Sapphire Commandment tablets

visionary · Feb 16, 2017

We are told in Parashah Mishpatim (Exodus: 24:10) that Moshe beheld the throne of God: "...and under His feet was something like a sapphire brick." This unusual object is later divided into two separate 'stones' and brought down as the shnei luchot (or 'two tablets' of the covenant). Sapphire Magen David : The Sapphire Cube

This article goes on to show more approaches to the appropriateness of the concept that the Ten Commandments were written on sapphire cubes. https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10212325447359988

visionary · Feb 16, 2017

Ez 1:26 And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it.

Ez 10:1 Then I looked, and behold, in the expanse that was over the heads of the cherubim something like a sapphire stone, in appearance resembling a throne, appeared above them.

Exodus 31:18 confirms they were written by the finger of God:

Ex 31:18 When He had finished speaking with him upon Mount Sinai, He gave Moses the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written by the finger of God.

Exodus 32:15-16 states, Then Moses turned and went down from the mountain with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand, tablets which were written on both sides; they were written on one side and the other. And the tablets were God's work, and the writing was God's writing engraved on the tablets.

Now for something interesting...

Targums Chapter 1:82-88, Then it was said to Moses: Ascend to the firmament and I will give you two tablets of stone, hewn from the sapphire of the throne of My glory, gleaming like fine gold, arranged in lines and written by My finger. Engraved on them are the Ten Words, refined more than silver that has been refined in seven times seven [ways]-that is the sum.

visionary · Feb 16, 2017

Another indication is..

12 And the LORD said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them.

"..of stone" literally, "of the stone" in Hebrew that indicates it was an object previously mentioned, like verse 10.

10 And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness.

It would be either the stone pavement on which God stood or He takes a piece of His throne and gives it to us as an eternal emblem of His holiness which is our foundation.

visionary · Feb 16, 2017

Here is an interesting thought...

Numbers 15:37 The LORD said to Moses, 38 "Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'Throughout the generations to come you are to make tassels on the corners of your garments, with a blue cord on each tassel. 39 You will have these tassels to look at and so you will remember all the commands of the LORD, that you may obey them and not prostitute yourselves by going after the lusts of your own hearts and eyes. 40 Then you will remember to obey all my commands and will be consecrated to your God.

Just as we are to have the Law in our mind and all the deeds of our bodies are to reflect the Law of God... So the tassels at the four corners of the garments are to help you remember. Blue.. like sapphire.. like the Blue Sapphire Stones of God's Law....to remind you of the Law of God.

visionary · Feb 16, 2017

Following the leading thought of seeing clearly through the writing on the sapphire cube is this.

The most common understanding is that the first five commandments were written on one tablet, and the other five commandments were on the second.

The Torah describes the writing as “inscribed from both their sides; on one side and on the other side they were inscribed.”5

This means that the inscription was engraved through and through. As such, the words were clearly legible on one side and written in mirror writing on the other. Now there are two Hebrew letters, the ם and the ס, that are closed from all sides. The centers of these letters, Rav Chisda concludes, must have been miraculously suspended in place.

Others teach that the writing was miraculously legible on each side—in other words, although the letters were engraved all the way through, they could nevertheless be read from right to left on both sides. Rabbeinu Bechayei explains that this is because the Torah can be understood on two levels, one revealed and one hidden. What Did the Tablets Look Like?

visionary · Feb 16, 2017

If you think there may not be anything to this. I will add this verse for you to consider.

Isaiah 54:11
11 O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colours, and lay thy foundations with sapphires.

visionary · Feb 16, 2017

Here is another angle to look at ..

Ten Commandments, according to the Talmud, were engraved on two cubes of blue sapphire stone. In Hebrew they are called Luchot ha-Berit, which literally means, Cubes of the Covenant. The perfect cut of the cubes symbolised Divine perfection.

It is no accident that their shape was patterned after the dimensions of a cube of salt, an essential ingredient to mankind's very existence. Yeshua brought up the connection.

Matthew 5:13-16 You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? ... You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid... Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Lulav · Feb 16, 2017

Perhaps the 10 words were written on these heavenly stones to indicate that they are indeed Holy and come from heaven itself. They are the foundation of our relationship to G-d as well as the marriage ketubah.

It says they were 'like sapphire' meaning they were being compared to an earthly thing, but yet their origin was heavenly.

