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From:          "Yeshivat Har Etzion's Israel Koschitzky Virtual Beit Midrash"
To:            yhe-intparsha@vbm-torah.org
Subject:       INTPARSHA61 -17: Parashat Yitro


                     YESHIVAT HAR ETZION
        ISRAEL KOSCHITZKY VIRTUAL BEIT MIDRASH (VBM)
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              INTRODUCTION TO PARASHAT HASHAVUA
                             
                       PARASHAT YITRO


             The Structure of the Ten Utterances
                   By Rabbi Michael Hattin


Introduction

As Bnei Yisrael journey through the wilderness and come to  Rephidim, the marauding tribe of Amalek suddenly attacks them.  The weak and weary, who straggle along at the rear of the  camp,  are  their  target of  choice.   Quickly,   Moshe commands  Yehoshua to muster a fighting force to  repel  the assailants,  and as the battle rages, Moshe ascends  a  hill and raises his arms in a gesture of victory.  The Amalekites are  routed, and Moshe erects a commemorative altar to  God. The  section  concludes  with a Divine  oath  that  the   war against Amalek will continue until the end of days, at which time the aggressor will be vanquished and God will prevail.

So  concluded  last week's Parasha,  thus   providing  a fitting  if  unsettling introduction to  the  Revelation  at Sinai of which our Parasha speaks.

"In the third month after the Exodus, on this very day, the  people  came  to the wilderness  of   Sinai.   They journeyed  from Rephidim and arrived in the  wilderness of  Sinai,  and  there encamped opposite the   mountain. Moshe ascended to the Lord, and God addressed him  from the  mountain saying: 'thus shall you say to the  House of Yaacov and speak to the children of Israel: 'You saw what  I  did to Egypt, how I bore you on the   wings  of eagles  to  bring you to Me.  And now, if you carefully hearken  to My voice and observe My covenant, then  you shall be My special treasure among the nations, for all of  the  earth is Mine.  You shall be unto me a kingdom of  priests  and a holy nation.'  These are the things that you shall speak to Bnei Yisrael.'" (Shemot 19:1-6)

It  will be noticed that the location of Rephidim,  the site  of  the battle against Amalek, is the reference  point here  employed by the text to describe the beginning of  the journey  towards Sinai.  In other words, these  two  events, the   war  of  Amalek  and  the  Sinaitic   Revelation,   are antithetical episodes that are mutually exclusive.  A  world bereft  of God's word, His absolute moral standards and  His attendant  expectations hurtles along a dangerous trajectory that must end in brutality and bloodshed.  Where there is no obligation  to  God's  law, the cruel rule  of  nature,  the calculated survival of the 'fittest,' prevails.

The Ten Commandments vs. the Ten Utterances

This  week  we  shall  investigate  the   core  of  this Sinaitic Revelation, the so-called 'Ten Commandments,' which form  the foundation of every functioning moral system.   We shall  discover  that the Torah is very  deliberate  in  its choice  of laws to include among these ten, and orders  them consciously  according  to a structural  model  that  is  in itself  significant.   The  reader  is  encouraged  to   read through  the  ten  principles now, in order  to  follow  the discussion more easily.

It  is important to point out that, contrary to popular misconception, the Torah never refers to these ten things as the  'The  Ten Commandments,' which would have been  'Aseret HaMitzvot.'  Invariably,  they  are  called  the  'Words or 'Utterances'  (Devarim 5:19; 9:10), or  the  'Ten  Words  or Utterances'  (Devarim 10:4). The term 'Aseret HaDiBRot'  (or Aseret   HaDeVaRim),  frequently  translated  as  the 'Ten Commandments,' is therefore a usage that has  absolutely  no basis  in  the Torah or in the later traditional literature. This  is  because that while bearing in mind the fundamental importance  of  these ten things, we must  remain  cognizant that  they are but the foundation of a much larger  edifice. To  mistakenly refer to them as the 'Ten Commandments' is to imply  that  only these ten things are ultimately important, while  the  rest of the Torah's legislation can be dismissed as  non-binding or irrelevant. In an earlier discussion (See Parashat  Bemidbar,  2000  for the  full  treatment  of   the issue),  we developed the thesis that the root DBR  actually means  'to  lead' or 'to guide,' and it is  this  root  that forms the basis of the word 'DeVaRim' or 'DiBRot.'  We might therefore  be  more  accurate  grammatically  as   well    as thematically by translating this important term as 'the  Ten Guiding  Principles.'  This rendition, while  stressing  the centrality  of  the ten things, would nevertheless  make  it clear  that  they  are but the fundamental  framework  of  a grander  system that seeks to address and to  elevate  every aspect of our lives.

