The following program has been found!

Program Name:
#N034 - The Road Back to Sinai

Age Brackets:

• USY (gr. 9 - 12)

Program Type:

• Religion/Education

Estimated Cost:
Free

Duration:
Less than 2 hours

Required attendance:
Any Amount

Description:

What's it all about?
This program for Shavuot is based on the first chapter of the Book of Ruth. The story tells of the road traveled by Naomi and her daughter-in-law, Ruth, from Moab to Bethlehem. It turns into a spiritual journey that stretches back to the giving of the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai. Ruth eagerly accepts traditions of which she has little knowledge, but she is encouraged by Naomi's faith and optimism.

Goals

1. The USY'ers will gain an understanding of the connection between the Book of Ruth and Shavuot.
2. The USY'ers will identify key concepts and values related to the giving of the Ten Commandments and the Torah.
3. The USY'ers will be able to address the issues inherent in acceptance of the commandments in contemporary terms.

Category of Activity
Religious education

Age
USY

Time
One hour

Method
Skit and discussion

Size of Group
Up to 40

Keywords
Commandment, law, custom, tradition, values clarification

Place:
Chapter meeting room.

General Preparation:

1. Copies of the Humash (Pentateuch).
2. Pages on which the two versions of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-14 and Deuteronomy 5:6-18) which are printed out so that they may be compared, should be available for review or reference (Attachment 4).
3. Copies of the script (Attachment 1) should be prepared for the actors (Naomi, Ruth and Orpah) and the program leader. The actors should review their parts before the program so that they can read them with understanding and conviction.
4. The program leader should review the Book of Ruth so as to be able to summarize the contents for the group, and review the questions for discussion (Attachment 2) in preparation for adding commentary and insights.

The Program In Detail:

1. The program leader should present a brief review of the Book of Ruth (5 minutes), emphasizing the acceptance by Ruth of Israelite peoplehood and Israel's God, its relation to the Giving of the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai, and the significance of reading the Book of Ruth on Shavuot.
2. The actors should be called on to perform the skit.

3. At the conclusion of the skit, the program leader should use the suggested questions (Attachment 2) to conduct a discussion on the topic of "acceptance of commandments and Jewish tradition."

Attachments:

Attachment 1: The Skit - The Road Back to Sinai

SCENE: A dusty road in the hill country of Moab, across the Jordan River from Bethlehem. Three women - one (Naomi) old, the other two (Ruth and Orpah) relatively young - wearily enter, each weighted down with bundles. They have been walking for a long time and are tired, hungry and thirsty.

ORPAH: (Setting down her bundles on the road.) Oh, I think if I have to carry these bundles another step, I will simply...

NAOMI: (To Orpah, gently.) You don't have to go any further, dear. This is our last stop before crossing the river. Why don't you turn back?

ORPAH: What - and leave you here to manage on your own? An old woman, carrying all that stuff...

NAOMI: I'm not helpless, you know...

ORPAH: I didn't mean to say that you are! It's just... well, it wouldn't be right...

NAOMI: And why not? Just because I'm going back home doesn't mean that you have to... After all, your birthplace is here in Moab - you belong here. I don't.

ORPAH: You'd think that after ten years in this country, you'd begin to feel acclimated...

NAOMI: Oh, I'll never get used to here. My place is over there - across the river, in my own land.

ORPAH: All right, have it your way... (Starts to pick up bundles when she notices that Ruth has been standing at the side, looking off in the distance.) Hey, Ruth, are you going to stand there all day, gawking at the scenery? Help me with these bundles, will you?

RUTH: Oh, I'm sorry... (She hurries to help Orpah.) I was just so excited about seeing the Promised Land...

ORPAH: Yeah? Well, I can promise you this: it's no rose garden over there, if that's what you're thinking. I've heard that things are still pretty tough there... They won't be so eager to see three newcomers in town - especially three women. "Another charity case!" they'll say. What's that word that Elimelech used to use? Tzekaka, or something like that?

NAOMI: Tzedaka - it's a mitzvah to assist the poor.

ORPAH: Yeah, well, I don't want to have to accept their assistance, thank you just the same.

RUTH: The fact is, we're going to need it. How are we going to manage in a new place - a new country - without some help?

NAOMI: God will provide!

ORPAH: Oh sure!

RUTH: You see? Our mother-in-law is always optimistic.

ORPAH: Yeah, well, I wouldn't mind some help in meeting a few good-looking guys. This widowhood business is for the birds. How long has it been now since our husbands died?

NAOMI: Mahlon is gone two years already... Chilion not even six months.

ORPAH: Yeah, well, the only way we're going to make it over there is if we find us some men to marry and support us!

RUTH: Orpah, please -- it's not time yet...

ORPAH: Who says? Maybe not for you, but it sure is for me. Here in Moab, they wouldn't let a widow remain unmarried. But because our husbands were I sraelites, they wouldn't have anything to do with us.

NAOMI: The next-of-kin... It is his duty...

