Thinking Torah

Rav Alex Israel - aletal@netvision.net.il

Parshat Yitro:
The Ten Commandments
Our parsha describes the revelation at t !inai. It is a most over"helmin#
spectacle. The entire $e"ish people are #athered around the mountain.
%ire& thunder and li#htnin# envelop the summit. It is on that occasion that
"e heard 'od spea( to us directl): *'od spo(e to )ou +ace to +ace on the
mountain& out o+ the midst o+ +ire, -.eut /:01. As a national event& this
*revelation, "ould never be repeated. 2hat exactl) did "e hear3 2hat did
'od sa) to us on that auspicious occasion3 The Torah reports that "e
heard the +amous Ten Commandments.
The Ten Commandments are ma)be the best (no"n o+ all $e"ish la"s.
The) are perceived "idel) as a universal code o+ ethics. 2ithin $udaism&
the) are one o+ the most prominent s)mbols o+ the +aith& "ith the t"o
tablets o+ stone en#raved "ith the Ten Commandments adornin#
s)na#o#ues and other $e"ish ritual ob4ects. Clearl) the .ecalo#ue has a
ver) central role. This "ee(& "e "ould li(e to investi#ate certain aspects
o+ this #roup o+ la"s. 2e "ill tal( about their unusual +ormat and their
uni5ue messa#e.
!O6RC7! %OR C8A9R6TA !T6.Y
:OT7: 7ven thou#h one can understand the shiur "ithout a
;ible<Chumash& the optimal "a) to +ollo" this "ee(=s shiur is "ith a text in
+ront o+ )ou. -2e "ill be stud)in# 7xodus Chapter >? in this shiur.1
@. Toda) "e "ill stud) the Aseret 8adibrot. The ten Commandments.
Read throu#h !hemot Ch.>? -to passu( @A1 to +amiliarise )oursel+ "ith
them.
>. T7: OR OR73
I+ )ou "ere 4ust loo(in# at the text& "ould )ou (no" that there are ten
commandments3
You "ill note that these ten commandments are #iven in ten separate
*para#raphs, in the Torah text. .o the para#raphs match the
commandments3
!ee !hemot A0:>B and .evarim 0:@A +or the source o+ the number @?.
A. The traditional division o+ the *dibrot, is +ive and +ive.
Can )ou +ind an) T7CT6AD proo+ that this is the "a) that one divides up
the commandments3
0. The #emara in masechet ma((ot >0b states that the +irst t"o
commandments O:DY "ere #iven b) 'od
1 2hat is implied b) this statement3
2 2hat is the textual support +or this approach3 8o" does this
approach divide up the dibrot3
3 !ee Rashi on @E:@E and >?:@ . !ee also the pesu(im @0-@F. 8o"
does all this +it in3
4 !ee Ibn 7Gra=s comments to >?:@/ and the Ramban at the end o+
the third commandment.
T87 !8I6R !7CTIO:
T2O TA;D7T! - T2O !7CTIO:!.
The Ten Commandments appear t"ice in the TorahH once in !hemot
-7xodus1 Ch.>? and a#ain in .evarim -.euteronom)1 Ch./. The) consist
o+ the +ollo"in# commands:
@. ;elie+ in 'od
>. The exclusion o+ belie+ in and service o+ other #ods
A. :ot to use the .ivine name in an improper manner
0. !habbat
/. Respect +or parents
I. :ot to murder
F. :ot to commit adulter)
B. :ot to steal
E. %alse testimon) in court
@?. :ot to covet the propert) or spouse o+ another person.
8o" does this list o+ la"s han# to#ether3 2hat point is 'od ma(in# b)
choosin# these la"s in particular3 2hat is its inner lo#ic3
The traditional $e"ish division is to divide the ten into T2O DI!T! o+ +ive.
The division into t"o lists allo"s +or the commandments to be split
bet"een the T2O TA;D7T! o+ stone.
*The Dord spo(e these "ords... to )our "hole con#re#ation
at the mountain... 8e inscribed them on T2O TA;D7T! O%
!TO:7, -.eut /:@E1
On "hat basis mi#ht "e divide the ten into t"o tablets. Intuitivel) "e
"ould su##est a s)mmetrical division and that each list o+ +ive has a
di++erent theme. In the concise de+inition o+ :achmanides ->?:@>1
*O+ these Ten Commandments& +ive are +or the honour o+
The Creator& and +ive are +or the #ood o+ man(ind.,
%or children brou#ht up in a $e"ish educational s)stem this is the most
elementar) "a) to see the ten commandments but "hen one thin(s about
it there are certain problems "ith this s)mmetrical division.
PRO;D7!
