10 Surprising Facts About the Ten Commandments

The Ten Commandments are among the most well-known teachings in the Torah. Yet beyond their familiar wording lies a wealth of fascinating details about how they were given, what the tablets looked like, and the miracles surrounding them. Here are ten eye-opening facts about the Ten Commandments that you may not know.

1. The Tablets Have a Special Name

The tablets are known as the Luchot HaBrit, the Tablets of the Covenant. Upon them were engraved the Aseret HaDibrot, literally “the Ten Statements,” which we commonly call the Ten Commandments. They were given to the Jewish people at Mount Sinai.

2. The Tablets Were Given Just 49 Days After the Exodus

Only forty-nine days passed between the Exodus from Egypt and the giving of the tablets at Mount Sinai. Today, we mark this journey spiritually through Sefirat HaOmer, the counting of the Omer, which connects Passover to Shavuot.

3. The Tablets Were Given Twice

In total, there were four tablets. Moshe received the first set after spending forty days on Mount Sinai. When he descended and saw the sin of the Golden Calf, he shattered them. This event took place on the 17th of Tammuz.

4. The Second Tablets Were Given on Yom Kippur

After Moshe prayed on behalf of the Jewish people and Hashem forgave them, a second set of tablets was given on Yom Kippur. These tablets were placed in the Aron HaBrit, the Ark of the Covenant, and remained there permanently.

5. The Tablets Had Precise Dimensions

Although the Torah simply describes them as stone tablets, the sages provide detailed measurements in the Gemara. Each tablet was six handbreadths long, six handbreadths wide, and three handbreadths thick. When placed together, they formed a cube-like shape.

6. The Rounded Tablets Are Not a Jewish Image

According to the sages, the tablets were square. The familiar image of tablets with rounded tops did not originate in Jewish tradition. It likely came from Christian art and early printing, where sacred texts were often illustrated that way.

7. There Are Different Opinions About How Many Commandments Appeared on Each Tablet

Many people assume that five commandments were written on each tablet. However, the sages record other views. Some say all ten were written on each tablet, others say twenty, and some even say forty, possibly because the text appeared on both sides.

8. The Tablets Were Made of Sapphire

The sages teach that the tablets were made of sapphire. Based on their size, this would mean they weighed close to half a ton. Yet Moshe carried them with ease because the engraved letters were spiritual and lifted the stone.

9. The Letters Were Miraculously Engraved All the Way Through

The letters on the tablets were carved completely through the stone. Despite this, they could be read clearly from both sides, a miracle that defied physical logic.

10. The Inner Spaces of the Letters Floated in Place

Some Hebrew letters, such as the final Mem, contain enclosed spaces. Even though the tablets were solid stone and the letters were carved through, the inner portions of these letters remained suspended. This, too, was a miracle.

A Lasting Covenant

These details remind us that the Ten Commandments were not only a set of moral teachings, but a moment of open revelation accompanied by miracles. Understanding how the tablets were given deepens our appreciation of their sanctity and of the covenant formed at Mount Sinai, a bond that continues to shape Jewish life to this day.