I recently read an article by Rabbi Berel Wein where he shared a powerful and insightful, one-liner, from Rabbi Yosef Shlomo Kahanamin o.b.m. the world renown, Ponevitcher Rav. Rabbi Kahanamin was famous for exuding a genuine enthusiastic love towards his fellow Jews.
There was a disturbing incident in Israel where some misguided individuals threw stones at passing cars that were driven on Shabbos. The Ponivitcher Rav was extremely upset by this and declared, ‘Stones are to be used for building and not for throwing!’
What an insight and perspective!
Perhaps we can extend the Ponevitcher Rav’s powerful line and apply it to ‘stones’ that may be on the tip of our tongues and we are prepared to shoot them at another person. It may be something derogatory or stinging that one intends to direct towards a family member, friend, employee, or someone who is annoying.
If one catches themselves before these ‘stones’ leave their mouth, realizing that these ‘stones’ can hurt the person and damage their relationship and he redirects these ‘stones’ transforming them into words that are productive and creative, effectively utilizing the G-dly gift of speech for the positive and for constructive purposes – they will then fulfill the ultimate goal that G-d wants us to choose!
Our Sages teach us that G-d created our planet earth from the stone on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. From a single stone, this vast, magnificent and awe inspiring world was fashioned and created.
When our forefather Yaacov bestowed blessings to his children before his death, he included in what he told Yosef, ‘From there he shepherded the stone of Israel.’ The word stone in Hebrew is Ehven. Rashi explains that the word Ehven can be seen as a contraction of two words Av and Ben – father and son. Yaacov referred to his relationship with his children and future generations as an Ehven, a solid stone, constructive in nature because of their contribution to live and build the empire of G-d.
G-d commanded Moshe to construct the Tabernacle along with the High Priest’s garments in the desert. The High Priest’s Choshen – breastplate ― contained the names of the tribes and our forefathers that were etched into the 12 stones of the breastplate. Thus the fathers and sons names were blended within these holy stones that miraculously illuminated and guided the Jewish leaders.
King Solomon in the Book of Koheles states ‘There is a time to throw stones and there is a time to gather stones.’ Our Sages teach us that a meaning of ‘throwing of stones’ refers to when our leader Moshe descended Mount Sinai with the first set of Tablets, and upon seeing the levity surrounding the sin of the golden calf, he threw down the stone Tablets and they shattered. The relationship between our Father in Heaven and His children was broken. It was through Moshe’s pleading and the repentance of the Jews during the next 80 days that convinced G-d to give them a second set of Tablets on the holy day of Yom Kippur.
Unlike the first Tablets, these second stones did not originate from Heaven. G-d instructed Moshe to carve out two sapphire tablets of stone. Moshe shaved the stones to the required dimensions and ‘gathered the stones’ and brought them up to Heaven where G-d engraved the writ of the Ten Commandments. The stone tablets represent the repair of our relationship with the Almighty.
Our Sages tell us that the shattered pieces of the first tablets were placed together with the second full set of Tablets in the Holy Ark of testimony.
Yes, the shattered pieces represent our breach in our relationship with G-d, but the Jews did not dissolve due to that break, rather, they used that negative incident as a vehicle to repair and rebuild their relationship with G-d through repentance and prayer. Their repentance was accepted and it enabled them to receive an intact second set of stone Tablets.
Perhaps the broken pieces of the first Tablets are included in the Ark as a message to us, particularly at this time of the year when we are a month away from Rosh Hashana and our mindset is on repairing and deepening our relationship with G-d and our fellow. Even if a relationship between G-d or towards our fellow, seems to be broken and beyond repair, with will and determination to mend the breach, Heaven will assist us to be able to build and restore that which was shattered!
