Feb 5th, 00:00

         This week’s Torah portion, Yitro, named after Moses’ father-in-law, a Midianite priest, contains the most well known, the most commentated upon, and probably the most misunderstood section of text in the entire Torah.  The Ten Commandments have been elevated to super-holy status, far above the other words, ideas, and commandments in our sacred text.  One reason for this is the influence of the dominant culture in which we live, which holds the Ten Commandments up as the foundation and basis upon which western civilization was built and rests.  Despite the centrality and importance of the Ten Commandments in Jewish tradition, such a view is not a Jewish one.
         The first thing we have to understand is that the Ten Commandments are not commandments at all.  Yes, nine of them take the form of commandments and use Hebrew verbs in a command form, but the Torah itself does not call them commandments.  The text reads: “God spoke all these words…”  The Hebrew word “d’varim” is much broader than “commandments.”  For Jews, as I mentioned, the first of the Ten is not a command at all, rather a statement that God is the one who brought us out of Egypt.  Our non-Jewish friends do not count this as the first commandment since God did not take them out of Egypt.  So, they begin the countdown with “You shall have no other gods besides Me,” what we reckon as the second.
         Among different Christian denominations, let alone among Jews and Christians, the numbers differ as to which verses make up which commandments and which commandments correspond to which number.  Additionally, there are problems with the text as to exactly how it should be translated and more importantly, understood and applied.
         As a law code, the Ten Commandments fall miserably short as there are no consequences for obeying or for failing to obey.  And yet, these words captured the imagination of those who did lay the foundation for our modern world, for the grand experiment in human endeavor we call the United States of America, and for what ultimately became western civilization.
         My problem, of course, is with those who wish to impress their translation and interpretation of these words upon our otherwise secular society.  Once you translate, you interpret in a narrow way.  I have never heard anyone advocate for the posting of the Ten Commandments in the “original” text, with the Jewish manner of numbering.  Let’s be honest and admit that the desire to post a particular version of the Ten Commandments in the public arena has nothing to do with the words themselves but rather is a thinly veiled attempt to have government endorse a particular religion.
         The historical importance of these words and all words of Torah lies not in the nature of how, when, or why they were commanded.  What keeps Torah alive is our commitment to our heritage, our faith, and our traditions – all of which have and continue to change and evolve.  God may have given the Tablets of the Law and the Torah to Moses on Sinai, but once Moses gave it to the people, it no longer belonged to God.  Each generation must take it, turn it over and over again, and make it new and fresh for the realities in which they live.  This is what has enabled us to survive all these centuries and what will enable us to keep the flame of light and hope burning brightly for the future.
         Tonight at 7:30 PM is our Family Shabbat service with birthday and anniversary blessings for February.  Tomorrow, we will have Torah Study and religious school at 9:00 AM and our Shabbat Morning service at 10:00 AM, at which time Sebastian Feldman will be called to the Torah as a bat mitzvah.  Mazal tov to Sebi and his entire family!  Both services will be carried live over the Internet at www.templebethtikvah.com (click on Live Services).  Have a great weekend and stay dry!