בְּחָכֹמָה עָשִׁיתָ מָלְאָה הָארֶץ קִניאנַךָ
“How abundant are Your works, Hashem! You made them all with wisdom; the earth is full of Your creations.”
All I can add is OMG! But let me explain further. This verse is recited daily in davening (find it just a few paragraphs before the Shema), and it’s a powerful declaration of awe at the complexity, beauty, and wisdom embedded in the natural world — and a reminder that everything in creation is the RBSO’s possession. As to Alaska, one more wow and OMG! Shoin, that was a serious introduction and now some parsha. Please enjoy this shortened review; the Ois needs to check out some other creations on the ship, if you chap. Though the kosher group is close to 300, not everyone on the ship is here is in a shvimkleidt!
Let’s be honest, we Yiddin, we break stuff. We break diets, we break our phones, we break promises we make each Yom Kippur, we men break sholom bayis when we leave our stuff all over the house, and the list goes on. Some of us — avada no one I know personally- rachmono litzlon- break the heylige Shabbis once in a while with a “just one quick text.” Shoin, they’re only human. The good news: Yom Kippur is fast approaching and the RBSO will once again surely forgive you if you ask nicely and promise to be good. He knows you won’t keep the promises made; He chaps. Let’s not forget that He programmed us. Moreover, He’s had this experience with mankind since day one; they all messed up. That list is long, we will though name a few later. Lucky for us, the RBSO has lots of patience and understands that humans are, well… a mess. Is that a surprise? Not! It’s quite poshit: If the malochim (angles) that came down (last week’s post) messed up, what chances do we mortals have?
And that, raboyseyee, brings us back to the very first big physical break in our holy history: Moishe’s epic luchos smash, live at Har Sinai and retold in great detail in this week’s parsha. Let us harken back just a bit to Matan Toirah (Revelation). Picture the scene: The Yiddin had just gotten the heylige Toirah. Fire, thunder, shofars, heavenly voices — mamish a full Hollywood production. Spielberg worthy. Ober what did us Yiddin do not thirty days later? We built an eygel -Golden Calf. Mamish a cow. After hearing the RBSO Himself speak — we turned to bovine worship. What were we thinking? Shoin, we all know the story; it is the sin that keeps on giving. Seemingly, the RBSO never forgot that one sin, and neither does Moishe in his last few weeks on this earth. In fact, he mentions that sin in last week’s parsha and this week, he will again remind the Yiddin how they sinned with that farkakteh eygel; he cannot get past it. Ober why is the Ois -here in Parshas Eikev, way towards the back of the heylige Toirah- again bringing up the past? Davka because, as mentioned just last week, Moishe has gone historical and will revisit the entire incident -from the time he went up the mountain the first time and all that transpired until he came down and smashed the luchos- yet again. As mentioned above, he dedicates a full 28 pisukim to this myseh.
The bottom line: He reminds the Yiddin just how bad they were from the get-go, from the time they left Mitzrayim. That’s the bad news. The good news: their despicable behavior notwithstanding, they are about to enter the Promised Land. Why? Seemingly because the previous inhabitants were worse! Lucky break. That being said, there is better news, almost a happy ending of sorts, when Moishe recounts his actions upon seeing the golden calf. We shall explore that now as we review the history.
Moishe came down the mountain, saw the bovine disaster, and did what any sane, frustrated leader might do: he took the holiest objects in existence, the heylige Luchis — tablets written by the Hand of G-d — and shattered them. Kaboom. Let’s read the pisukim:
וָאֵ֗פֶן וָֽאֵרֵד֙ מִן־הָהָ֔ר וְהָהָ֖ר בֹּעֵ֣ר בָּאֵ֑שׁ וּשְׁנֵי֙ לוּחֹ֣ת הַבְּרִ֔ית עַ֖ל שְׁתֵּ֥י יָדָֽי׃
I started down the mountain, a mountain ablaze with fire, the two Tablets of the Covenant in my two hands.
וָאֵ֗רֶא וְהִנֵּ֤ה חֲטָאתֶם֙ לַיהֹוָ֣ אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֔ם עֲשִׂיתֶ֣ם לָכֶ֔ם עֵ֖גֶל מַסֵּכָ֑ה סַרְתֶּ֣ם מַהֵ֔ר מִן־הַדֶּ֕רֶךְ אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּ֥ה יְהֹוָ֖ אֶתְכֶֽם׃
I saw how you had sinned against your G-d יהוה: you had made yourselves a molten calf; you had been quick to stray from the path that יהוה had enjoined upon you.
