וַיִּקְרָ֣א מֹשֶׁה֮ אֶל־כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵל֒ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֲלֵהֶ֗ם שְׁמַ֤ע יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ אֶת־הַחֻקִּ֣ים וְאֶת־הַמִּשְׁפָּטִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֧ר אָנֹכִ֛י דֹּבֵ֥ר בְּאָזְנֵיכֶ֖ם הַיּ֑וֹם וּלְמַדְתֶּ֣ם אֹתָ֔ם וּשְׁמַרְתֶּ֖ם לַעֲשֹׂתָֽם׃

Moses called all Israel, and said to them: Hear, Israel, the statutes and the ordinances that I am speaking in your ears today, and you shall learn them, and then you shall take care to perform them.

יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵ֗ינוּ כָּרַ֥ת עִמָּ֛נוּ בְּרִ֖ית בְּחֹרֵֽב׃

The Lord our God established a covenant with us at Horev, Sinai.

לֹ֣א אֶת־אֲבֹתֵ֔ינוּ כָּרַ֥ת יְהוָ֖ה אֶת־הַבְּרִ֣ית הַזֹּ֑את כִּ֣י אִתָּ֗נוּ אֲנַ֨חְנוּ אֵ֥לֶּה פֹ֛ה הַיּ֖וֹם כֻּלָּ֥נוּ חַיִּֽים׃

Not with our forefathers alone did the Lord establish this covenant, but with us, we, who are here, all of us alive today. The covenant included the younger generation that was born following the revelation as well.

פָּנִ֣ים ׀ בְּפָנִ֗ים דִּבֶּ֨ר יְהוָ֧ה עִמָּכֶ֛ם בָּהָ֖ר מִתּ֥וֹךְ הָאֵֽשׁ׃

Moses begins to relate the details of the revelation: Face-to-face the Lord spoke with you at the mountain from the midst of the fire. Some of those listening to Moses were present themselves at the giving of the Torah when they were younger. Consequently, this could not have been viewed as an ancient event that occurred in earlier generations.

אָ֠נֹכִי עֹמֵ֨ד בֵּין־יְהוָ֤ה וּבֵֽינֵיכֶם֙ בָּעֵ֣ת הַהִ֔וא לְהַגִּ֥יד לָכֶ֖ם אֶת־דְּבַ֣ר יְהוָ֑ה כִּ֤י יְרֵאתֶם֙ מִפְּנֵ֣י הָאֵ֔שׁ וְלֹֽא־עֲלִיתֶ֥ם בָּהָ֖ר לֵאמֹֽר׃ (ס)

I was standing as an intermediary between the Lord and you at that time, to tell you the word of the Lord, because you were afraid due to the fire, and you did not ascend the mountain. God too did not permit the people to approach the mountain to hear His words directly, saying:

אָֽנֹכִי֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ אֲשֶׁ֧ר הוֹצֵאתִ֛יךָ מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרַ֖יִם מִבֵּ֣֥ית עֲבָדִֽ֑ים׃

I am the Lord your God, who took you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. According to some commentaries, this is not a separate precept, but the Speaker introducing Himself, without which there is no significance to the precepts that follow. Others maintain that this is the first precept: Belief in God and knowledge of Him.

לֹ֣א יִהְיֶ֥ה־לְךָ֛֩ אֱלֹהִ֥֨ים אֲחֵרִ֖֜ים עַל־פָּנָֽ֗יַ׃

The previous declaration leads to the demand for exclusivity: You shall have no other gods before Me, in addition to Me. There is no god but Me.

לֹֽ֣א־תַעֲשֶׂ֥ה־לְךָ֥֣ פֶ֣֙סֶל֙ ׀ כָּל־תְּמוּנָ֔֡ה אֲשֶׁ֤֣ר בַּשָּׁמַ֣֙יִם֙ ׀ מִמַּ֔֡עַל וַאֲשֶׁ֥ר֩ בָּאָ֖֨רֶץ מִתָּ֑֜חַת וַאֲשֶׁ֥ר בַּמַּ֖֣יִם ׀ מִתַּ֥֣חַת לָאָֽ֗רֶץ׃

In addition to belief in God, you shall not make for you an idol to worship, nor any image of that which is in the heavens above or that which is anywhere on the earth below or that which is in the water beneath the earth. Any image created for the sake of worship is forbidden here, whether it corresponds to a physical creature in the heaven or earth or whether it represents any other force.