Make you wonder since Moses broke the first set and he was told to carve out another to replace them, what happened to those pieces? Did they return to heaven and Moses had the replica from earthly stone?

visionary · Feb 16, 2017

Dan means "judge", and the stone in the breast plate, worn by the high priest of Israel for the tribe of Dan, was sapphire (Sapphire is the fifth stone listed Ex. 28:18 and Dan is the fifth son listed in Gen 29 & 30). ?? Don't know how much of a connection we can make here..

visionary · Feb 16, 2017

Dan means "judge", and the stone in the breast plate, worn by the high priest of Israel for the tribe of Dan, was sapphire (Sapphire is the fifth stone listed Ex. 28:18 and Dan is the fifth son listed in Gen 29 & 30). ?? Don't know how much of a connection we can make here..

visionary · Feb 16, 2017

Lulav said:
Perhaps the 10 words were written on these heavenly stones to indicate that they are indeed Holy and come from heaven itself. They are the foundation of our relationship to G-d as well as the marriage ketubah.

It says they were 'like sapphire' meaning they were being compared to an earthly thing, but yet their origin was heavenly.

Make you wonder since Moses broke the first set and he was told to carve out another to replace them, what happened to those pieces? Did they return to heaven and Moses had the replica from earthly stone?

What Did the Tablets Look Like?

They mention in this article that Moses kept the fragments of the first set. There is also the idea that the fragments made Moses very rich.

The Library of the Palestine Pilgrims' Text Society

visionary · Feb 16, 2017

When researching this subject, you run into side stories. This is one I have to share. It is a classic explanation for Moses breaking the first set of tablets, two large sapphire stones, which according to the story weighed too much to be possibly carried by a single human being; instead, the divinely etched letters engraved within them miraculously lightened them, enabling Moses to carry the tablets. When the letters “saw” the golden calf which the Jewish people had made, they were revolted and “flew” out of the tablets, back to their divine source—leaving Moses with a burden he could not bear, and which he therefore dropped. Jerusalem Talmud, Taanit 4:5.

Lulav · Feb 16, 2017

visionary said:
Following the leading thought of seeing clearly through the writing on the sapphire cube is this.

The most common understanding is that the first five commandments were written on one tablet, and the other five commandments were on the second.

The Torah describes the writing as “inscribed from both their sides; on one side and on the other side they were inscribed.”5

This means that the inscription was engraved through and through. As such, the words were clearly legible on one side and written in mirror writing on the other. Now there are two Hebrew letters, the ם and the ס, that are closed from all sides. The centers of these letters, Rav Chisda concludes, must have been miraculously suspended in place.

Others teach that the writing was miraculously legible on each side—in other words, although the letters were engraved all the way through, they could nevertheless be read from right to left on both sides. Rabbeinu Bechayei explains that this is because the Torah can be understood on two levels, one revealed and one hidden. What Did the Tablets Look Like?

It is not known what alphabet was employed in the writing on the tablets but other things have been found from that era and it is in what is called today, Paleo or ancient Hebrew so the mem and samech would not have looked the same as the more modern block letters.

You can see the early and middle letters of both the Mem and the Samach are nothing like the Late Hebrew, so I would have to doubt that.

It seems that Rav Chisda, who lived in the second century didn't take that into account.

visionary · Feb 16, 2017

Moses broke the tablets in order to discourage God from implementing His plan to annihilate the Jewish people for their sin, and to recreate a new chosen nation from Moses and his descendants (see Exodus 32:10). Upon breaking the tablets, he told God, “Now I am a sinner just like them. If You decide to eradicate them, destroy me as well. Exodus Rabbah 41:1.

Dave-W · Feb 16, 2017

Interesting.
Sapphires are the most precious true BLUE gem there is. (excluding the very pale blue diamonds)

They can also come in pink, yellow. green and other shades.

visionary · Feb 16, 2017

TABLES OF THE LAW - JewishEncyclopedia.com

There is an array of information on the subject, that it wouldn't be fair for me to just hand pick just a few.

Lulav · Feb 16, 2017

Stone and lambskin.

That's what the commandments were written upon.

Makes me think of the adage, 'it's written in stone' or 'It's not written in stone'.

Written or carved in stone cannot be erased, even when broken in pieces it can be put back together. Whereas for a parchment , they can actually be 'erased' more like scraping the ink off and reused. This was something done by monks as parchments were expensive as well as labor intensive. So they took old parchments they deemed not worth saving and recycled them.

Makes you wonder just how much was lost that would be important today.

Lulav · Feb 16, 2017

You know we've discussed this before on here, right?

The Blue Sapphire Stones.

Broken pieces..

Ten Words

visionary · Feb 16, 2017

According to traditional teachings of Judaism in the Talmud, they [the tablets] were made of blue sapphire stone as a symbolic reminder of the sky, the heavens, and ultimately of God’s throne; many Torah scholars, however, have opined that the Biblical “sapir” was, in fact, the lapis lazuli. Tablets of Stone - Wikipedia

visionary · Feb 16, 2017

Sefer Yetzirah 1:1 “He created His universe
...with three books (SePhaRim)

...with text [SePheR]
...with number [SePhaR]
…and with story (communication) [SiPpuR]

These three 'books' allude to the three dimensions of the primordial torah that was made of SaPphiRe.

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Sapphire Commandment tablets

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