וָאֶתְפֹּשׂ֙ בִּשְׁנֵ֣י הַלֻּחֹ֔ת וָֽאַשְׁלִכֵ֔ם מֵעַ֖ל שְׁתֵּ֣י יָדָ֑י וָאֲשַׁבְּרֵ֖ם לְעֵינֵיכֶֽם׃
Thereupon I gripped the two tablets and flung them away with both my hands, smashing them before your eyes.
That’s correct. He took the RBSO’s work product and smashed them to pieces. No refunds. No replacements. Or so we thought. Ober, instead of firing Moishe or canceling the covenant, and annulling the marriage, the RBSO did something mamish wild. He said: “Let’s try again.” He told Moishe azoy:
“P’sol lecha shnei luchos avanim karishonim…”
“Carve for yourself two new tablets like the first…” (Shmois 34:1)
But let us read the words as they appear in our parsha.
בָּעֵ֨ת הַהִ֜וא אָמַ֧ר יְהֹוָ֣ אֵלַ֗י פְּסׇל־לְךָ֞ שְׁנֵֽי־לוּחֹ֤ת אֲבָנִים֙ כָּרִ֣אשֹׁנִ֔ים וַעֲלֵ֥ה אֵלַ֖י הָהָ֑רָה וְעָשִׂ֥יתָ לְּךָ֖ אֲר֥וֹן עֵֽץ׃
Thereupon יהוה said to me, “Carve out two tablets of stone like the first, and come up to Me on the mountain; and make an ark of wood.
ו
ְאֶכְתֹּב֙ עַל־הַלֻּחֹ֔ת אֶ֨ת־הַדְּבָרִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר הָי֛וּ עַל־הַלֻּחֹ֥ת הָרִאשֹׁנִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר שִׁבַּ֑רְתָּ וְשַׂמְתָּ֖ם בָּאָרֽוֹן׃
I will inscribe on the tablets the commandments that were on the first tablets that you smashed, and you shall deposit them in the ark.”
As an aside, it so happens that we just read those very words on Tishe Beov mamish. In fact, the heylige Ois just told someone in shul on Monday that he had such enjoyment laining these words and hearing the entire shul respond that he was worried about being too happy on Tishe Beov. Shoin, it was after chatzois for those who chap this concept.
That’s correct. Moishe took the RBSO’s work product and smashed them to pieces. No refunds. No replacements. Or so we thought. Ober, instead of firing Moishe or canceling the covenant, and annulling the marriage, the RBSO did something mamish wild. He said: “Let’s try again.” “Carve for yourself two new tablets like the first…”
That’s right. Not only did the RBSO allow a do-over — He invited it. But there was a catch: This time, Moishe had to do the carving. The first set was fully divine; this time, the raw material came from us. In short: you break it, you chisel it. Still, it was a deal — a new deal. And raboyseyee, this second set of luchos containing the Aseres Hadibris are featured in this week’s parsha. Not the actual verbiage, that was last week. But Moishe does retell the story this week.
Ober which set was better? Let’s do a quick product comparison: the First Luchos: Divine, fiery, glorious… shattered. Second Luchos: Earthly, chiseled, humble… eternal. Let us compare them:
| Feature | First Luchos | Second Luchos |
| Manufacturer | G-d Himself | Carved by Moishe |
| Delivery | Accompanied by fire, thunder, angelic singing | Hand-delivered, quietly |
| Contents | Toirah Shebichtav only | Comes with Toirah Sheba’al Peh — the whole Gemora package |
| Outcome | Smashed on arrival | Enduring until this very day |
The bottom line: The Toirah we live with today is from Luchos 2.0 — complete with the Toirah Sheba’al Peh (what we kanos as the Oral Tradition consisting of the heylige Mishneh and Gemora). A full upgrade. And here’s the real kicker: The RBSO didn’t just forgive us — He upgraded us. That’s second chances, RBSO style.
Ober what became of the broken Lucis? Did the RBSO say to throw them away? Did they fly back up to the mountain top? Nope! Farkert! Says the heylige Gemora (Buba Basra 14b), azoy:
“Shivrei luchos munachim b’Aron.”
“The broken tablets were placed in the Ark.”