לֹא־תִשְׁתַּחֲוֶ֥֣ה לָהֶ֖ם֮ וְלֹ֣א תָעָבְדֵ֑ם֒ כִּ֣י אָנֹכִ֞י יְהוָ֤ה אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙ אֵ֣ל קַנָּ֔א פֹּ֠קֵד עֲוֺ֨ן אָב֧וֹת עַל־בָּנִ֛ים וְעַל־שִׁלֵּשִׁ֥ים וְעַל־רִבֵּעִ֖ים לְשֹׂנְאָֽ֑י׃

You shall not prostrate yourself to them and you shall not worship them, because I am the Lord your God, a zealous [ kanna ] God, I demand exclusivity and cannot allow any god to be worshipped with Me, who reckons the iniquity of the fathers against the children, and against the third generation, the grandchildren, and against the fourth generation, to My enemies. I remember transgressions for generationsand punish one’s descendants until the fourth generation, if they continue on their forefathers’ evil path. Some maintain that this principle applies only to the severe transgression of idolatry, whose worshippers are called “My enemies.”

וְעֹ֤֥שֶׂה חֶ֖֙סֶד֙ לַֽאֲלָפִ֑֔ים לְאֹהֲבַ֖י וּלְשֹׁמְרֵ֥י מצותו [מִצְוֺתָֽי׃] (ס)

Yet I am also a God who engages in kindness for the thousands of generations, for those who love Me and observe My commandments. The demand for exclusivity and God’s zealotry entail both the negation of all competitors as well as a great love for the faithful.

לֹ֥א תִשָּׂ֛א אֶת־שֵֽׁם־יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ לַשָּׁ֑וְא כִּ֣י לֹ֤א יְנַקֶּה֙ יְהוָ֔ה אֵ֛ת אֲשֶׁר־יִשָּׂ֥א אֶת־שְׁמ֖וֹ לַשָּֽׁוְא׃ (ס)

The previous precept of not worshipping other gods leads to the requirement to honor and fear God: You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, as the Lord will not absolve one who takes His name in vain. The primary purpose of this prohibition is not to prohibit taking a false oath or deceiving another, but to prohibit utilizing His name for no purpose. The severity of the prohibition is much greater than other transgressions, and one who violates it cannot

שָׁמ֣֛וֹר אֶת־י֥וֹם֩ הַשַׁבָּ֖֨ת לְקַדְּשׁ֑֜וֹ כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר צִוְּךָ֖֣ ׀ יְהוָ֥֣ה אֱלֹהֶֽ֗יךָ

The next precept is the one that creates the basic framework for the life of Israelites: Observe the Sabbath day; pay attention to it, take care not to desecrate it, and wait for it, to keep it holy, as a sacred day, as the Lord your God commanded you in Mara and in the wilderness of Sin.

שֵׁ֤֣שֶׁת יָמִ֣ים֙ תַּֽעֲבֹ֔ד֮ וְעָשִׂ֖֣יתָ כָּֿל־מְלַאכְתֶּֽךָ֒׃

Six days you shall work and perform all your labor. The six weekdays are meant for working and accomplishing all of one’s necessary tasks.