ORPAH: What next-of-kin? Do you have any more sons who will marry us? And Baal only knows what's waiting for us over there! Don't think they're going to jump at the chance to get hitched with two widows from Moab...!

RUTH: Don't say that, Orpah! You're still young - and attractive. There are probably plenty of fellows in Bethlehem who will take a liking to you.

ORPAH: You think so? (Confidentially, to Ruth.) I saw a guy making eyes at me the other day in the marketplace.

RUTH: You did?

ORPAH: Yeah. He was a big, brawny guy - almost as tall as the beam of an olive press - practically a giant! I think he likes me.

RUTH: There - you see?

ORPAH: I wouldn't mind getting... you know - better acquainted?

RUTH: Then why don't you?

ORPAH: 'Cause I'm schlepping off to Bethlehem with you and Naomi, that's why! Giving up all the comforts of home to be a stranger in a strange land! I ought to have my head examined!

RUTH: Orpah, the road ahead may be bumpy, but Naomi has taught us to take heart... to have hope - and faith - in the future.

ORPAH: Some future!

NAOMI: I really think that both of you should go back - each of you to her mother's house. May the Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me!

RUTH: Naomi - no...!

ORPAH: You know, I'm beginning to think you're right...

NAOMI: May the Lord grant that each of you find security in the house of a husband! (She approaches Orpah to kiss her farewell.)

ORPAH: Well, Naomi, as you would say - "From your lips to God's ears!" I only hope that Baal is listening...

NAOMI: Farewell, my dear... (As Orpah gathers her bundles and prepares to leave, Naomi turns to Ruth.) I'll miss you, Ruth...

RUTH: (Breaks into tears.) No, please... don't send us away! We will return with you to your people...

ORPAH: Are you nuts? She's letting us off easy and you're...

NAOMI: Why should you go with me? I have nothing to offer you... I am too old to have any more sons, and even if I were young again, would you wait until they were of age to marry you? Oh, no, my daughters; turn back! My lot is far more bitter than yours, for the hand of the Lord has struck out against me.

(Both RUTH and ORPAH start to cry, but Orpah does not let her emotions overcome her.)

ORPAH: (Kisses Naomi.) G'bye, Naomi... I'll try to write... Ruth, I'll see you at home... (She exits.)

NAOMI: See, your sister-in-law has returned to her people and her gods. Go, follow your sister-in-law.

RUTH: (Taking hold of Naomi's skirt.) Do not urge me to leave you - to turn back from following you, for wherever you go, I will go; wherever you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God.

NAOMI: Ruth, I'm very touched, and I love you very much, but you don't know what you are saying... My people, on the other side, are different from your people: they have their own laws and customs...

RUTH: I will learn to adopt them! Haven't I learned to cook your home recipes and not cook a calf in its mother's milk?

NAOMI: There's so much more than that…

RUTH: Than teach me - I can learn! Please - teach me!

(The two women sit down on a rock by the side of the road.)

NAOMI: First of all, you have to know that there are Ten Commandments...

RUTH: Only ten? That's easy! From the way Elimelech used to talk, I thought there were hundreds of them!

NAOMI: I'm referring to the Ten Commandments that we received on Mount Sinai...

RUTH: "We?" Were you there? I thought that happened a long time ago.

NAOMI: According to our tradition, every Israelite stood at Sinai to receive the Law... It's as if all the souls of all the future generations participated in that very special, once-in-a-lifetime event.

RUTH: That's a lovely idea. I like your religion already!

NAOMI: It's not that simple. Each of the Ten Commandments has dozens of laws and rules attached to it. Then there are all the customs that aren't mentioned specifically in the Ten Commandments...

RUTH: What kind of customs? I want to learn all about them.

NAOMI: Well, for example, you've noticed how I always kindle a lamp at dusk on Fridays...

RUTH: Of course - just before the sun goes down.

NAOMI: Right. That's because we aren't permitted to light a fire on the Sabbath day.

RUTH: But it isn't the Sabbath day - it's Friday night!

NAOMI: Our days begin with the evening before - "And there was evening and there was morning," as the Torah tells us.

RUTH: Oh, I see... you go from sunset to sunset.

NAOMI: And then a little more, just to make sure.

RUTH: But if you can't kindle fire on the Sabbath, why do you light the lamp? Shouldn't you do without light, the way you don't eat or drink on those fast days...

NAOMI: We'll get to the fast days later. The idea is that while we aren't allowed to kindle a fire on the Sabbath, we can benefit from a fire that's been lit before the Sabbath.

RUTH: Isn't that rather legalistic? Like, kind of bending the rules?

NAOMI: Perhaps... but I think all legal systems work that way. You have a law and you have its interpretation...

RUTH: But we're not talking about a legal system - we're talking about religion!

NAOMI: The legal system is an integral part of Israelite religion. There are layers and layers of interpretation that are passed down from generation to generation...

RUTH: I see that this is much more complicated than I thought. How are you supposed to learn all this?

NAOMI: (Smiling.) Well, some of it we learn... some of it we absorb naturally, as we grow up - it's our lifestyle. When we have a question, we consult the Kohanim for their understanding of the law.

RUTH: (Excitedly.) I'm ready to do everything they say and learn all the laws!

NAOMI: That's just what our ancestors said at Sinai - na'aseh v'nishma - "We will do and we will hear." They were ready to accept God's commandments even before they knew what they were!

RUTH: Then I'm following in their footsteps…

NAOMI: Yes, you are... and very large footsteps they are, too... Which reminds me... (She looks puzzled.)

RUTH: What's the matter?

NAOMI: There's a relative of my late husband... He, by rights, should marry you...

RUTH: But I haven't even met him! How do you know that he...

NAOMI: No, I didn't mean that he will marry you - merely that he has the obligation to do so.

RUTH: How so?

NAOMI: According to our law, when a man dies childless, his brother should marry the widow and give her children...

RUTH: But my husband's brother married Orpah - and he's dead, too!

NAOMI: That's true. In that case, the next-of-kin has the obligation.

RUTH: All this is in the Torah?

NAOMI: Yes, and quite specifically, too. Of course, if the next-of-kin refuses to marry the widow, she may be "released" to marry someone else.

RUTH: How do I get "released?"

NAOMI: There's a public ceremony where the widow takes off the sandal of her brother-in-law - or next-of-kin - and rebukes him for not wanting to marry her and have a child to carry on for his brother's name...

RUTH: That sounds rather unpleasant...

NAOMI: It's not a simcha, believe me, but it's required for the widow to be able to re-marry. When we get to Bethlehem, I'll discuss it with our relative.

RUTH: He might not want to marry me - and I might not want to marry him! Isn't there another relative?

NAOMI: It's been so many years, I forget who's related to whom... There may be other cousins - or uncles...

RUTH: Uncles? I don't want to marry somebody's uncle!

NAOMI: You don't have to worry about it now... I'll consult my late husband's family when we get home...

RUTH: (Somewhat frustrated.) All right, I'll wait... (More excited.) Tell me more about the Ten Commandments!

NAOMI: Well, I suppose we should start at the beginning... Come on, let's take up our bundles and keep walking... The conversation will make the journey seem shorter. (They pick up their bundles.)

RUTH: What's the first commandment?

NAOMI: The first? Hmmm... Anokhi Hashem Elokekha... "I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage..."

RUTH: Is that a commandment?

NAOMI: It's a preface to the commandments - kind of like God introducing Himself as the One who is commanding us...

RUTH: On what basis is He commanding us?

NAOMI: By virtue of the fact that He "brought us out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage..." Since He liberated us, He now has the right to expect our obedience...

RUTH: You mean that because He freed Israel from slavery and thus became their King, He can command them to follow His laws?

NAOMI: That's it!

RUTH: It's sort of like the Moabite constitution: "We, the People of the Land of Moab..." It establishes authority - who has the right to govern.

NAOMI: Exactly!

RUTH: Where are the Ten Commandments kept?

NAOMI: Oh, they're safely guarded inside the Ark of the Covenant.

RUTH: Where's that?

NAOMI: In the Holy of Holies, at the center of the Tabernacle.

RUTH: I'd like to see them some day...

NAOMI: Well, I'm not sure that you can... Only the Kohen Gadol enters the Holy of Holies, and that's only once a year...

RUTH: Really? How odd! But I would like to see the Kohen Gadol - what a hero he must be! (Excited at the idea.) Perhaps I could marry a Kohen...?

NAOMI: Ruth, there are a few more laws I should tell you about...

RUTH: I'm more than ready to learn them!

NAOMI: (Looking off into the distance.) Oh, look - there's Bethlehem! You can see the gate of the city from here...!

RUTH: (Straining to look.) Let me see...! Oh, we're almost there! I can hardly wait!

Attachment 2: Suggested Questions for Discussion

1. What was Ruth's background? (Legend has it that she was the daughter of a Moabite king.)
1. Why do you think she was attracted to Naomi's religion?
2. Can you imagine what she might have found difficult or even incomprehensible?
1. Do you think Ruth wanted to accept the commandments because she truly believed in God and wanted to belong to the Jewish religion, or because she wanted to be part of the Jewish people (and thereby perhaps find a husband?)
2. What are the parallels to these reasons in contemporary Jewish life?
1. How does the Jewish community accept converts or non-Jews who are interested in learning more about Judaism?
2. What happens to those who embrace Judaism once they are officially a part of the Jewish people?
3. How would you compare those who convert as individuals (lishma, "for it's own sake") with a self-motivated desire to practice Judaism, to those who convert in order to marry a Jewish spouse?
4. Who do you think has the better chance of remaining a faithful member of the Jewish community, and why?
1. What seem to be some of Orpah's feelings about Naomi's religion?
2. What aspects of Jewish culture has she picked up from Naomi's family?
3. Can you think of a parallel she would have in modern Jewish society?
1. Try to compare the two versions of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5.)
2. Can you see how they are different? How do you think that the variations of "Remember" and "Observe" the Sabbath day can be interpreted?

Attachment 3: Sources for Study

Rashi's Commentary on the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-14 - Selections)

20 1. God spoke. [The word] Elohim "God" implies a judge. Inasmuch as there are parts of the Torah that, if one fulfills them, one receives a reward, and if not, one is not punished for it, I might think that this applies to the Ten Commandments as well; the Torah therefore says "God [the Judge] spoke," i.e. He is a Judge who will exact punishment [Mekhilta].

1. All these words. This teaches us that the Holy One, blessed be He, pronounced the Ten Commandments in one utterance, which is impossible for a mortal to do. If so, why does the Torah go on to say, "I the Lord am your God" and "You shall have no other gods beside Me" [i.e. why specify each one]? [The answer is because] He repeated each commandment separately [Mekhilta].

1. Saying. This teaches us that they answered "yes" to a positive commandment and "no" to a negative commandment [Mekhilta].

2. Who brought you out of the land of Egypt. The Exodus is sufficient [reason] for you to be beholden to me. Another explanation: Inasmuch as He was revealed at the [splitting of the] sea as a mighty warrior and revealed here as a compassionate elder (as it is said, "under His feet there was the likeness of a pavement of sapphires" [Exodus 24:10] - this was before Him at the time of bondage, "like the very sky for purity" [ibid] - after they were redeemed), and inasmuch as He changes His appearance, do not say that there must be two [different Supreme] Authorities; "I brought you out of the land of Egypt" and [I split] the sea [for you]. Another explanation: Inasmuch as they heard many sounds (as it is said, "the thunder" [literally, "the sounds," verse 15]) - sounds coming from the four directions, as well as from the heavens and from the earth - do not say that there are many [Supreme] Authorities. And why did He speak in the singular, Elohayich "your God"? In order to provide an opportunity for Moses to speak in [Israel's] defense at the sin of the [Golden] calf, for Moses said, "Let not Your anger, Lord, blaze forth against Your people" [Exodus 32:11]. You did not command them, "You shall have no other gods beside Me;" rather, [You commanded] me alone.

2. Out of the house of bondage. [I.e.,] from the house of Pharaoh whose slaves you were. Should you think that "house of bondage" [literally, "house of slaves"] means that you were slaves unto slaves, the Torah says "He rescued you from the house of bondage, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt" [Deuteronomy 7:8]; you must [therefore] conclude that they were slaves to a king and not slaves unto slaves [Mekhilta].

3. You shall have no. Why was this said? Since it is said, "You shall not make for yourself..." [verse 4], I might think that one may not make [other gods]; how do I know that one may not keep another god] already made? The Torah therefore says, "You shall have no other gods beside Me" [Mekhilta].

3. Other gods that have no divinity, but that others make as gods over themselves. It is not correct to explain [the term as] "other gods other than Me," because that is derogatory towards the One on High to call them "gods" alongside Him. Another explanation: They [act as] "others" [i.e. strangers] to those who worship them; the people call out to them, but they do not answer them, and they seem to be strangers who never knew them.

3. Beside Me. [I.e.,] all the while that I exist [in other words, forever], that you may not say, "The commandment against idolatry applied only in that generation [of the Exodus] [Mekhilta].

4. A sculptured image. [It is called Pesel] because it is sculpted.

4. Or any likeness. The image of anything that "is in the heavens above..."

5. An impassioned God. He is zealous to exact punishment and does not vary His attributes to forgive idolatry. Every use of the word Kana (Kuf-Nun-Aleph) "zealousness" (emportement in old French) implies that one has set one's heart to exact punishment.

5. Of those who reject Me. [To be understood] as the Targum translates it, "when they cling to the [evil] deeds of their fathers."

6. But showing kindness. He stores up the goodness that a person does in order to reward [him for it] to the two thousandth generation. From this one derives that the measure of goodness is greater than the measure of punishment by one to five hundred, for [punishment] is unto the fourth generation, while [goodness] is unto the two thousandth [generation] [Tosefta Sotah 4:1].

7. Falsely. The first use [of the word Laso (Lamed-Shin-Vav-Aleph) "falsely"] implies "in vain," as the Targum translates it, i.e. one who swears for naught and in vain; [for example, one swears that an item made of ] wood is wood, or that a stone is stone; while the second use [of "falsely"] implies "falsehood," as the Targum translates it, as it is said, "What constitutes a false oath? That which contradicts known fact, e.g. that a pillar of stone is one of gold" [Shevuot 29a].

8. Remember. "Remember" and "observe [the Sabbath day]" [Deuteronomy 5:12] were said as one utterance; similarly, "He who profanes it [the Sabbath] shall be put to death" [Exodus 31:14] and "On the Sabbath day: two yearling lambs" [Numbers 28:9]; similarly, "You shall not wear cloth combining wool and linen" and "You shall make tassels" [Deuteronomy 22:11-12]; similarly, "[Do not uncover] the nakedness of your brother's wife" [Leviticus 18:16] and "Her husband's brother shall unite with her" [Deuteronomy 25:5]. That is what is meant by ""One thing God has spoken; two things have I heard" [Psalm 62:12].

