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August 12, 2022 (15 Av 5782) Not As Simple As It Seems Dear Holy Friends, I hope this correspondence finds you doing well and in good health. We look forward to you joining us this Shabbat morning, at 10:30am, for our services, which will take place in the sanctuary and also be available on our regular Zoom prayer link This week’s Torah portion of Vaetchanan is highlighted by the recitation of the Ten Commandments. The text in Devarim is a close repetition of the theophany of Sinai found in Exodus 20. Some modern scholars suggest that the text was likely modeled on Hittite and Mesopotamian laws and treaties. Although many are likely to be able to recite the Ten Commandments, the text is not as simple as it may seem. While in English we refer to this well-known passage as the Ten Commandments, the proper Hebrew term is the Aseret HaDibrot, which means the Ten Utterances. This shift in terminology is suggested in part because if one reads through the entire passage, it is quite possible that you would count more than ten specific directives in the thirteen sentences that comprise the text. The astute reader may also question whether or not the first sentence ( I am the Lord your God who took you out of Egypt) should be “counted” as a commandment. For centuries, Jewish scholars have tried to parcel their conception of the proper “ten” into different categories. Traditionally, many folks think of the first five as representing our relationship with God (although the mitzvah of honoring one’s parents does not quite fit), while the second five represent our relationships with our community or fellow human beings. In a fascinating interpretation, the philosopher Abraham ben Chiyya, (after placing the first commandment apart as comprising all the others), divided the other nine according to the commandments of thought, speech, and action, and according to relations between human and God, human and his family, and human and human. Chiyya suggests that commandments of thought include the injunction to have no other Gods, honor your parents, and to not covet; commandments of speech include not taking God’s name in vain and not offering false testimony; and finally commandments of action include remembering Shabbat, not committing adultery, and not stealing. This Shabbat, as we read this famous passage, I challenge you to read carefully, consult commentaries from the Chumash, and then bring your own insights to our community so that we can be blessed to learn from each other in order to grow our learning community. Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Eric Wasser, EdD, Hon.DM
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