BE

LIE

F IN

GO

D-

MIT

ZV

AH

25

The

Ten

Com

man

dmen

ts v

. T

he T

en U

ttera

nces

(I)

Sefe

r H

aChi

nuch

's C

ount

ing

25.

The

mitz

vah

of b

elie

f in

the

exis

tenc

e o

f the

Ete

rnal

Lor

d, b

e H

e bl

esse

d

26.

Tha

t we

shou

ld n

ot b

elie

ve in

any

div

inity

but

the

Ete

rnal

Lor

d al

one,

27.

Not

to m

ake

a gr

aven

im

age,

28.

Not

to p

rost

ate

ones

elf i

n id

ol-w

orsh

ip, 2

9. N

ot to

wor

ship

an

idol

in

the

way

it i

s cu

stom

arily

w

orsh

ippe

d

30. N

ot to

sw

ear

in v

ain

31. T

he p

rece

pt o

f hal

low

ing

the

Sabb

ath

in w

ords

, 32

. N

ot to

do

any

wor

k on

the

Sab

bath

33.

The

pre

cept

of h

onor

ing

one'

s fa

ther

and

mot

her

34.

Not

to m

urde

r an

inn

ocen

t m

an

35.

Not

to u

ncov

er th

e na

kedn

ess

of a

noth

er's

wife

36.

Not

to k

idna

p an

y Je

wis

h pe

rson

37.

Not

to b

ear f

alse

witn

ess

38.

Not

to c

ovet

wha

t bel

ongs

to

anot

her

(2)

The

Mek

hilta

, Y

itro

In w

hat f

orm

wer

e th

e T

en C

omm

andm

ents

giv

en?

With

five

on

the

firs

t tab

let a

nd f

ive

on t

he se

cond

. It

is w

ritte

n [o

n th

e fir

st t

able

t], 'I

am

the

Lor

d yo

ur G

od ..

. ,"

corr

espo

ndin

g to

whi

ch [

wef

md

on t

he

seco

nd t

able

t],

'You

sha

ll no

t mur

der.

• T

he T

orah

is te

achi

ng u

s th

at a

nyon

e w

ho s

pills

blo

od is

co

nsid

ered

as

thou

gh h

e de

trac

ts f

rom

the

imag

e o

f the

Kin

g ...

It i

s w

ritte

n [o

n th

e fi

rst t

able

t],

'You

sha

ll no

t hav

e ...

,' a

nd c

orre

spon

ding

ly [

on t

he s

econ

d ta

blet

], "Y

ou s

hall

not c

omm

it ad

ulte

ry."

The

Tor

ah is

te

achi

ng u

s ...

It is

writ

ten,

"Y

ou s

hall

not t

ake

the

Nam

e o

f the

Lor

d yo

ur G

od i

n va

in,"

and

co

rres

pond

ingl

y, "

You

sha

ll no

t ste

al."

The

Tor

ah is

tea

chin

g us

tha

t ste

alin

g w

ill l

ead

to a

fals

e oa

th .

.. th

e Sa

bbat

h vi

olat

or a

ttest

s fa

lsel

y th

at G

od d

id n

ot c

reat

e th

e w

orld

in s

ix d

nys

and

rest

on

the

seve

nth,

an

d th

e pe

rson

who

cov

ets

his

fello

w p

erso

n's

wife

will

end

by

fath

erin

g a

child

who

rej

ects

his

true

pa

rent

and

hon

ors

anot

her.

(3)

Ibn

Ezr

a, A

ccor

ding

to N

echa

ma

Lei

bow

itz

Tho

ught

-Sp

eech

-A

ctio

n

A:

Noa

h an

d hi

s so

ns (

Gen

6:1

0)

B: A

ll lif

e on

ear

th (

6:13

:a)

C: C

urse

on

eart

h (6

:13:

b)

D:

Floo

d an

noun

ced

(6:7

)

E:A

rk (

6:14

-16)

..

....

...

