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31:17

31:18

31:17	It is a sign between Me and the Israelites that during the six weekdays God made heaven and earth, but on Saturday, He ceased working and withdrew to the spiritual. Beyni uveyn beney Yisra'el ot hi le'olam ki sheshet yamim asah Adonay et-hashamayim ve'et-ha'arets uvayom hashvi'i shavat vayinafash.
31:18	Second Reading When [God] finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai, He gave him two tablets of the Testimony. They were stone tablets, written with God's finger. Vayiten el-Moshe kechaloto ledaber ito behar Sinay shney luchot ha'edut luchot even ktuvim be'etsba Elohim.

Commentary:

withdrew to the spiritual
(cf. Bahir 57; Ramban on Genesis 2:7). Nafash in Hebrew. Or, 'withdrew to Himself' (Hirsch); or, 'finished accomplishing what He intended' (Moreh Nevukhim 1:67); or, 'rested' (Targum; Rashi; Radak, Sherashim).

tablets
According to tradition the tablets were square, 6 x 6 x 3 handbreadths (18' x 18' x 9') Bava Bathra 14a). They were made of sapphire (Lekach Tov; see note on Exodus 24:10).

finger
'Instrument' (Moreh Nevukhim 1:66). See Exodus 8:15 (cf. Midrash HaGadol).

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