%irst& loo( into the Torah text and )ou "ill see that the +irst +ive
commandments are len#th) and ta(e up @A verses. In contrast& the last
+ive are short succinct statements "hich are concisel) contained in >
simple verses. This division is an)thin# but s)mmetrical. One list is six
times the len#th o+ the otherJ I+ the) "ere to be "ritten on t"o tablets& then
one tablet "ould have to be +ar lar#er than the other& or the print much
smallerJ At an) rate the) do not match at allJ The /:/ division has a
stri(in# imbalance to it. -Althou#h this does not invalidate this method o+
dividin# the commandments& it re5uires us to "or( harder in 4usti+)in# this
"a) o+ structurin# this list o+ ten commandments.1
!econdl)& as "e have seen& this division rests on a T87ATIC basis. The
t"o lists o+ +ive commands are t"o sides o+ the reli#ion accordin# to the
Ramban -:achmanides1. The .ecalo#ue divides into themesH +ive 'odl)
la"s and +ive social la"s -bein adam lama(om and bein adam lechavero1.
;ut this thematic division is +ar +rom sel+-evident +or there "ould seem to
be certain inconsistencies. In the +irst #roup o+ +ive - the 'od section - "e
have the command o+ respect +or parents. Is this reall) a command
directed to *the honour o+ The Creator,3 This "ould seem to be a social
la" more than a command o+ belie+J !o does the thematic approach
"or(3 a)be a 0:I division "ould be better than a /:/ division3
%I97 A:. %I97: !TYDI!TIC .I%%7R7:C7!.
The +ive<+ive division "or(s both at a T7CT6AD level and& as re#ards
T877 or CO:T7:T . Det us explain. 2e mentioned the disparate siGes
o+ the +irst +ive in comparison "ith the last +ive. ;ut there are other textual
di++erences. 2hen "e compare them in the Torah text& "e realise that the
basis o+ the split is st)listic& each section havin# a distinctive and ver)
di++erent st)le.
The +irst +ive commandments have a consistent !TR6CT6R7 "hich
leads us to believe that the) are a *set,. In these commandments& each
command is composed o+ t"o ad4oinin# sections. The +irst section
describes the command& and the second #ives it a rationale or incentive.
Another hallmar( o+ each o+ the +irst +ive commandments is that the)
utilise the same phrase to denote the name o+ 'od : *The Dord )our 'od,
-8ashem 7lo(echa1. ;oth these elements are absent +rom the last +ive
commandments. Det us examine the evidence and see ho" these points
appear in the pesu(im:
@. *I am the DOR. YO6R 'O., #ives us the command o+ +aith& but "e
add a rational to our commitment to 'od - *T8AT too( )ou out +rom the
Dand o+ 7#)pt.,
>. *You shall not ma(e +or )oursel+ an idol...)ou shall not bo" do"n to
them nor serve them., This is the command. ;ut then - * %OR I& the DOR.
YO6R 'O. am an impassioned 'od ..etc.,
A. Command : *You shall not s"ear +alsel) b) the name o+ the DOR.
YO6R 'O.,. Incentive - *%OR the Dord "ill not ac5uit one "ho s"ears
+alsel)...,
0. *Remember the shabbat da) ... o+ the DOR. YO6R 'O. .... %OR in six
da)s the Dord made heaven and earth and sea and ... rested on the
seventh da)., Once a#ain a command +ollo"ed b) a rational.
/. K8onour )our +ather and mother !O T8AT )our da)s "ill be len#thened
on the land that the DOR. YO6R 'O. #ives to )ou.K 8ere +or the +inal
time the incentive clause - in this case a positive rather than a ne#ative
incentive - and 'odLs name as Kthe Dord )our 'od.K.
In contrast& the second *+ive, are short statements "hich mention neither
rational nor the name o+ 'od. In this section& onl) the *command,
statement is there. %rom the structure o+ these la"s& "e can conclude that
the +irst *+ive, are a set and that the t"o tablets contained +ive
commandments each despite the variance in the len#th o+ text.
CR7ATI:' A: : PAR7:T! A:. 'O..
!o much +or the structure. The structure o+ the +irst +ive dibrot as opposed
to the second +ive& leads us to assume that "e have a division o+ +ive
a#ainst +ive. ;ut "hat o+ our T87ATIC inconsistenc)3 2h) is the
command to *honour, parents located in the section that deals "ith belie+
and 'od3 :achmanides ans"ers this 5uestion. 8e claims that it is correct
to include it in the +irst section *+or as I have commanded )ou in )
honour& so I command )ou in the honour o+ ) partners in creation., The
!7%7R 8AC8I:6C8 elaborates:
*It is correct +or a person to reco#nise and repa) in some
measure& the #ood "hich has been o++ered to him ..... A person
should realise that his +ather and mother are the cause o+ his
existence in this "orld& there+ore it is appropriate that he
render them all the honour and do them all the service he can.