.. ,

F: A

ll liv

ing

crea

ture

s (6

:17-

20)

G: F

ood(

6:21

)

H:A

nirn

als

In m

an's

han

ds (

7:2-

3)

1: E

nter

ing

the

Ark

(7:

13-1

6)

J: W

ater

s in

crea

se (

7:17

-20)

X: G

od re

mem

bers

Noa

h (8

:1)

J: W

ater

s de

crea

se(8

:13-

14)

1': E

xitin

g th

e A

rk (

8:15

-19)

H':

Ani

mal

s (9

:2,3

)

G':

Food

(9:

3,4)

F':

All

livin

g cr

eatu

res

(9:1

Oa)

E':

Ark

(9:

10b)

·

D' :N

o fl

ood

in f

utur

e (9

: 11)

C':

Ble

ssin

g on

ear

th (9

: 12-

17)

B':

All

life

on

eart

h (9

:16)

.

I A:

Noa

h an

d hi

s so

ns (

9:18

,19a

) i

"

Ch

iasm

of t

he

num

bers

7, 4

0, a

nd 1

50

I a: S

even

day

s w~

ting

·t~ .;,

;tcr A

rk 'c

7,"4)

I ~:Seco

nd men

tion

ofoo

ven

days

wai

ting

('7:1

0)

i r: 4

0 da

y• (

7:17

)

Is: 1

so da

y• (7

:24)

I X: O

od r

em em

ben

Noa

h (8

:1)

r I 6':

150

days

(8:3

) i ! y

': 40

day

s (8

:6)

I I ~·: S

even

. da)

'IJ w~

ting fo

r do

ve (

8: I 0

)

i a':

Seco

nd s

even

day

s w

aitin

g fo

r do

ve (8

: 12)

I

L. .....

........

........

......

...........

.........

.. _ .. : _

__ , ..

........

......... ..

Bef

ore

thes

e an

cien

t lite

rary

con

vent

ions

wer

e re

cogn

ized

, fo

llow

ers

of t

he D

ocum

enta

ry

Hyp

othe

sis

expl

aine

d th

e re

petit

ion

by h

ypot

hesi

zing

two

diff

eren

t au

thor

s or

red

acto

rs.

The

repe

titio

n sh

ows

the

liter

ary

artis

try

of a

sin

gle

auth

or.

'

( 4) T

en C

omm

andm

ents

= 6

13 C

omm

andm

ents

Sefe

r H

aChi

nuch

416

"m..,

.,tln

'?~~

mm:n

n'?.

'ltK

IIIK

'.'ll

K

1111

;Tll

1\J

'1 '?.

'l.'l nl1S~ ~1n ;T

'StS

'lt ,l

l/ll

.'l '1

JTI

1111

1n'? mu~ M

"WIY

1111

'1111t

num

11/11

1 •n

11J1

miii

YJ

•n'?

'IJ •

M.'l

i'IJ

nntn

t:> 111

1~ ':

1 nn~. [

l"01

111

'0~

ct7

'IJ

K"I

P 1t

llY].

And

do

not w

onde

r to

say

, 'A

nd h

ow i

s it

in t

he h

and

of a

man

to p

reve

nt h

is h

eart

from

des

irin

g th

e st

oreh

ouse

of e

very

del

ight

ful v

esse

l tha

t he

sees

in

the

hand

of h

is f

ello

w, w

here

as h

e is

tota

lly e

mpt

y of

th

em;

and

how

doe

s th

e T

orah

bri

ng a

pre

vent

ion

abou

t tha

t whi

ch is

im

poss

ible

for

a m

an to

uph

old?

" A

s th

e th

ing

is no

t lik

e th

is,

and

only

sill

y ev

ildoe

rs a

nd t

hose

that

sin

with

thei

r so

uls

say

it. A

s tru

ly,

it is

in

tho

hand

of a

man

to p

reve

nt h

imse

lf a

nd h

is t

houg

hts

and

his

desi

res

from

any

thin

g th

at h

e w

ants

. A

nd [

it is

) w

ithin

his

con

trol

and

his

cog

niza

nce

to d

ista

nce

and

to b

ring

clo

se h

is w

ant f

or a

ll th

ings

acc

ordi

ng to

hi

s w

ill.