וְי֙וֹם֙ הַשְּׁבִיעִ֜֔י שַׁבָּ֖֣ת ׀ לַיהוָ֖֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֑֗יךָ לֹ֣א תַעֲשֶׂ֣ה כָל־מְלָאכָ֡ה אַתָּ֣ה וּבִנְךָֽ־וּבִתֶּ֣ךָ וְעַבְדְּךָֽ־וַ֠אֲמָתֶךָ וְשׁוֹרְךָ֨ וַחֲמֹֽרְךָ֜ וְכָל־בְּהֶמְתֶּ֗ךָ וְגֵֽרְךָ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בִּשְׁעָרֶ֔יךָ לְמַ֗עַן יָנ֛וּחַ עַבְדְּךָ֥ וַאֲמָתְךָ֖ כָּמֽ֑וֹךָ׃

The seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On this day God rested, as related at the beginning of the Torah. You, people, as well, shall not perform any labor on this day. The same restrictions apply to the members of your extended household: You, and your son, and your daughter, and your slave, and your maidservant, and your ox, and your donkey, and all your animals, and your stranger who is within your gates, so that your slave and your maidservant may rest like you.

וְזָכַרְתָּ֞֗ כִּ֣י־עֶ֤֥בֶד הָיִ֣֙יתָ֙ ׀ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔֗יִם וַיֹּצִ֨אֲךָ֜֩ יְהוָ֤֨ה אֱלֹהֶ֤֙יךָ֙ מִשָּׁ֔ם֙ בְּיָ֤֥ד חֲזָקָ֖ה֙ וּבִזְרֹ֣עַ נְטוּיָ֑֔ה עַל־כֵּ֗ן צִוְּךָ֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ לַעֲשׂ֖וֹת אֶת־י֥וֹם הַשַׁבָּֽת׃ (ס)

You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God took you out from there with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm; therefore, the Lord your God commanded you to observe the Sabbath day. The social aspect of the Sabbath is especially significant for Israel and those associated with it. By being slaves in Egypt, the Israelites learned that slaves also require free time, one day of rest from their other activities, in order to pursue more lofty spiritual matters.

כַּבֵּ֤ד אֶת־אָבִ֙יךָ֙ וְאֶת־אִמֶּ֔ךָ כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר צִוְּךָ֖ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ לְמַ֣עַן ׀ יַאֲרִיכֻ֣ן יָמֶ֗יךָ וּלְמַ֙עַן֙ יִ֣יטַב לָ֔ךְ עַ֚ל הָֽאֲדָמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ נֹתֵ֥ן לָֽךְ׃ (ס)

Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God commanded you in Mara, so that your days will be extended. In a society in which the elder generation is respected, people will live long lives, as aging parents can be confident that they can rely on the younger generation to care for them, and they will feel valued as important members of the family and of society at large. And you shall also do this so that it will be good

לֹ֥֖א תִּֿרְצָֽח׃ (ס) וְלֹ֖֣א תִּֿנְאָֽ֑ף׃ (ס) וְלֹ֖֣א תִּֿגְנֹֽ֔ב׃ (ס) וְלֹֽא־תַעֲנֶ֥ה בְרֵֽעֲךָ֖ עֵ֥ד שָֽׁוְא׃ (ס)

You shall not murder. And you shall not commit adultery. This prohibition of sexual misconduct is defined by Jewish law and in the traditional commentaries as pertaining to the relationship of a married woman with a man other than her husband. And you shall not steal. Following the severe prohibitions that define the basis of a person’s behavior toward his fellow man, such as murder, adultery, and stealing, the Torah presents a precept that is seemingly less severe than the previous ones, but which relates to a common social situation: And you shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. According to the Sages, the definition of this prohibition is the submission of false testimony in court, which could, at times, lead even to the death of the accused. Such testimony undermines the trust between people.

וְלֹ֥א תַחְמֹ֖ד אֵ֣שֶׁת רֵעֶ֑ךָ (ס) וְלֹ֨א תִתְאַוֶּ֜ה בֵּ֣ית רֵעֶ֗ךָ שָׂדֵ֜הוּ וְעַבְדּ֤וֹ וַאֲמָתוֹ֙ שׁוֹר֣וֹ וַחֲמֹר֔וֹ וְכֹ֖ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר לְרֵעֶֽךָ׃ (ס)

You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife; and you shall not desire your neighbor’s house, his field, or his slave, or his maidservant, his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.