יהושע, פרק ח׳, פסוק ל״ב

The public writing of the Torah on large stones marks a profound moment when God's laws were openly displayed for all to see. The Israelites used the specific stones they had been commanded to prepare earlier. Following this monumental event, the plaster was peeled away, and the stones were transported to their resting place in Gilgal [רש״י].

What exactly was inscribed on these monuments is a matter of careful discussion. The text is conceptually understood as a duplicate copy or a review intended for study [מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ, רד״ק]. Some suggest that only the Book of Deuteronomy was written, as it naturally serves as a repetition of the previous four books [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Others propose that the entire Torah was intended. However, recognizing the physical limitations of the stones, the practical approach is that a concise summary was recorded. This summary included the essential count of the commandments, core laws, and general warnings [רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

The physical process of creating these inscriptions involves different perspectives. One approach suggests the words were written directly onto the stones and subsequently covered with plaster. Conversely, another view maintains that the stones were first coated with plaster, and the text was written upon that outer surface. Ultimately, the central purpose of this public monument was universal accessibility. The laws were displayed to make God's instructions available to all the nations of the world. To achieve this, the text was written in seventy languages, ensuring that any passing nation could read, understand, and gain knowledge of the laws [רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ].