But who was Moshe Rabeinu's rebbe?

 

            Bad and Good Advice

Exodus 18:  Text

Commentators

As time allows:

Ten C quiz

Ten C text

Ten C in Art

  

SHEMOT (Exodus) Chapter 18 : Before the Big 10, Moses gets advice

 

1) Yitro, Moses’ father-in-law, brought Moses’ sons and wife to him in the wilderness, where he was encamped at the mountain of God.  He sent word to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Yitro, am coming to you, with your wife and her two sons.”  Moses went out to meet his father-in-law; he bowed low and kissed him; each asked after the other’s welfare, and they went into the tent.  Moses then recounted to his father-in-law everything that Adonai had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardships that had befallen them on the way, and how Adonai had delivered them. 

 

2) Now Yitro rejoiced over all the kindness that Adonai had shown Israel when delivering them from the Egyptians.  “Blessed be Adonai,” Yitro said, “who delivered you from the Egyptians and from Pharaoh, and who delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians.  Now I know that Adonai is greater than all gods, yes, by the result of their very schemes against [the people].”

 

3) And Yitro, Moses’ father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and sacrifices for God; and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to partake of the meal before God with Moses’ father-in-law.  Next day, Moses sat as magistrate among the people, while the people stood waiting for Moses from morning until evening. 

 

4) But when Moses’ father-in-law saw how much he had to do for the people, he said,  “What is this thing that you are doing to the people? Why do you act alone, while all the people stand about you from morning until evening?”  Moses replied to his father-in-law, “It is because the people come to me to inquire of God.  When they have a dispute, it comes before me, and I decide between one party and another, and I make known the laws and teachings of God.” 

But Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “Lo tov ha’davar asher atah oseh!/This is not a good thing you are doing! You will surely wear yourself out, and these people as well. For the task is too heavy for you; you cannot do it alone.

                   

5)  “Now listen to me. I will give you counsel, and God be with you! You represent the people before God: you bring the disputes before God,  and enjoin upon them the laws and the teachings, and make known to them the way they are to go and the practices they are to follow.  You should accourdingly seek out, from among all the people,

Anshe Chayil/People Of Valor,

Yirei Adonai/Who Revere God,

Anshe Emet/Trustworthy People,

Sonei Batzah/Haters Of Bribes.

 

Set these over them as chiefs of [groups of[ thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens, and  let those judge the people at all times. Have them bring every major dispute to you, but let them decide every minor dispute themselves. Make it easier for yourself by letting them share the burden with you.  If you do this—and God so commands you—you will be able to bear up; and all these people too will go home not exhausted.”                             

 

6) Moses heeded his father-in-law and did just as he had said.  Moses chose Anshe Chayil out of all Israel, and appointed them heads over the people—chiefs of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens;  and they judged the people at all times: the difficult matters they would bring to Moses, and all the minor matters they would decide themselves.  Then Moses bade his father-in-law farewell, and he went his way to his own land. 

 

 

 

  

 

1.    What’s the Hebrew name for the Ten Commandments?

a.    Aseret Ha’pitot

b.    Aseret Ha’cheetot

c.     Aseret Ha’pflotzim

d.    Aseret Ha’Matzot

e.    Aseret Ha’Dibrot

 

 

2.   What color does some midrashim and mystical works suggest the two tablets  were?

a.    Grey

b.    Blue

c.     Plaid

d.    Yellow

e.    Red

 

 

3.    The stone from which the two tablets  is  suggested by many sources to be that color.  Which of the following  precious or semi-precious stones is not that color?

a.    Sapphire

b.    Aquamarine

c.     Turquoise

d.    Lapis Lazuli

e.    Onyx

 

 

4.   What is the first of the Ten?

a.    Don’t Steal

b.    Don’t Bear False witness in court

c.     Honor your mother and father

d.    I am Adonai Your God

e.    Don’t read this part out loud

 

5.   The sixth commandment is Lo Tirzach in Hebrew.  What does that really mean in English?

a.    Don’t wage war

b.    Don’t use weapons

c.     Don’t murder

d.    Don’t kill

e.    Don’t drink orange juice after you brush your teeth

 

 

6.   Which of the following kinds of creative work are specifically prohibited on shabbat by the Ten Commandments?

a.    Making food

b.    Making clothing

c.     Building shelter

d.    Making tools

e.    Dude, It just says not to do melacha-- reative work.

 

 

7.   Why do you think  the commandment to Honor your parents so important that it is one of the TC’s?

a.    Because your parents work so hard to raise you- you owe them.

b.    Because it’s the foundation of a just society- if you can’t respect your parents, who will you respect?

c.     Because God is a partner in your creation with your parents. To honor them is to honor God.

d.    Because it is very difficult as well as important, so God made it a commandment so we would not give up on honoring them.

e.    Because if you ever become a parent,  you know you will want your children to honor you.

