In his reminiscence of the Jewish peoples’ forty years of travel through the desert, Moses says in this week’s Torah portion, Eikev:

“God said to me, ‘Carve out two tablets of stone like the first, and come up to Me on the mountain; and make an ark of wood. I will inscribe on the tablets the commandments that were on the first tablets that you smashed, and you shall deposit them in the ark.’

I made an ark of acacia wood and carved out two tablets of stone like the first; I took the two tablets with me and went up the mountain. After inscribing on the tablets the same text as on the first — the Ten Commandments that God addressed to you on the mountain out of the fire on the day of the Assembly — God gave them to me.

Then I left and went down from the mountain, and I deposited the tablets in the ark that I had made, where they still are, as God had commanded me.”

The Babylonian Talmud quotes an argument regarding how many arks there were and what was placed in them:

“And I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke, and you shall put them in the Ark” (Deuteronomy 10:1–2).

Rav Yosef said: This verse teaches that both the whole tablets of the and the pieces of the broken tablets were placed in the Ark (Menachot 99a).”

On the other hand, the Jerusalem Talmud states:

“It was taught: ‘Rabbi Jehudah ben Laqish says, two arks traveled with the Jewish people in the desert; one in which the Torah (and the whole tablets) were deposited and one in which the broken pieces of the tablets were deposited.

The one in which the Torah (and whole tablets) were deposited was put into the Tent of Meeting; that is what is written: ‘Moses and the Ark of the Eternal’s covenant did not move from the camp.’ The one which contained the broken pieces of the tablets traveled before them as they moved (Shekalim 6:1).”

Imagine the Jewish people moving as a nation. According to one opinion, before them was an ark with both the first, broken tablets, as well as the second whole tablets. According to the other opinion, as they traveled, the ark containing the whole tablets rested within the camp and the ark containing the broken tablets cleared the path in front of them as the Jewish people followed.

What do you think, conceptually, each model represents?  What feeling does each conjure up for you? Do you think each model would have impacted the Jewish people differently as they traveled or went to war? Which model appeals to you more?