Feature Tidbit JUST KEEP READING You know the whole fuss about people misunderstanding the significance of the Aseret HaDibrot That Chaza"l rejected the idea of including the Aseret HaDibrot in the davening for fear that Apikorsim (and misguided fools) would claim that only the Aseret HaDibrot was given by G-d at Sinai and that the rest of the Torah wasMoshe's invention You know the problems raised with the widespread custom of standing for the reading of the Aseret HaDibrot. If you read the account of Matan Torah in Parshat Yitro, you can see where the notion comes from. But to anyone who points to Sh'mot 20, especially the first pasuk that says, "And G-d spoke allthese things, saying:", and says, "See, I told you, the Torah says that G-d spoke these words, and what words are they? The Aseret HaDibrot." To such a person, your answer should be... Just keep reading. first show him the p'sukim towards the end of chapter 20, right after the presentation of the Aseret HaDibrot. And G-d said to Moshe, thus you shall say to the Children of Israel, you have seen that I have spoken to you from Heaven. And what follows are three more mitzvot - all in first person - in thestyle of Commandments 1 & 2. You shall not make with ME... an earthen Mizbei'ach you shall make for ME... and if you make for ME a Mizbei'ach of stone... Do not go up onto MY Mizbei'ach... Clearly G-d said more that the Aseret HaDibrot. Much more. G-d continues to talk to Moshe in Parshat Mishpatim 53 mitzvot, presented as a continuation of G-d's words from Sinai. And if all this isn't obvious enough to dispel the foolish notion that only the Aseret HaDibrot came from G-d, then just look at the end of Mishpatim where the description of Maamad Har Sinai continues. Specifically, 24:12 which describes G-d saying to Moshe that he should ascend the mountain and be there (for 40 days after Matan Torah), and "I will give him the Tablets of stone, and the Torah, and the Mitzva (Mitzvot) that I have written to teach them." The bottom line is that an Apikores and a fool will say what they want. And the "argument" presented here might not convince anyone of his misunderstanding. But we must always remember that the Torah is a package deal. The Written Word (all of it) and the Oral Law are both revealed by G-d to Moshe and through Moshe to the whole Chain of Tradition. [The Mishpatim Homepage] |