%or the) brou#ht him into the "orld and laboured #reatl) on his
behal+ .... Once a person has adopted and internalised this trait
he "ill rise hi#her to a reco#nition and appreciation o+ the
#oodness o+ 'od . It is 8e "ho is the cause o+ one=s existence
and the cause o+ all one=s ancestors all the "a) bac( to Adam.
8e brou#ht him into the "orld...per+ected his bod) ... #ave him
intelli#ence..., -mitGva AA1
2e donLt (no" the source o+ the ethic o+ respect +or parents. In our post-
modernist societ) there are voices that 5uestion this patriarchal vie" o+
the +amil) "ishin# to #rant #reater autonom) to children. %rom the
perspective o+ societ)-based la"s -the second +ive1 "e mi#ht indeed
reach the conclusion that children exist independentl) o+ their parents.
Certainl) "hen a child reaches adulthood& "e "ill ar#ue& that a parent
exerts no +urther po"er over his<her children and that a child is K+reeK o+
his parents control.
%or $udaism& parents and our relationship to them enter into a di++erent
cate#or). Respect +or parents is a reli#ious command issued b) 'od.
oreover& "e believe that as "ell as the obvious bene+it it "ill have +or a
parent& it also naturall) leads a person to revere 'od. 8o" so3 I+ respect
+or parents is based on the enormous un-repa)able debt that "e o"e
them& our ver) existence& +or all their "orr) and care& then "e o"e 'od all
o+ that and more. The command o+ reverence +or parents sits "ell in the
+irst section. It relates more to a 'od d)namic than to man-based social
contract.
In this context& let us 4ust 5uote the idrash brou#ht b) the ChiG(uni
-!hemot >?:@@1
*The Roman #eneral -the evil1 Turnus-Ru+us once as(ed
Rabbi A(iva: 2h) is 'od=s name +ound in the +irst +ive dibrot
but not in the second +ive3
Rabbi A(iva "ent to visit his villa . In one room& Turnus-
Ru+us displa)ed his spear. In another he sho"ed him his
special shield. In a third room "as his armour and his
"eaponr). Then Rabbi A(iva lead him to the bathroom. 8e
as(ed him: 2h) are none o+ )our "eaponr) displa)ed in
here3 Turnus-Ru+us replied that it "ould be inappropriate
and indeed disrespect+ul to place his priGe possessions in a
place o+ +ilth.
Rabbi A(iva said : It is the same "ith 'od=s name. The +irst
+ive commandments are nothin# but an honour +or 'od. ;ut
the second +ive "hich contain adulter)& murder& robber)&
+alsehood and desire +or the propert) o+ othersH 'od did not
"ant his name included in that section.,
O:7 I:!7PARA;D7 28OD7
Rabbi !amson Raphael 8IR!C8 has even stron#er "ords to sa) as
re#ards the T87ATIC unit) o+ this division o+ the ten commandments.
8e explains and #ives meanin# to the contents o+ each section b)
describin# a +lo" o+ ideas "hich pulses throu#hout these t"o lists& unitin#
them in a sin#le idea. 8e "rites:
*The demand +or the reco#nition o+ 'O. be#ins "ith a demand
+or the mind -Command M@N>: ;elie+ etc.1 but it is not satis+ied
"ith mere spiritH it demands the expression o+ this spirit in letter&
in control o+ the "ord -MA ta(in# 'od=s name in vain1& o+
activities -M0 !habbat1 and o+ the +amil) -M/1. The !OCIAD
DA2! be#in "ith a demand +or letter& +or control o+ deeds and
"ords -murder& adulter)& stealin#& +alse "itness1& but are not
satis+ied "ith letter onl)& but demand control o+ spirit and +eelin#
-M@? .o not covet1.
This expresses the important idea: All *reli#ion,& all so called
*honourin# 'od in spirit, is "orthless i+ the thou#ht& the idea o+
'od& is not stron# enou#h to exercise its po"er practicall) in the
control o+ our "ords and doin#s o+ our +amil) and social li+e. Our
deeds& our "a) o+ li+e must +irst prove that our *reli#ion,& our
*honourin# o+ 'od, is #enuine. And on the other hand all social
virtue is "orthless and crumbles at the +irst test& as lon# as it
aims at letter& at out"ard correctness& is satis+ied "ith bein#
considered ri#hteous and honest in the e)es o+ +ello" men& but
re+uses inner lo)alt)& does not depend on .... that pure inner
conscience that onl) 'od sees and 'od 4ud#es& and "hich has
its root and ... nourishment onl) in 5uiet but constant loo(in# up
to 'od.
