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January 28, 2005/Shevat 18 5765, Vol. 57, No. 22
The top 10 list
Torah study
BONNIE KOPPELL
Parsha Yitro, Exodus 18:1-20:26
In this week's Torah portion, we read what has been called "God's Top Ten List."
The first commandment is a statement: "I am Adonai your God who took you out of Egypt." God says, "I did something for you; now I want you to do something for me."
The first commandment that requires action is number two: not to make any images and not to worship images. We might be tempted to dismiss this one as irrelevant to modern life. Yet if we expand our understanding of idols to include anything to which people devote themselves - money, beauty, fame, youth - then we understand that this commandment speaks to us directly.
The third commandment is a little hard to understand: not to take God's name in vain. Why is this the only commandment about which the Torah says that God will not forgive us if we transgress it? Is saying "God damn" really worse than committing murder? The Hebrew word "tissa," which we translate as "take," literally means "carry." The commandment is telling us not to carry God's name in vain. It means, don't say that you're religious, carry God's name, and then ignore God's will. If you claim to be religious, make sure God would be proud of the way you're living your life.
The fourth commandment is the only ritual prescribed in the Aseret HaDibrot: Remember the Sabbath day to make it holy. This commandment includes the prescription to work six days a week, in addition to resting on the seventh. We are not to despise work or be lazy. However, we know too well the danger of workaholism. Therefore, we are to set aside one day a week for the restoration of our spiritual center.
The fifth commandment is to honor one's parents. Note that the Torah doesn't tell us to love our parents. Sometimes they're just not that lovable. But they're still our parents and therefore deserving of respect and deference. This is one of only two commandments in the entire Torah for which we are promised long life.
With the sixth commandment, we move to the more familiar formula: Thou shalt not, beginning with the prohibition of murder. The actual translation of the commandment does not say, "Thou shalt not kill." If it did, Judaism would be teaching vegetarianism and pacifism, which it does not. Our tradition acknowledges that sometimes killing is allowable (for example, in self-defense), but it is never OK to kill an innocent person.
Just as the wanton taking of life can destroy a society, so can the breakdown of the family. Intact families are the foundation of a healthy civilization, the place where basic values are inculcated. The foundation of the family is the marriage relationship, and that can only be built on trust. So, the next commandment prohibits adultery, which shatters that trust.
Commandment number eight is not to steal. Again, we may assume that we're innocent in this regard. But how many of us can honestly state that we've never used office supplies for our personal needs or taped a copyrighted audio tape or piece of software?
The penultimate commandment prohibits lying in court, or bearing false witness. Our tradition does not prohibit lying. There are times when it might even be a mitzvah to lie - for example, if one person is intent on harming another. But it is never OK to lie in court.
The final commandment is not to covet your neighbor's property. This doesn't mean you can't say, "Wow, I love my neighbor's new car and I want one just like it." What is prohibited is the thought, "I want my neighbor's car." On the other hand, even though it's not technically prohibited, envying that which belongs to others is probably not the best way to go through life.
These commandments are addressed to all the people of Israel. It is not enough that some members of the community observe some commandments. Every Jew should feel that the Ten Commandments are addressed to each of us personally. As we read Parsha Yitro, let us all reflect on the ways in which our lives might be enriched by a deeper attachment to and understanding of these building blocks of Jewish life.
Rabbi Bonnie Koppell is the spiritual leader for Temple Beth Sholom in Chandler.
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