8. Remember. [The word] is used as an imperative, as in "Eat and drink" [Isaiah 22:13], "Weeping as he followed her" [II Samuel 3:16], and this is the explanation: Let your heart continually remember the sabbath day, that should you happen upon a beautiful item, you will keep it for the Sabbath [Mekhilta].

9. And do all your work. When the Sabbath arrives, you should consider all your work as if it were done, so that you should not desire to work [on the Sabbath] [Mekhilta].

10. You, your son or daughter. This refers to the young ones, but should you say that it rather refers to the older ones, they have already been warned [against working on the Sabbath]. Instead, this is intended to warn the older ones about the "rest" of the younger ones; this is what we learned: One does not permit a minor to extinguish [a fire] because his rest is [incumbent] upon you [Shabbat 121a].

11. And He rested on the seventh day. As if God had "rest" written of Himself! This is teach us the principle of inferring from the less important to the more important [Kol vaChomar], that [if God rested on the Sabbath day, how much more so] one whose work is with toil and fatigue [Mekhilta].

11. He blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. He blessed it through the manna by doubling the portion on the sixth day, and hallowed it through the manna in that none fell on [the Sabbath] [Mekhilta].

12. That you may long endure. If you honor [your father and mother, your days] will be long, and if you do not [honor them, your days] will be short, for the words of the Torah are interpreted by the principle of notarikon [i.e., breaking up words into two or more parts]: from the positive [you may deduce] the negative, and from the negative [you may deduce] the positive [Mekhilta].

13. You shall not commit adultery. Adultery is only with a married woman, as it is said, "the adulterer and the adulteress shall be put to death" [Leviticus 20:10], and it is said, "The adulterous wife who welcomes strangers instead of her husband" [Ezekiel 16:32].

13. You shall not steal. The Torah refers [here] to kidnapping; "You shall not steal" [Leviticus 19:11] refers to the theft of money. You might think that this [verse] refers to theft of money and [the verse in Leviticus] to kidnapping; [rather, the principle of] deduction from context] applies here: just as "You shall not murder" and "You shall not commit adultery" refer to crimes punishable by death ordained by a court, so too is "You shall not steal" a crime punishable by death [and that is in the case in kidnapping, but not theft] [Sanhedrin 86a].

2. Ibn Ezra's Commentary on the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20: 1-14 - selections)

20 2. I the Lord am your God. All the commentators agree that the first of the Ten Commandments is I the Lord am your God... and the second is You shall have no other gods beside Me. I will give the reason for my opinion [in my commentary] on Deuteronomy 5:15. All the Ten Commandments are negative commands, except for the First and the Fifth, for the essence of the Fourth Commandment is You shall not do any work. The reason behind the First Commandment is that one should have faith in one's heart and believe that He is the Lord; I the Lord should be his God and he should serve him, for He brought him out of the land of Egypt. The First Commandment is the foundation, meaning that one should make Him one's God, cling to him, and also acknowledge that He brought him out of Egypt.

You shall have no other gods is the Second Commandment, for one who provides God with a "partner" is acknowledging that there is another god; that is why I say that the First Commandment is the foundation for the other nine commandments and is the foremost, as the first of all the numbers.

The Third Commandment refers to swearing falsely by the name of the Lord and is a sub-category of the Second Commandment. The wise men of India say that God does not know the details [of the world, only the general picture, but this cannot be so], for if one who swears falsely knew that God heard him, he would fear Him.

The Fourth Commandment refers to resting on the seventh day, and this is related to swearing falsely by the name of the Lord. The reason is that [even] the wise men of Greece said that God is forever the Creator; anyone who does work on the Sabbath denies the origin of Creation.

The Fifth Commandment is to honor one's parents, since honoring them depends on honoring God, for the parents gave birth to the child through the power of god, and fed him and clothed him. There is a natural feeling that one should reward those who are good to him; that is why these five commandments all mention the name of God.

The remaining five commandments do not mention God [for they refer to relationships between human beings, whereas] the previous five commandments refer to relationships between human beings and God. The first is You shall not murder, which refers to destroying a body; thereafter comes You shall not commit adultery, which is abuse of the body; this is followed by You shall not steal, referring to money. You shall not bear false witness is with the mouth, while You shall not covet is in the heart - this is less severe than the preceding nine commandments.

Saadia Gaon wrote Azharaot (piyyutim or liturgical poems) and included all the commandments in the statement, These are the words of the covenant; I would suggest that that which is easy in relations between man and his Creator is the most difficult in relationships between an individual and his fellow creature, for every person will die [referring to You shall not murder], sexual relations [referring to You shall not commit adultery] may be open or in secret, while money [referring to You shall not steal] may sprout wings [and no longer serve as evidence of a crime; cf. Proverbs 23:4-5, Do not toil to gain wealth; have the sense to desist. You see it, then it is gone; it grows wings and flies away, like an eagle, heavenward.] There is no one who has not sinned with his tongue [referring to You shall not bear false witness], either to add or to take away, and every heart covets and desires [referring to You shall not covet], except for the hearts of the believers [people who are true and honest].