All spirit must be developed into letter& into act. All letter& all acts&
must have their source in spirit. That is the inspiration that
hovers over these +undamental ideas o+ 'od=s Torah and +uses
the t"o tabletsH the *reli#ious, and the *social,& into one
inseparable "hole.,
!o in each section "e have a pro#ression. The 'odl) section: ideas -'od
- belie+1-"ords-actions. The social la"s: actions-"ords-ideas -conscience
- 'od1. The t"o sides o+ the .ecalo#ue are mirror ima#es o+ each other.
The) re+lect identical values& +rom di++erent vanta#e points. The
.ecalo#ue is a care+ull) balanced collection o+ la"s. It testi+ies to
$udaismLs pra#matic approach to the "orld& aimin# to le#islate +or human
bein#s "ho +unction in the complicated "orld in "hich "e live. ;ut it
insists that our lives be permeated b) 'od and a sense o+ conscience
-Yirat shama)im1.
'O. OR O!7!3 A >:B .I9I!IO:J
;ut this division does not exhaust our examination o+ the structure o+ the
commandments& +or there is a +undamental division that "e have not )et
mentioned. A stran#e transition occurs bet"een the second and third
commandment. The commandments s"itch their #rammatical +orm as i+
the narrator has chan#ed. The text o+ the commandments s"itches +rom
+irst person to third person +orm. Det us ta(e a loo(.
*And 'od spo(e all these "ords& sa)in#:
-@1 I am the Dord )our 'od "ho too( )ou out o+ the land o+ 7#)pt ....
->1 You shall have no other #ods beside 7.... You shall not bo" do"n to
them or serve them +or I am an impassioned 'od ... sho"in# (indness to
the thousandth #eneration o+ those "ho love 7 and (eep Y
commandments
-A1 You shall not s"ear +alsel) b) the name o+ the Dord )our 'od& +or the
Dord "ill not ac5uit ....
-01 ... +or in six da)s& the Dord made heaven and earth ....,
The +irst t"o commands appear as i+ 'od 8imsel+ is tal(in#. It is in the +irst
person. 'od tells us ho" he sho"s +avour to those "ho *love 7,. 8e
tells us ho" *I .. too( )ou out o+ ...7#)pt,. ;ut then& in the third
commandment and subse5uentl)& "e tal( about 'od as i+ there is an
outside narrator. 'od is re+erred to in the third person. 2hat is the cause
o+ this dramatic shi+t "ithin the ten commandments. .id 'od not tell us
ADD o+ the commandments3 .id 'od 4ust spea( the +irst T2O3 i+ so& "ho
said the other ei#ht commandments3 And "h) did 'od not complete the
entire #roup o+ ten3
The Talmud -ma((ot >0a1 be#ins our understandin# o+ this issue "hen it
posits that 'od 8imsel+ uttered onl) the +irst t"o commandments and that
oses "as responsible +or transmittin# the others. 2h) "ere the ten
commandments divided in this "a)3
%7AR O% 'O.

Rashi turns to the passa#e "hich immediatel) +ollo"s the Ten
Commandments. There "e read:
*The people "itnessed the thunder and li#htnin#& the blarin#
sound o+ the sho+ar and the mountain smo(in#& and "hen the
people sa" it the) +ell bac( and stood at a distance. OYou spea(
to us&= the) said to oses& Oand "e "ill obe)H but let not 'od
spea( to us lest "e die.= oses ans"ered the people & O;e not
a+raidH +or 'od has come onl) to raise )ou hi#h and to ensure
that )our +ear o+ 8im ma) be ever "ith )ou& so that )ou do not
#o astra). !o the people remained at a distance& "hile oses
approached the thic( cloud., ->?:@/-@B1
The experience o+ .ivine revelation "as too over"helmin# +or the people.
The) thou#ht the) "ould die i+ the) heard 'od communicate "ith them
*%or "hat livin# mortal has ever heard the voice o+ the livin# 'od spea(
out o+ the +ire& as "e did& and live3, -.eut /:>A1. The idrash animates
this stor) b) describin# ho" the people ran and ran& +leein# +rom the
mountain.
;ut "hen did this happen3 ;e+ore the Ten Commandments3 A+ter"ards3
RA!8I proposes that this actuall) happened in the middle. A+ter t"o
commandments& the people +led& the) could not bear the intensit) o+ the
spectacle be+ore them. oses mana#ed to convince them to continue but
on one conditionH that oses "ould spea( to them& actin# as mediator
bet"een them and 'od. The) did not "ant to hear 'od directl).