The Structural Basis - Two Sets of Five

Perusing  the  ten items, a number of general   features can  be easily confirmed.  First of all, the ten items  seem to conveniently break down into two parallel groups of five. Thus,  in Parashat Ki Tisa, we read of Moshe's descent  from Mount  Sinai  in  possession of  "the  two  tablets   of  the Testimony.tablets written on both sides.with  God's  script" (Shemot 32:15-16).  It is reasonable to assume that if there are  ten  items  written on two tablets,  that  each  tablet contains five of the things.

Interestingly enough, such a straightforward assumption is  bolstered by the fact that the first five items  address primarily  our relationship with God, while the  final  five speak of our obligations towards other people.  Thus, we are to  acknowledge God (1), not serve other gods (2), nor  take God's name in vain (3), as well as to observe God's Sabbaths (4).   These clearly all fall within the realm of connection to God.

On the other hand, we are enjoined not to kill (6), not to  commit adultery (7), not to steal (8), not to bear false witness  (9),  and  not  to covet our neighbor's  spouse  or property  (10).   Without  exception,  these  five    address interpersonal  relationships and have little direct  bearing on our relationship with God.

The  fifth commandment, to honor one's father and one's mother,  is  the natural connection between the two  groups. Clearly, our first and most formative relationship  is  with our  parents, and is therefore given special attention here. At the same time, our treatment of our parents also impinges upon  our  relationship with God, for as  the  Ramban  (13th century, Spain) indicates:

"The   Torah  begins  the  list   of  our  interpersonal obligations with a commandment concerning our  parents, for  a parent with respect to a child is similar  to   a creator who participates in the creative process.   God is,  so  to  speak,  our first parent,   and  our  human genitor is our last parent.and therefore we are obliged to  show  honor and reverence to our father and mother" (commentary to Shemot 20:11).

In  other words, our approach towards our parents is to be directly modeled after our deference to the Deity, for in both  cases  we acknowledge the source of the most  precious bequest of all, the gift of life that they bestow.

Bein Adam LaMakom vs. Bein Adam LeChaveiro

The   intrinsic  bifurcation  of  the    two   sets   of responsibilities, known in Hebrew tradition  as  'Bein  Adam LaMakom'  -  between a person and God, and  'Bein  Adam  Le- Chaveiro'  -  between a person and his  fellow,  is  further reinforced  by  the  fact  that  each  of  the   first   five utterances mentions God's name explicitly.  Thus,  we  have: 'I  am  God.' (1), '.for I God your Lord am a zealous  God.' (2), 'Do not take God's name.'(3), 'The seventh day shall be a Sabbath unto God your Lord.'(4), '.in order that your days might  be lengthened upon the land that God your Lord  gives you' (5).  The last five commandments, in contrast, make  no mention of God's name, for they deal exclusively with how we must address other people.

Remarkably,   these   last  five    are   all   negative commandments, which is to say that they enjoin us to  desist from  improper  deeds rather than asking us  to  proactively take  initiative  to  practice good ones.   Thus,  they   are characterized by the negation 'Thou shall not,' and stand in contrast  to  three of the first five, which  stress  active involvement  in forging our relationship with  the  Creator. "I  am  God,'  'Remember the Sabbath Day,' and  'Honor  your father  and  mother'  (and by extension,  Me)  are  positive commandments that invite us to act, rather than demand of us to  cease.   The  implication of this simple fact  is  quite profound.   It  implies  that what is  needed  in   order  to fashion a moral soin which people can live together  and  be
at  peace  is  first and foremost a commitment not  to  harm others,  neither  with respect to their life,  their  trust, their  property, nor their loved ones.  As the Ramban  (13th century,  Spain)  insightfully points out:  "The  last  five things  make  no  mention  of  Divine  punishment  for   non-compliance  nor of reward for their realization,  for  these last  five  are  for  the direct benefit of  human  society. Their fulfillment is their own reward" (commentary to Shemot 20:12-13), for in their absence discord and anarchy prevail, and human life and limb lose their transcendent value.

God as the Basis of the Moral Law

We must qualify the above analysis by pointing out that the  Torah  never explicitly sets a demarcation between  the first  and  last five utterances.  They might  be  inscribed upon  two  different  tablets, but those  same  tablets  are always taken to be a complete and inseparable set.  This  is indicative  of  a  profound  idea  that  the  Torah   regards everywhere as axiomatic.  Although we would like to  believe that  it is possible to found a moral and just society  even in the absence of a relationship to the Divine, even without the   need  to  acknowledge  obligation  towards  a    Higher Authority,  the  Torah indicates that it is  impossible.   A moral  atheist may indeed exist as an expression of  a  non-binding  personal  choice,  but a  society  predicated  upon exclusively human laws involving a concomitant rejection  of God  as  the  Source of Moral Absolutes, cannot survive  for long  as an exemplar of righteousness and truth.  If man  is the  source of moral law, then by definition that moral  law must be relative, conditioned by the exigencies of time  and place,  and  always  subject to  review  and  frequently to rewriting.