The reason for the First Commandment, I the Lord, is that one should know Him and love Him with all one's heart, cleave to Him, and always be with Him and not lose his fear of Him.

The reason for the Second Commandment, You shall have no other gods, is that one should not believe that [God entrusted the supervision of the world to] an angel [or that the world depends on luck] and make statues [as a means of] bringing down divine powers.

The reason for the Third Commandment, You shall not swear falsely by the name of the Lord your God, is that whenever one invokes God's name in reference to an incident, one is thereby "bearing" [literally, "carrying"] it.

The reason for the Fourth Commandment, remembering the Sabbath day, is that it is a sign that the world has a beginning.

The reason for the Fifth Commandment, honoring parents, is that in honoring them, one honors God.

The reason for the Sixth Commandment, You shall not murder, is that one may not destroy a human being who has not yet lived out his days to understand why he was created. This does not apply to animals, for whom there is hope [of such self-development].

The reason for the Seventh Commandment, You shall not commit adultery, is that one may not abuse that which belongs to another nor an independent person, nor mate with another species [e.g., an animal] or with one incapable of giving birth, or abuse onself.

The reason for the Eighth Commandment, You shall not steal, [is that one may not steal] hearts [i.e., mislead or deceive] nor money.

The reason for the Ninth Commandment, You shall not bear false witness, is that one should distance oneself from deceit.

The reason for the Tenth Commandment, You shall not covet, is that it is like stealing and dealing deceitfully.

All the commandments are thoroughly explained in the Mishnah, the Talmud and the Tosafot.

The phrase, out of the house of bondage, means that you were like a slave living in a house of slavery, as is explained in the commentary on the verse, To be their slaves no more [Leviticus 26:13].

The phrase, beside Me [literally, "in My face"], means that once you realize that it is I, the Lord, who have created everything and My glory fills the world, you may not have any other gods but Me. Beside Me may be understood in the sense of served as priests in the lifetime [literally, "in the face of" or "before"] of their father Aaron [Numbers 3:4], as a wise man said, "Do not anger your master by rebelling against him when he can see you."

4. You shall not make for yourself a sculptured image, [i.e., something carved], as in Carve two tablets of stone like the first [Exodus 34:1]. An image may be of stone or wood. You may not serve any likeness whatsoever, whether in the heavens above - these are the stars and planets and heavenly lights, or on the earth below, referring to the beasts and creeping things and birds, as it is written, Let the birds increase on the earth [Genesis 1:22], or in the waters under the earth, that is, the fish, including all that is born in the water and grows in the sea. You may not believe in any of these, you may not make an image of any of them to be a god for you, nor may you bow down to them, should people force you to do so, nor do anything that represents service to them.

5. For I the Lord your God am an impassioned God. The reason for being impassioned is that I created mankind to serve Me, as it is written, All who are linked to My name, whom I have created, formed, and made for My glory [Isaiah 43:7]; should one leave Me and serve another - one of My creatures - he is doing the opposite of what I want, I shall therefore take revenge on him and not forgive him. This is the reason for an impassioned God; the Torah speaks here in human terms, so that the listeners will understand; similarly, I will set My face against that person and cut him off from among his people [Leviticus 20:6]. Should a man's son be evil, I will visit the guilt of his father upon him. The reason for upon the fourth generations is that I shall not be patient with them beyond the fourth generation. This is not the place to deal with the question, How is the guilt of the father visited upon the son? The text specifically says of those who reject Me, for should [the sinner's] son be of those who love Me, I will not visit the father's guilt upon him, but the Lord will not be patient if all four generations are those who reject Me. [Depending on the sin and on whether or not one of those generations repents, the Lord may not wait for four generations; rather, sometimes] one of the first [generation] may be cut off, or the second, or the third. The meaning of "visiting" [Pokaid - Fey-Vav-Kuf-Daled] is not that God combines [that is, adds up the sins of the generations], but that he remembers, as in I am exacting the penalty [Pokadti] for what Amalek did to Israel [I Samuel 15:2]; after He remembers all that the father has done, He will not be patient with the son.

6. But showing kindness to the thousandth generation, that is, forever; the same is understood in the verse, Who keeps His gracious covenant to the thousandth generation of those who love Him and keep His commandments [Deuteronomy 7:9]; as proven by, But the Lord's steadfast love is for all eternity toward those who fear Him [Psalms 103:17], and this [meaning of "thousandth" as "forever"] is a great and marvelous secret [according to the Kabbalah]. Of those who love Me, that is, those who know My name, than whom none are higher [for serving God out of love is a higher level than those who] keep My commandments, because of their fear of Him, [which is a lower level].

