וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה פְּסָל־לְךָ֛ שְׁנֵֽי־לֻחֹ֥ת אֲבָנִ֖ים כָּרִאשֹׁנִ֑ים וְכָתַבְתִּי֙ עַל־הַלֻּחֹ֔ת אֶת־הַדְּבָרִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר הָי֛וּ עַל־הַלֻּחֹ֥ת הָרִאשֹׁנִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר שִׁבַּֽרְתָּ׃

The Lord said to Moses: Carve for yourself two tablets of stone like the first, similar in form to the first tablets. And I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you shattered. Whereas the first tablets were made by God (32:16), Moses is commanded to fashion the second tablets, upon which God will write His commandments.

וֶהְיֵ֥ה נָכ֖וֹן לַבֹּ֑קֶר וְעָלִ֤יתָ בַבֹּ֙קֶר֙ אֶל־הַ֣ר סִינַ֔י וְנִצַּבְתָּ֥ לִ֛י שָׁ֖ם עַל־רֹ֥אשׁ הָהָֽר׃

Be prepared for the morning; you shall ascend in the morning to Mount Sinai, and you shall stand there ready for Me on top of the mountain.

וְאִישׁ֙ לֹֽא־יַעֲלֶ֣ה עִמָּ֔ךְ וְגַם־אִ֥ישׁ אַל־יֵרָ֖א בְּכָל־הָהָ֑ר גַּם־הַצֹּ֤אן וְהַבָּקָר֙ אַל־יִרְע֔וּ אֶל־מ֖וּל הָהָ֥ר הַהֽוּא׃

No man shall ascend with you, and no man shall be seen on the entire mountain; the flocks and the cattle shall not graze before that mountain. Just as at the time of the giving of the Torah, Moses ascends Mount Sinai alone.

וַיִּפְסֹ֡ל שְׁנֵֽי־לֻחֹ֨ת אֲבָנִ֜ים כָּרִאשֹׁנִ֗ים וַיַּשְׁכֵּ֨ם מֹשֶׁ֤ה בַבֹּ֙קֶר֙ וַיַּ֙עַל֙ אֶל־הַ֣ר סִינַ֔י כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר צִוָּ֥ה יְהוָ֖ה אֹת֑וֹ וַיִּקַּ֣ח בְּיָד֔וֹ שְׁנֵ֖י לֻחֹ֥ת אֲבָנִֽים׃

He, Moses, carved two tablets of stone like the form of the first tablets; Moses arose early in the morning and ascended to the top of Mount Sinai, as the Lord had commanded him, and he took in his hand the two tablets of stone that he had prepared.

וַיֵּ֤רֶד יְהוָה֙ בֶּֽעָנָ֔ן וַיִּתְיַצֵּ֥ב עִמּ֖וֹ שָׁ֑ם וַיִּקְרָ֥א בְשֵׁ֖ם יְהוָֽה׃

The Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and He called with the name of the Lord, thereby teaching Moses how to call Him.

וַיַּעֲבֹ֨ר יְהוָ֥ה ׀ עַל־פָּנָיו֮ וַיִּקְרָא֒ יְהוָ֣ה ׀ יְהוָ֔ה אֵ֥ל רַח֖וּם וְחַנּ֑וּן אֶ֥רֶךְ אַפַּ֖יִם וְרַב־חֶ֥סֶד וֶאֱמֶֽת ׀

The Lord passed before him, and a small measure of the Divine Presence was thereby revealed to Moses, in fulfillment of his request to see God’s glory (33:18). And God called: The Lord, the Lord, God, merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in kindness and truth.

נֹצֵ֥ר חֶ֙סֶד֙ לָאֲלָפִ֔ים נֹשֵׂ֥א עָוֺ֛ן וָפֶ֖שַׁע וְחַטָּאָ֑ה וְנַקֵּה֙ לֹ֣א יְנַקֶּ֔ה פֹּקֵ֣ד ׀ עֲוֺ֣ן אָב֗וֹת עַל־בָּנִים֙ וְעַל־בְּנֵ֣י בָנִ֔ים עַל־שִׁלֵּשִׁ֖ים וְעַל־רִבֵּעִֽים׃

He maintains kindness to the thousands of generations, bearing iniquity and transgression and sin. This phrase literally means: He bears the burden of sins. And He will not exonerate. Although one can achieve atonement, he is not entirely cleansed of his sin. Reckoning the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and upon the children’s children, upon the third and upon the fourth generation. God is exceedingly merciful, and does not eternally punish one’s descendants for their forefathers’ sins, but only until the fourth generation. Furthermore, if the children do not evoke the memory of their father’s sin by following in their footsteps, they are not punished for those sins at all.

וַיְמַהֵ֖ר מֹשֶׁ֑ה וַיִּקֹּ֥ד אַ֖רְצָה וַיִּשְׁתָּֽחוּ׃

As soon as he heard God’s declaration, Moses hastened and bowed to the ground and prostrated himself, in awe of the divine revelation and the accompanying proclamation .

וַיֹּ֡אמֶר אִם־נָא֩ מָצָ֨אתִי חֵ֤ן בְּעֵינֶ֙יךָ֙ אֲדֹנָ֔י יֵֽלֶךְ־נָ֥א אֲדֹנָ֖י בְּקִרְבֵּ֑נוּ כִּ֤י עַם־קְשֵׁה־עֹ֙רֶף֙ ה֔וּא וְסָלַחְתָּ֛ לַעֲוֺנֵ֥נוּ וּלְחַטָּאתֵ֖נוּ וּנְחַלְתָּֽנוּ׃

He, Moses, said: If now I have found favor in Your eyes, my Lord, may my Lord please go in our midst. Once Moses has heard the divine attributes of mercy, he no longer fears that the people might be punished solely in accordance with the strict attribute of justice. He therefore reiterates his request that God Himself go with the people. Interestingly, Moses employs the same reason in his request that God used to explain why He would not go with the people: As it is a stiff-necked people, and it is therefore possible that they would sin again. Nevertheless, You are merciful and gracious, and You forgive iniquity and transgression, and therefore may You forgive our iniquity and our sin and be our inheritance. A stubborn nation can survive the judgment of the merciful and gracious God, but not that of an angel, who can rule only in accordance with the attribute of justice.