And

his

hea

rt is

giv

en i

nto

his

hand

; to

anyt

hing

that

he

wan

ts c

an h

e in

clin

e it.

And

God

-in

fr

ont

of W

hom

are

all

hidd

en t

hing

s-'se

arch

es a

ll th

e ro

oms

of th

e be

lly, s

ees

the

kidn

ey a

nd t

he h

eart

.' T

here

is n

ot o

ne fr

om a

ll of

the

thou

ghts

of m

an-

little

or

big,

goo

d or

bad

-th

at is

hid

den

from

Him

; an

d it

is no

t cov

ered

fro

m H

is e

yes.

[Hen

ce)

He

will

bri

ng v

enge

ance

upo

n th

ose

that

tran

sgre

ss H

is w

ill in

th

eir

hear

ts, a

nd 's

afeg

uard

s ki

ndne

ss fo

r th

e th

ousa

nds

[of g

ener

atio

ns J f

or t

hose

tha

t lov

e H

im,'

who

de

dica

te th

eir

thou

ghts

to H

is s

ervi

ce.

As

ther

e is

noth

ing

as g

ood

for

a m

an a

s go

od a

nd p

ure

thou

ght,

as

it is

the

begi

nnin

g of

all

actio

ns,

and

thei

r en

d. A

nd th

is i

s ap

pare

ntly

the

mat

ter

of th

e 'g

ood

hear

t.' th

at

the

Sage

s pr

aise

d in

Tractate~-

And

the

pro

of th

at th

ese

two

nega

tive

com

man

dmen

ts a

re d

iffe

rent

in th

eir

cont

ent a

nd c

onsi

dere

d tw

o [d

istin

ct c

omm

andm

ents

) is

that

whi

ch th

ey s

aid

in th

e M

ekhi

lta D

eRab

bi S

him

on b

ar Y

ocha

i 20

:14,

"Y

ou s

hall

not c

ovet

you

r ne

ighb

or's

hous

e' (E

xodu

s 20

:14)

, an

d ta

ler

it st

ates

, 'an

d yo

u sh

all n

ot d

esir

e,'

to m

ake

liabl

e fo

r th

e de

sire

on

its o

wn

and

for

the

cove

ting

on it

s ow

n.' A

nd th

ere,

it [

also

] sa

ys,

'Fro

m

whe

re [d

o I

know

) th

at if

he

desi

res,

his

end

will

be

to c

ovet

? [H

ence

,] w

e le

arn

to s

ay 'y

ou s

hall

not

desi

re' '

and

you

shal

l no

t cov

et.'

From

whe

re [d

o I k

now

) th

at if

a m

an c

ovet

ed,

his

end

will

be

to s

teal

? [H

ence

,) w

e le

arn

to s

ay 'T

hey

cove

t fie

lds,

and

ste

al' (

Mic

hoh

2:2)

."

And

it i

s pr

actic

ed in

eve

ry p

lace

and

at a

ll tim

es b

y m

ales

and

fem

ales

. A

ll pe

ople

of t

he w

orld

are

als

o ob

ligat

ed a

bout

it, s

ince

it is

a b

ranc

h of

the

com

man

dmen

t [ag

ains

t) th

eft,

whi

ch is

one

of t

he s

even

co

mm

andm

ents

that

all

peop

le o

f the

wor

ld w

ere

com

man

ded.

And

do

not e

rr,

rey

son,

with

thi

s w

ell­

know

n ta

lly o

f the

sev

en c

omm

andm

ents

oft

he N

oach

ides

men

tione

d in

the

Tal

mud

S

hedr

ln 5

6b ;

as

trut

hful

ly t

hese

sev

en a

re [o

nly ]

like

gen

eral

pri

ncip

les,

but

they

hav

e m

any

deta

ils.