This explains "h) the +irst t"o commandments are +rom 'od and the
other ei#ht via oses. It "as not planned this "a) but the reaction o+ the
people made it a necessit). 'od dictates the last ei#ht commandments to
oses and ampli+ies his voice -see @E:@E and Rashi there1 but the people
hear 'od in onl) the +irst t"o commandments.
CDO!7:7!!
;ut this is not the impression that "e #et +rom the lead-up to the revelation.
In the three da) mobiliGation +or this momentous event& a barrier has to be
set up encirclin# the mountain so that no person ma) ascend. The
indication is that "e are expectin# to experience a push on the part o+ the
people to ascend the mountain. People are clamourin# at the +oot o+ the
mountain. The) "ant to connect "ith their 'od.
%urthermore "e see the +ollo"in# exchan#e bet"een 'od and the people:

*And the Dord said to oses O I "ill come to )ou in a thic( cloud&
in order that people ma) hear "hen I spea( to )ou...= Then
oses reported the people=s "ords to the Dord., -@E:E-@?1
Ori#inall)& the plan "ould seem to have been 'od tal(in# to oses and the
people listenin# on. Instead& 'od tal(s to them directl). 2h)3 ;ecause o+
the messa#e sent b) the people to 'od. Accordin# to Rashi& the people tell
'od:
*Our true desire is to see our (in#J,
There is a #enuine heart+elt desire on the part o+ the people to +eel a
closeness "ith 'od. The) "ant to see 8im& to experience 8im +irst hand&
to run up the mountain and approach 8im in person.
2hat happens3 2h) did the people #et scared3 Apparentl)& the intensit)&
the li#htnin# and thunder& the #eneral +eelin# o+ 'od=s presence "ith all 8is
po"er& "as to over"helmin# +or them to bear. The) had to move into
reverse. The) ran a"a) because 'od=s presence "as too overpo"erin# an
experience +or them. The) #enuinel) desired 8is closeness but in the +inal
account& it proved too much +or them.
DO97 A:. %7AR
This chan#e o+ pace "hich& accordin# to Rashi& occurs in the midst o+ the
revelation - bet"een the second and third commandment - represents t"o
ver) important $e"ish modes o+ reli#ious approach. 2e sometimes tal( o+
Dove o+ 'od& an attractive +orce "hich dra"s us close to 'od. It is a +eelin#
that "e o+ten experience "hen "e +eel a pro+ound attraction to reli#ion&
and to 'od. Our love o+ 'od expresses itsel+ in our #enuine identi+ication
"ith 'od=s la" and its values. 2hen "e earnestl) identi+) and enthuse in
our Torah and mitGvot& "e experience this sense o+ Dove o+ 'od.
On the other hand ho"ever& is the concept o+ %ear o+ 'od. 8o"ever much
"e ma) desire to come closer to 'od& "hen "e trul) perceive 8is
#reatness and over"helmin# po"er& "e experience a +eelin# o+ intense
humilit)& inade5uac) and even +ear. 2e stand in a"e o+ 'od& stripped o+
an) pretences. 2e are in the presence o+ the ultimate bein#. 2e
experience this "hen reli#ion becomes +ri#htenin#. a)be "e experience
this *+ear, too "hen $udaism as a "hole looms lar#e as an un-masterable
burden.
The revelation at !inai is T87 encounter "ith 'od. It is there that "e be#in
a covenant "hich has lasted to this da). It "ould ma(e sense i+ that
covenant "as a true re+lection o+ the realities o+ +aith. In our relationships
"ith 'od "e experience somethin# o+ a dialectic bet"een the love and +ear
o+ 'od. At times "e experience a +ear& an apprehension about reli#ion and
"e run a"a)& onl) to loo( bac( +rom a distance. At times "e are attracted
to 'od and all that is hol). 2e "ish onl) to bas( in the li#ht o+ the divine
and connect "ith 8is path.
This existential realit) is also the stor) o+ the Revelation at !inai. On one
hand& there is a barrier to retain the excited cro"ds& there are demands to
*see, 'od& to experience 8im in a direct "a). And then& there is the +ri#ht
o+ 8is enormous po"er.
2hich "a) "ill "e accept Torah3 That is up to us. 2ill "e relate to 'od in
the +irst person or in the third person3 ;oth options are possibleH up close
and at a distance. a)be +or us& in our lives& "e have to aim at combinin#
both sidesH (eepin# both the ma#nitude o+ 'od in mind& "hile at the same
time& "antin# to #ain a closeness to 8im.
!habbat !halom.