Again  we turn to the Ramban (13th century, Spain)  who quotes from the Midrash:

"The  matter  may be compared to a king who entered  a province  and was welcomed by the people, who expressed a  willingness to accept his laws.  The king, however, demurred, saying:  'If  you  will   first  accept   my authority,  then I will give you my laws.  For  if   you are  not willing to embrace my supremacy, then how will you  fulfill my laws?'  Similarly, God first stated   to the  people  of  Israel: 'I am God your Lord you shall have  no other gods before Me.' and then the rest.    In other words, only after you have acknowledged that I am the  God who took you out of the land of Egypt, can you sincerely  accept My other laws as binding' (commentary to   Shemot   20:2-3).   Or,   to  adopt  the  startling formulation of the Ibn Ezra (12th century, Spain): "The first of these utterances declared by God includes all of the commandments that apply to the heart (belief and trust), to speech, and to action, for one who does  not acknowledge  God  in  his heart is  not   BOUND  BY  ANY COMMANDMENT" (commentary to 20:2).

Two Parallel Sets of Descending Order

Finally,  we  note another structural feature that  is used  to order these ten things.  Within both sets of  five, the  most  critical items are introduced first, followed  in descending  order by those that are less so.   As  Ibn  Ezra comments concerning the first five:
    
"The  acknowledgement of God implied by 'I am the Lord' is  the  basis of all else, namely that a  person must recognize His authority and the Exodus that He wrought. The  second utterance that prohibits idolatry  follows, for it is possible for a person to believe in God while mistakenly   acknowledging  the  existence    of   other deities.   The third utterance prohibits the taking   of God's  name  in  vain, and implies a  lack   of  respect towards  God  that  is however less  serious   than  the infraction  of idolatry.the fourth utterance concerning Sabbath  observance is next.for one who does  'melakha' on  the  Shabbat denies the act of Creation.    Finally, the  fifth utterance mandates honor and respect towards one's  parents, for their honor is a function of  their creator role in bringing forth life and sustaining it." (commentary to Shemot 20:2-3).

Concerning  the  last five, the Ramban  (13th   century, Spain)  explains: "These commandments are ordered  according to  their gravity, for after denouncing idolatry in  all  of its  forms,  the  Torah  prohibits murder,  then  proscribes adultery,  then  forbids kidnapping, then denounces  bearing false  witness and theft, and finally condemns covetousness, for  a person that can eschew desire for his fellow's things will  never  come  to  harm him" (commentary  to   20:12-13). Clearly, the taking of a human life is the gravest violation against  another, followed by betraying the sacred trust  of marriage, and only then by theft and falsehood in all of its forms.   The infamous list is concluded with the prohibition of  coveting, a state of mind that can quickly lead  to  the commission of more serious infractions.

Conclusion

This week we surveyed the Ten Utterances that form  the essence of the Revelation at Sinai, and constitute the basis of  the  religious and ethical conduct of the Jew.  We  were able  to discern a number of significant ordering principles that the Torah employed in organizing the ten, and that shed additional  light  on their overriding importance.   Let  us consider the matter from the hindsight afforded by the three thousand  years  of human history that have  unfolded  since their  initial  conferral.  We may say in response,  without the  slightest bit of exaggeration, that these  things  have not  lost one iota of their relevance or necessity  for  the fashioning of a better world.  Often, the goal of becoming a 'kingdom  of  priests and a holy nation' seems more  elusive than  ever,  but in the end we must return for  guidance  to these fundamental ideas, that have animated every attempt at founding ethical societies, if we are to succeed.

Shabbat Shalom


YESHIVAT HAR ETZION
ISRAEL KOSCHITZKY VIRTUAL BEIT MIDRASH
ALON SHEVUT, GUSH ETZION 90433

Copyright (c) 1999 Yeshivat Har Etzion
All Rights Reserved

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From:          Rabbi Ariel Bar Tzadok
Subject:       Ruchani Eye On Israel - B'Shlah - The Secrets of Faith& Redemption
To:              heb_roots_chr@hebroots.org

Ruchani Eye On Israel
From www.koshertorah.com

Parashat B'Shlah
The Secrets of Faith and Redemption

By Rabbi Ariel Bar Tzadok
Copyright 2001 by Ariel Bar Tzadok. All rights reserved.


THE RIGHTEOUS SHALL LIVE BY FAITH

In the Gemara  (Macot 24), the holy Rabbis state that the entire Torah is summed up in the statement made by the prophet Habakkuk (2:4), "the righteous shall live in his faith."

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