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This Shabbat we read the Torah portion of Va'etchanan. In this parsha we encounter the second rendition of the Ten Commandments. This version of these central Jewish laws is slightly different from the first one, which is found in Parashat Yitro from the book of Exodus. However, the essential message is completely unchanged and the power of these commandments is only reinforced through their second telling. As a matter of fact, it seems that Moses is telling these laws again, perhaps specifically because most of the people before him, the nation of Israel about to enter into their promised land, had not yet been born when the Ten Commandments were initially declared before the eyes of our entire nation. Moses wanted to make sure that this new generation would hear and internalize these sacred laws before making their way into Israel.
This is made clear by the opening sentence of chapter five of the book of Deuteronomy which states the following. "Moses called ALL of Israel and said to them: Hear, O Israel, the decrees and the ordinances that I speak in your ears today; learn them and be careful to perform them."
Every Jew needed to hear this message. They could not be ready to establish their new country without a familiarity with, and a devotion to, these sacred instructions. And notice that Moses tells the people to be careful! These commandments must be performed with great care and attention to detail.
Being a good and ethical person is sometimes complicated. If we are not careful we may miss the message of our Torah and fall short in our practice. This is still the case for us today, just as it was for our ancestors many centuries ago. Let us always strive to live our best lives, as we treasure with great pride the amazing contribution which the Ten Commandments have made to our lives and to the lives of all humanity.
Shabbat Shalom.
Cantor Zachary Konigsberg
cantorzkonigsberg@gmail.com
917-696-0749
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