So y

ou w

ill f

ind

that

th

e pr

ohib

ition

of s

exua

l im

mor

ality

is c

onsi

dere

d fo

r th

em t

o be

one

com

man

dmen

t as

a ge

nera

l pr

inci

ple,

but

ther

e ar

e de

tails

in it

; su

ch a

s th

e pr

ohib

ition

of t

he m

othe

r, an

d th

e pr

ohib

ition

of t

he s

iste

r fr

om t

he m

othe

r's s

ide,

and

the

proh

ibiti

on o

f a m

arrie

d w

oman

, an

d th

e w

ife

of th

e fa

ther

, an

d th

e m

ale,

an

d th

e an

imal

(S

anhe

drin

58u

). A

nd s

o [to

o,)

the

mat

ter

of id

olat

ry i

s al

l con

side

red

one

com

man

dmen

t fo

r th

em, b

ut th

ere

are

man

y, m

any

deta

ils;

as b

ehol

d, t

hey

are

the

sam

e re

gard

ing

it as

Isr

ael,

sinc

e th

ey

are

liabl

e fo

r ev

eryt

hing

that

an

Isra

elite

cou

rt w

ould

kill

abo

ut (

Sqn

hedr

in S

6b).

Com

man

ding

Bel

ief

(1)

Ram

ban

(and

7 M

itzvo

th B

'nai

Noa

ch)

"In

orde

r th

at y

ou m

ay k

now

tha

t the

re is

non

e lik

e M

e in

all

the

land

." A

nd t

his

is th

e re

ason

for

the

cl

ause

, "W

ho b

roug

ht y

ou o

ut ..

. "-

for

they

kne

w a

nd w

ere

witn

esse

s to

all

of th

is.

(She

mot

20:

2)

(2)

Sefe

r HaC

hinu

ch 2

5 (a

nd 4

I 6)

The

com

man

dmen

t of b

elie

f In

God

: T

o be

lieve

that

the

wor

ld h

as o

ne G

od t

hat c

ause

d al

l tha

t exi

sts,

an

d th

at a

ll th

at is

, an

d w

as,

and

will

be

fore

ver

and

ever

, is

from

His

pow

er a

nd H

is w

ill;

and

that

He

took

us

out o

ut o

f Egy

pt a

nd g

ave

us t

he T

orah

-as

it i

s st

ated

{E

xodu

s 20

:2),

"I

am th

e L

ord,

you

r G

od,

who

took

you

out

of t

he la

nd o

f Egy

pt,

etc.

" A

nd it

s ex

plan

atio

n is

that

it is

as if

it s

aid,

"K

now

and

be

lieve

that

ther

e is

one

God

" -

sinc

e th

e w

ord,

I, i

ndic

ates

exi

sten

ce.

And

tha

t whi

ch it

sta

ted,

'w

ho to

ok

you

out,

etc.

,' is

to s

ay t

hat y

our

hear

ts n

ot s

educ

e yo

u to

take

the

mat

ter

of yo

ur l

eavi

ng th

e sl

aver

y of

E

gypt

and

the

plag

ues

of E

gypt

as

the

way

of h

appe

nsta

nce;

but

rath

er y

ou s

houl

d kn

ow t

hat I

am

the

One

w

ho to

ok y

ou o

ut w

ith w

ill a

nd p

rovi

denc

e-as

He

prom

ised

our

for

efat

hers

, A

vrah

am,

Yits

chak

and

Y

aako

v.

The

root

of t

his

com

man

dmen

t doe

s no

t nee

d el

ucid

atio

n. T

ho m

atte

r is

kno

wn

and

reve

aled

to a

ll th

at

this

bel

ief i

s th

e fo

unda

tion

of th

e re

ligio

n. a

nd th

at o

ne w

ho d

oes

not b

elie

ve in

it d

enie

s a

fund

amen

tal

prin

cipl

e an

d ha

s no

sha

re a

nd m

erit

with

Isr

ael.

And

the

con

tent

of t

he b

elie

f is

that

he

fiX i

n hi

s so

ul th

at

such

is t

he tr

uth

and

that

a c

hang

e o

f thi

s in

any

way

be

impo

ssib

le.