7. You shall not swear falsely. The [silent] letter Aleph is part of the [three-letter] root [of the word Sho (Shin-Vav-Aleph), "falsely"], like the Aleph in the word Chet, Chet-Tet-Aleph ("sin"); it may be that the letter Vav is in place of the Aleph, and the Aleph is in place of the Hey [to relate it to the word Shoah], as in Shoah U'mishoah (desolate wasteland) [Job 30:3], for the letters Yud-Hey-Vav-Aleph interchange. [Such an oath] is null and void because it is in vain [i.e., it is empty; it does not relate to anything concrete], just as [the wasteland] is called desolate for it is without settlement; similarly, the grammatical structure of to suppress pride in man [Job 33:17], [where Gimel-Vav-Hey replaces Gimel-Vav-Aleph.]

The Sages have distinguished between a vain ["empty"] oath and a false oath [i.e, one that is a lie]. An oath [Sh'vuah] may be so called because it comes from the number seven [Shivah], and this is a secret written in [the kabbalistic work,] The Book of Creation, [wherein the incorporeal God is imagined as being within ] a holy sanctuary [that exists] in the middle [of a world consisting of seven spheres]. One who mentions God's name in connection with something that does not exist is as if he denies God, for he is in effect saying, "As God is true, so is my word." Throughout the Bible, taking an oath with God's name is an unconditional decree; the reason for one swearing by His right hand [Isaiah 62:8], or Hand upon the throne of the Lord! [Exodus 17:16], or I raise My hand to heaven [Deuteronomy 32:40] is that all these exist. The same applies to by the Ever-Living One [Daniel 12:7]. One who swears to a falsehood desecrates God's name, and such a sin is second only to idol w orship. When God said in the Second Commandment, an impassioned God, He also said for the Lord will not clear one who swears falsely by His name; this is the warning - were it not written in the Torah, it would be obvious and understandable that it is planted in the heart, and wise-hearted men [of other nations] have made [swearing falsely] punishable by death.

An oath has many forms: the most severe is that which mentions God's Ineffable Name, as we see when the chieftains of the community swore to the Gibeonites [Joshua established friendship with them; he made a pact with them to spare their lives, and the chieftains of the community gave them their oath, Joshua 9:15]; the oath was taken on the understanding that the Gibeonites came from far away, causing all of Israel to violate the command, You shall not let a soul remain alive [Deuteronomy 20:16], but the chieftains did not desecrate God's Name [by not honoring their oath]. Later, after some four hundred years, God did not forgive King Saul for putting some Gibeonites to death [cf. II Samuel 21:1-7], since the people of Israel had sworn [that they would not kill them] and in fact Saul had killed them, for whomever was found in Nob, whether man or woman, he killed, as it is written [He put Nob, the town of the priests, to the sword: men and women, children and infants..., I Samuel 22:19], and this included some Gibeonites, who were hewers of wood and drawers of water in the house of the High Priest [cf. Yevamot 78b].

Nor would God forgive a son who did not keep the oath of his father [cf. I Samuel 14, where Jonathan does not keep Saul's oath], even though [Saul] took an oath only upon himself [and Jonathan was not present at the time]. So, too, [the incident in which] the two spies swore to Rahab [Joshua 2:17-20], who was a Canaanite, and the people of Israel kept her alive because of the oath of the two - and we do not even know who they were. Although the Midrash says that one of them was Caleb, this could not be, for he was then close to eighty years of age [cf. Joshua 14:10], yet the text describes them as the young spies [Joshua 6:23]. Moses, the greatest of the prophets, when all the Israelites were engaged in despoiling the Egyptians and all their eyes were on [the booty], busied himself with the bones of Joseph, for he [Joseph] had exacted an oath from the children of Israel [cf. Exodus 13:19]. All this indicates the seriousness of an oath! David said, Who stands by his oath even to his hurt [Psalms 15:4], but Solomon his son killed Shimei, even though [David] said, I swore to him by the Lord: 'I will not put you to the sword' [I Kings 2:8].

I have gone on at length about this because I have seen our people in the Diaspora, under the rule of Ishmael and Edom, swear by God's name in a moment, until it has become quite customary for them and they do not even sense that they are swearing. Should one try to reprimand them, they will swear that they did not swear! A murderer will murder once or twice, and an adulterer will commit adultery a number of times, but these [people, unaware of the severity of their sin,] will take an oath every day and every minute, until one cannot count the number of times. This very evil committed by Israel prevents the coming of the Redeemer! Will those with blind hearts not awaken from their sleep [and realize] that one who murders his enemy fulfills his heart's desire for revenge? So, too, [do] the adulterer and the thief [derive some satisfaction from their crimes], but these people desecrate God's name for naught. The Torah therefore says, For the Lord will not clear one who swears falsely by His name.

8. Remember the sabbath day means that one should daily keep track of the days of the week so as not to forget which day is the seventh, which one must sanctify. And keep it holy means to give it a status higher than that of the other days by not doing work on that day, just as God sanctified it [by ceasing from His work]. Our Sages said to remember the day [actively by reciting the Kiddush] over wine; this is also correct as a legal support [for the ruling that wine is not a requirement] for one who is not a Nazirite, [who is forbidden to drink even the wine of Kiddush]. This applies where [wine] is found, for one does not violate the command [to "remember" the sabbath by reciting the Kiddush over wine] if he lives in a place where this is no wine [as the Kiddush can also be recited over bread.]