 

 

8.    What happened with this set of two tablets?

a.    They went into the ark of the covenant

b.    They were smashed and then went into the ark.

c.     They were smashed and ground into dust which was sprinkled on every one.

d.    They were smashed and ground into dust, which was put into the drinking water of the Jewish people at Sinai.

e.    They were smashed and ground into dust, steamed, flavoured with sesame seeds, simmered in Sauce Bordelaise, and garnished with citrus supremes and a raspberry gastrique.

 

 

9.   The Sages of our tradition said that “Don’t steal”  meant a specific kind of theft, which was not to steal

a.    People

b.    Houses

c.     Poor people’s garments

d.    From the Temple

e.    Stuff in your brother or sister’s room

 

 

10.                   The last of the ten is about NOT Coveting. What does it mean to Covet?

a.    to feel inordinate desire for what belongs to another

b.    to feel extreme pride in one’s self

c.     to go without bathing for long periods of time

d.    to ignore one’s spiritual life or religion

e.    to borrow or mooch stuff from one’ friends constantly

 

 

SHEMOT (Exodus) Chapter 19 and 20: Take

Two Tablets and call me in the morning.

On the third day (at Sinai), as morning dawned, there was thunder, and lightning, and a dense cloud upon the mountain, and a very loud blast of the shofar; and all the people who were in the camp trembled.  Moshe led the people out of the camp toward God, and they took their places at the foot of the mountain. 

 

Now Mount Sinai was all in smoke, for Adonai had come down upon it in fire; the smoke rose like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled violently.  The blare of the shofar grew louder and louder!

 

 As Moshe spoke, God answered him in thunder.

Adonai came down upon Mount Sinai, on the top of the mountain, and Adonai called Moshe to the top of the mountain and Moshe went up.

 

God spoke all these words, saying:

 

·      I Adonai am your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, the house of slavery!

 

·      You shall have no other gods besides Me.

 

·      You shall not make for yourself a sculptured image, or any likeness of what is in the heavens above, or on the earth below, or in the waters under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them. For I your God Adonai am an impassioned God, visiting the guilt of the parents upon the children, upon the third and upon the fourth generations of those who reject Me, but showing kindness to the thousandth generation of those who love Me and keep My commandments.

 

·      You shall not swear falsely by the name of your God Adonai; for Adonai will not clear one who swears falsely by God’s name.

 

·      Remember the day of shabbat and keep it different.  Six days you shall labor and do all your work,  but the seventh day is your God Adonai’s shabbat: you shall not do any work—you, your son or daughter, your male or female servant, or your cattle, or the stranger who is within your settlements.  For in six days Adonai made heaven and earth and sea—and all that is in them—and then rested on the seventh day; therefore Adonai blessed the shabbat  day and made it different.

 

·      Honor your father and your mother, that you may long endure on the land that your God Adonai is assigning to you.

 

·      You shall not murder.

 

·      You shall not cheat on your spouse. 

 

·      You shall not steal.

 

·      You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

 

·      You shall not covet your neighbor’s house: you shall not covet your neighbor’s spouse, or male or female servant, or ox or donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.

 

All the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the blare of the horn and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they fell back and stood at a distance.   “You speak to us,” they said to Moshe, “and we will obey; but don’t have God speak to us, it’s too much!”  Moshe answered the people, “Be not afraid; for God has come only in order to test you, and in order that the respect of God may be ever with you, so that you do not go astray.”

 

 

What’s with the coveting?

Chizkuni, Exodus 20:14:1

לא תחמוד אשת רעך, “Do not covet your fellow man’s wife!” Do not scheme to how bring about her divorce so that you can marry her. 

 

 

Rabbeinu Bahya, Shemot 20:14:1-8

לא תחמוד, “do not covet.” It is known that coveting something is a matter for the heart. The principal warning contained in this commandment is that one must train oneself to absolutely renounce all hope of ever acquiring unique things belonging (legally) to another person, be it real estate, livestock, inert objects, etc. One must not even think of these and wish for them in one’s heart. Were one to covet them one would ultimately commit murder in order to own them oneself!

…still, there are occasions when coveting is a character trait which is permitted. Coveting the opportunity to perform certain commandments of the Torah is not only permissible but is praiseworthy…. This kind of jealousy and coveting, that of the knowledge possessed by another,  is not only permissible but is rewarded by God.  Also included in this type of permissible desire is the desire for one’s friend’s (unmarried) child to be married to one’s eligible child.

 

Rav Sampson Raphael Hirsch on Torah, Exodus 20:14:1

The Mechilta  distinguishes chamada/coveting from ta’avah/lusting.  While ta’avah/ strong desire means an inner longing, chamadah means a lust that turns into action.   That’s why Rambam in The Laws Regarding Robbery 1:9  explains: whoever covets his neighbor's acquirable goods and torments him by harassing friends, or in some other way brings pressure until he receives it from him, even if he gives him a lot of money for it,   the ban is violated: Lo Tachmod/Do not Covet!