And

if h

e be

ask

ed a

bout

it, h

e w

ill

resp

ond

to a

ny e

nqui

rer t

hat h

is h

eart

bel

ieve

s th

is a

nd h

e w

ill n

ot a

ssen

t to

a ch

ange

in it

, eve

n if

they

say

th

ey w

ill k

ill h

im [

as a

resu

lt).

As

all

of th

is-

whe

n he

take

s th

e th

ing

from

the

pot

entia

l to

act

ualit

y, b

y w

hich

I m

oan

to s

ay w

hen

he p

uts

into

the

wor

ds o

f his

mou

th w

hat h

is h

eart

dec

ides

-st

reng

then

s an

d fiX

es t

he b

elie

f of t

he h

eart

.

(3)

Ibn

Ezr

a: L

ove,

Fea

r an

d C

lose

ness

/4

18

. The

pre

cept

of l

ove

for

G-d

(4

) R

amba

m

The

mos

t fun

dam

enta

l of

foun

datio

ns a

nd th

e pi

llar

of w

isdo

m is

to k

now

tha

t the

re is

a P

rim

ary

Bei

ng

Who

bro

ught

into

bei

ng a

ll of

exi

sten

ce,

and

that

all

that

exi

sts

in th

e he

aven

s an

d th

e ea

rth

and

wha

t is

betw

een

them

, ca

me

into

exi

sten

ce o

nly

by v

irtu

e of

the

trut

h of

His

Bei

ng ..

. T

his

entit

y is

the

God

of t

he

wor

ld,

mas

ter

of th

e en

tire

eart

h ...

And

the

kno

wle

dge

of th

is c

once

pt is

a p

ositi

ve c

omm

andm

ent,

as i

t is

wri

tten,

"I

am th

e L

ord

your

God

." (

Ram

bam

, Hilk

hot

Y es

odei

Ha-

Tor

ah I

: 1-6

)

In S

efer

HaM

itzvo

th, R

amba

m ig

nore

s th

e la

tter

part

of t

he v

erse

-"W

ho b

roug

ht y

ou o

ut o

f the

land

of

Egy

pt"-

and

does

not

cou

nt fa

ith i

n th

e ex

odus

fro

m E

gypt

as

one

of th

e pr

inci

ples

of f

aith

.

In c

ontr

ast,

R. Y

ehud

a H

a-L

evi,

in a

nsw

erin

g qu

estio

n of

"why

not

Cre

atio

n" n

otes

tha

t "fa

ith is

not

pr

imar

ily in

telle

ctua

l, bu

t rat

her

an i

nner

sta

te .

.. th

at c

an b

e at

tain

ed o

nly

by v

irtu

e of

the

colle

ctiv

e na

tiona

l mem

ory

that

is p

asse

d fr

om g

ener

atio

n to

gen

erat

ion:

the

mem

ory

of t

he e

xodu

s.

(5)

Rab

eynu

B'c

haya

and

the

Cha

zon

Ish

Hea

ling

& H

oloc

aust

'The

re is

an

erro

r in

und

erst

andi

ng fo

r m

any

peop

le a

bout

the

true

mea

ning

of t

rust

in H

ashe

m.

For

thes

e pe

ople

, the

y be

lieve

that

in e

very

situ

atio

n th

ere

is a

goo

d an

d ba

d, a

nd s

ince

Has

hem

is

good

, so

long

as

they

bel

ieve

and

tru

st in

Has

hem

the

good

will

pre

vail,

and

if t

he b

ad p

reva

ils,

it is

only

due

to th

eir

failu

re to

hav

e ge

nuin

e tr

ust i

n H

ashe

m.

Tha

t is

not t

he c

ase.

B

itac

hon

is m

alle

t of

trus

t tha

t the

re is

no

coin

cide

nce

in th

e w

orld

; ev

eryt

hing

that

tran

spir

es u

nder

the

sun

resu

lts f

rom

an

anno

unce

men

t fro

m

Him

, m

ay H

e be

ble

ssed

" (E

mun

ah V

'Bit

acho

n, b

egin

ning

of c

hapt

er 2

).

(6)

Rab

bi E

lcha

nan

Was

serm

an