That’s right. The Aron HaKoidesh — the holiest object in the world — contained both the new, whole Luchos and the shattered remains of our first colossal failure. Why? Davka because failure is seemingly part of the holy journey. Because we don’t pretend the past didn’t happen. We carry it with us. We own it. We grow from it. The broken Luchos, like a failed marriage, a lost business, a year or more you wasted on a relationship, a dream you dropped — they don’t get erased. They get sanctified. We don’t hide our broken pieces. We place them in the Aron. We say: “Yeah, I messed up. But I’m still here. And the RBSO is still with me.”
That’s the story of Luchos 2.0. That’s our Judaism. It’s not the Toirah of angels though they too -when visiting from above- messed up. It’s the Toirah of real people with real struggles — and a G-d who says: “Let’s carve something new.”
The bottom line: It appears that failure is part of the journey. We don’t erase our mistakes; we carry them with us, transformed into wisdom and compassion. The Aron, the holiest place on earth — held both perfection and brokenness side by side. Mamish gishmak!
And the bottom lines of this week’s messages from Moishe -even after tearing into the people with constant reminders of past indiscretions- is this: Your past does not disqualify your future. Gishmak! We’ve all shattered stuff and broken promises. Some of us are broken mamish. The Second Luchos teach us that one can rebuild even if your past is sitting in that holy aron beside you, whispering your mistakes. And that raboyseyee, is what makes us all -oisvorfs included- givaldig!
Let’s close with a small sampling of important Toirah VIPs who needed and got a second chance – some got more- after some breakage. This partial list will amaze you.
- Odom HaRishon
- Mess-up: Ate from the eitz hada’as. The one rule he was told to follow, shoin!
- Second chance: Didn’t get zapped on the spot. Instead, was clothed by RBSO Himself -in some fine leather- and given a long life, kids, and a legacy.
- Kayin
- Mess-up: Killed his own brother. Cain ye be serious? Ok, not the best joke!
- Second chance: RBSO gave him a protective mark and allowed him to live and build a city. Even a murderer got divine protection.
- Noiach
- Mess-up: Got hammered post-flood, uncovered himself in his tent. Nu, too much Manischewitz?
- Second chance: Still lived to see generations and is remembered as a tzaddik. The RBSO did not cancel him.
- Avrohom
- Mess-up?: Asked questions. Argued and negotiated with the RBSO over Sedom (Sodom). Lied about Soro being his sister (twice!).
- Second chance: Rewarded with bris, land, nationhood, and friendship with the RBSO. And he re-married his first love interest, Hogor or Ketura. That’s a pretty solid comeback.
- Moishe Rabbeinu
- Mess-up: Hit the rock instead of speaking. Earlier, killed an Egyptian.
- Second chance(s): Became the greatest leader in Jewish history. Even when denied entry to Eretz Yisroel, he still merited to see it, bless the people, and die al pi Hashem. Was buried by the RBSO Himself! He was the man!
- The Yiddin
- Mess-up(s): Eygel (Golden calf). The Miraglim (spy-gate), Ba’al Pe’or orgy, and more; much more! Need many pages to list all their mess-ups.
- Second chances: The RBSO forgave us again and again. Replaced the Luchos. Gave us Yom Kippur. Though not ready for prime time and seemingly never really worthy, took us into the Promised Land anyway.
- Dovid Hamelech – my favorite of all time-
- Mess-up: Affair with Bat Sheva, sent Uriah off to war as part of the coverup.
- Second chance: Did teshuva — full, raw, heartfelt. Became author of Tehillim, his lineage includes the Moshiach.
- Yonah
- Mess-up: Ran away from Hashem. Refused the mission to Ninvay.
- Second chance: After some whale time, got rehired and sent right back to the job. This time he succeeded.
The list goes on but you get the point.
The bottom line: In the RBSO’s system, failure is not a bug — it’s a feature. Built-in. Expected. Can be managed with mercy and some Teshuva (repentance) at the right time. It is the magical divine reset button.
Another bottom line: The RBSO doesn’t write people off. He doesn’t unfriend you, unfollow you, or ghost you for your worst moment. Farkert: He says: “Oh you fell? Get back up.” And whether you broke Luchos, promises, your diet at the shmorg, or much worse, you’re still in the game.
A Gittin Shabbis!
The Heylige Oisvorfer Ruv
Yitz Grossman