9. Six days you shall labor. You are permitted to work; this is not a command [to do work].

10. But the seventh day is a sabbath of the Lord your God, the reason being because God rested on that day. Your son refers to a minor, for if he had attained the age of thirteen, he would be included in the command, you. Every Israelite is to watch his minor son or daughter and not leave them to do work that is forbidden on the Sabbath. The same applies to a male or female slave, or your cattle, as well as to the stranger, who has his own religious beliefs and is an alien resident: the condition for his living in your land is that he not perform work on the sabbath. The rule applies to you and all who are within your authority, but there are distinctions among them in the law [as to appropriate punishment]. The Torah now explains why the sabbath is commanded.

11. And all that is in them, that is, in the heavens, such as the heavenly lights and the stars, and all that creeps on the earth, and all that swarms in the waters. I have explained the reason for Therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day in the commentary on Genesis 2:3 [Because on it God ceased from all the work of creation which He had done.]

12. Honor your father and your mother. The way of honoring one's parents is as explained by the Sages [in the Talmud, Kiddushin 30-32]. That you may long endure refers to the parents [who may lengthen your life]. The reward is that you may live many years; compare The fear of the Lord prolongs life [Proverbs 10:27]; furthermore, that you may not be exiled from the pure land [that the Lord your God is assigning to you]. You should know that the reward [for fulfilling] a positive commandment is double that of a negative commandment, but in punishment, it is reversed, for the punishment for [violating] a negative commandment is heavier [than the punishment for violating a positive commandment]. A positive commandment takes effort, while a negative commandment does not, yet there is a reward for observing the commandments of the Lord not to murder, commit adultery, etc. [which do not require any effort to observe as negative commandments]. In effect, both [positive and negative commandments] are rewarded: this is one way [for passive observance of negative commandments], and the other is a reward for the [active] effort. How precious is the saying of the Sages [in Makot 23b, regarding the reward for one who refrains from evil deeds], that they bring proof from [the verse prohibiting the eating of] blood, You must not partake of it, in order that it may go well with you [Deuteronomy 12:25].

13. You shall not murder. We need the Kabbalah [i.e., the oral tradition to understand the legal implications of these three commandments], since the Torah did not specify your neighbor in the commandments not to murder, nor to commit adultery, nor to steal, as it did in the last two of the Ten Commandments. Saadia Gaon enumerated eight categories of forbidden sexual relations [cf., the long version of Ibn Ezra's commentary on this verse], and his words are close to the truth [i.e., I agree with him.] The grammatical sense [of the word "bear"] in You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor [is two-fold: a.] you testify against him as a false witness, and [b.] it also teaches that it is forbidden to hire a false witness [against him.] The word bear has the same meaning as respond in the verse, I will respond to the sky, and it shall respond to the earth [Hosea 2:23].

14. You shall not covet. I will explain this [in my commentary on Deuteronomy 5:17.]

Attachment 4 - Two versions of the Ten Commandments

1. Exodus 20:2-14
   1. I am the Lord your God, who have brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
   2. You shall have no other gods before me.
   3. You shall not make for you any engraved image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earthbeneath, or that is in the water under the earth;
   4. You shall not bow down yourself to them, nor serve them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity ofthe fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
   5. And showing mercy to thousands of those who love me, and keep my commandments.
   6. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.
   7. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
   8. Six days shall you labor, and do all your work;
   9. But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you, nor your son, nor yourdaughter, your manservant, nor your maidservant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger that is within your gates;
   10. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and made it holy.
   11. Honor your father and your mother; that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God gives you.
   12. You shall not kill. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
   13. You shall not covet your neighbor's house, you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor hismaidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is your neighbor's.

2. Deuteronomy 5:6-18
   1. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of slavery.
   2. You shall have no other gods before me.
   3. You shall not make any engraved image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath,or that is in the waters beneath the earth;
   4. You shall not bow down to them, nor serve them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of thefathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,
   5. And showing mercy to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments.
   6. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain; for the Lord will not hold guiltless him who takes his name in vain.
   7. Keep the Sabbath day to sanctify it, as the Lord your God has commanded you.
   8. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work;
   9. But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your manservant, nor your maidservant, nor your ox, nor your ass, nor any of your cattle, nor your stranger who is inside your gates; that your manservant and your maidservant may rest as well as you.
   10. And remember that you were a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the Lord your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and with a stretched out arm; therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.
   11. Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God has commanded you; that your days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with you, in the land which the Lord your God gives you.
   12. You shall not kill. Nor shall you commit adultery. Nor shall you steal. Nor shall you bear false witness against your neighbor.
   13. Nor shall you desire your neighbor's wife, nor shall you covet your neighbor's house, his field, or his manservant, or hismaidservant, his ox, or his ass, or any thing that is your neighbor's.

This program was written by Rabbi Robert Binder 5763.