Home | Library | About | Help

Library > Mitzvot > 10 Commandments

Article 1 of 29

Next Article >

What are the Ten Commandments?

by Rabbi Mendy Hecht

A. The Torah is mankind’s morality manual. The Ten Commandments are its master categories. The other 603 are sub-categories.

B. Religion is the relationship between Man and G-d. Morality is the relationship between Man and Man. Judaism is both—that’s why five of the Commandments are on religious practices and five are on morality issues.

C. OK, the commandments:

1) Believe in G-d,

2) Don’t worship idols or entities outside of G-d; don’t create, bow to, or worship an image or statue of any physical representation of G-d,

3) Don’t take G-d’s name in vain,

4) Observe Shabbat,

5) Honor your parents,

6) Don’t murder,

7) Don’t commit adultery,

8) Don’t kidnap,

9) Don’t testify as a false witness, and

10) Don’t be jealous of anything someone else has.

What is the significance of the Ten Commandments?

1. It’s Spiritual

So you want spirituality? Here’s how to get it, says G-d in the first four. Let’s walk through them:

Religion is the relationship between Man and G-d. Morality is the relationship between Man and Man. Judaism is both...

Kind of funny how we are to believe in G-d because G-d says to, huh? For this reason, some medieval Jewish scholars don’t count this as the First Commandment. To them, belief in G-d is Commandment Zero that surrounds and penetrates Torah. Maimonides, however, understands it as instructive of how to understand G-d—to have faith in Him, to grasp that He is One.

b) Don’t worship idols or entities outside of G-d; don’t create, bow to, or worship an image or statue of any physical representation of G-d

The follow-up to Number One, this Commandment rules out any the designation of any force, entity or concept, physical, emotional or spiritual, as G-d. Only G-d Himself.

c) Don’t take G-d’s name in vain

Practically speaking, this is a law of respecting G-d and His name, prohibiting the use of G-d's name in the making of false, frivolous, trivial, ridiculous, or impossible oaths: swearing that camels can fly, that a sidewalk is made of gold, that a slaughtered animal will die, or that you will violate a particular Mitzvah. One of the ways in which we honor G-d is in how we choose to use His name. Also, simply speaking, the titles used to refer to G-d in prayer, commonly known as “names of G-d,” may not be uttered just anywhere—only in prayer or when making a blessing. The concept of G-d’s names is just as there are bad words, there are good words. You can only use good words in a non-trivial and holy context, because they represent the highest things.

d) Observe Shabbat

The week is physical, material, hectic and tumultuous; Shabbat clears a space in time in which one can nurture the spiritual side within.

2. It Ain’t Easy

Because discipline is hard, and justifications are easy, when it comes to these six, G-d made them Commandments. Let’s walk through them:

Honor your parents—discipline: obey, respect, don’t correct. Justification: “Well, we’re adults/we’re peers/they’re abusive anyway.”

Don’t murder—discipline: life is priceless despite pain/inconvenience. Justification: “Well, she’s terminally ill/she’s gonna die tomorrow—let’s pull the plug now.”

Don’t commit adultery—discipline: curb temptation, contribute to societal stability. Justification: “Well, I hate my spouse/we secretly love each other/what’s so terrible?”

Don’t kidnap—discipline: leave alone what’s not yours, period. Justification: “Well, you’re supposed to take hotel towels/he didn’t deserve it/no one will notice/they have so many.”

Shabbat clears a space in time in which one can nurture the spiritual side within

Don’t be jealous of anything someone else has—discipline: if you don't have, relax and be happy with what you do have. Justification: If I can’t have material things or success, neither can you/I want what you have and I’ll stop at nothing to get it.

3. It Ain’t Obvious

“Man, this is obvious! Everyone knows killing and stealing is bad!” But is it obvious? You would agree that murdering infants is bad. Of course. It’s in the news every day now. But the Romans routinely disposed of unwanted babies and casually fed humans to lions, the same way we take towels from hotels and speed when cops aren’t around. Hitler thought he was doing something good—he rationalized that Jews, dwarfs, cripples, homosexuals, the handicapped, the mentally ill and others were genetic surplus and needed to be disposed of, like roaches. The human mind is breathtakingly creative in coming up with rationalizations for everything, from murder to theft and everything in between. So G-d laid down the law, making it come from Him, and not from us. Because when morality comes from Him, it’s absolute. But when it comes from us, we’re in trouble.

[It is very interesting to note that in the Hebrew text, the total number of letters in the Ten Commandments is 620, to hint that all the commandments [613 plus seven Rabbinical commandments] are included in the Ten Commandments.]

Related Categories

Torah » 10 Commandments
Holidays » Shavuot » 10 Commandments

Article 1 of 29

Next Article >

Back to Top | Back to Home Page

Mission Statement | Contact | Reviews | Privacy Policy

AskMoses.com © 2008