1. The 10 Commandments Were Communicated By G‑d at
Sinai
Seven weeks
after G‑d had Moses lead His people out of Egyptian slavery, they
stood at the foot of Mount Sinai. The entire nation—men, women, and
children—numbering in the millions, heard G‑d’s voice as He
communicated this 10-part communique. This moment in
time, when heaven kissed earth, is known as Matan Torah, “the
Giving of the Torah.”
Read: What Happened at Matan Torah?
2. They Are Not “Commandments”
Scripture1 refers to them as
“the 10 sayings” or “things.” This is significant because in the
first “saying,” G‑d simply identifies Himself as G‑d who took the
people out of Egypt. Is this a commandment? Not necessarily.
Read: Is It a Mitzvah to Believe in G‑d?
3. G‑d Etched Them on Stone—Twice
After that
momentous meeting, Moses ascended Mount Sinai for 40 days, at the end
of which G‑d carved the 10 Commandments onto two tablets of stone.
Moses smashed those tablets when he saw the people worshiping the
Golden Calf. After two more 40-day stints atop the Mountain, Moses
hewed another set of tablets upon which G‑d once again etched the 10
Commandments. These tablets, as well as the broken first set, were
stored in the Ark of the Covenant, first in the
Tabernacle and later the Holy Temple in Jerusalem.
Read: What Did the Tablets Look Like?
4. They Cover the Gamut of Human Experience
The 10
Commandments were placed on two stones, five on each. The first five
are primarily concerned with our obligation toward G‑d:
- I am the L‑rd Your G‑d…
- You shall have no other gods…
- Do not use G‑d’s name in vain…
- Remember the Shabbat day…
- Honor your father and mother…
Those on the
second stone focus on interpersonal issues:
- Do not murder
- Do not commit adultery
- Do not steal
- Do not testify falsely against your fellow
- Do not covet…
Read: The Symmetry of the 10 Com
In the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, before saying
Shema in their morning prayers, the priests would recite the 10
Commandments.2
It appears that others outside of the Temple may have wished to do so
as well, and the sages discouraged it lest people begin to think that
the commandments contained therein are more significant than any of
the other mitzvahs of the Torah.
Read: The Custom That Refused to Die
6. There Are 613 Mitzvahs
While the 10
Commandments were given with the most fanfare, they are really just a
sampling of the 613 commandments G‑d communicated to Moses at Sinai.
These 10 things are certainly singled out for being fundamental, and
perhaps even sweeping guidelines in which many other commandments are
included, but the others are no less binding.
Read: Why Just 10 Commandments at Sinai?
7. They Have 620 Letters
The 10
Commandments are made up of a total of 620 letters. They are said to
represent the 613 mitzvot in the Torah and the 7 rabbinic mitzvot. This alludes to
the notion that the 10 Commandments are the bedrock upon which the
entire Torah is based.
Read: The 613 Mitzvot
8. They Are Repeated in Deuteronomy
The Ten
Commandments are recorded twice in the Torah: first in Exodus 20, and
once again in Deuteronomy 5. The two versions are almost identical,
but there are differences, with the version in Deuteronomy being
somewhat longer. This is because Deuteronomy is Moses’ retelling of
the events that transpired 40 years earlier, with the addition of his
insightful commentary.
Read: Why Two Versions of the 10 Commandments?
9. They Are Read on Shavuot
The 10
Commandments are read on two Shabbats each year: Yitro—when Exodus 20
is part of the weekly Torah portion, and Va’etchanan—when Deuteronomy
5 is part of the week’s reading. It is also read on Shavuot, the
anniversary of when the 10 Commandments were communicated at Sinai.
The Rebbe,
Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory, encouraged every
single Jewish person, from babies to seniors, to be present at the
reading on Shavuot, reliving the original giving of the Torah at
Sinai.
Read: 11 Facts About Shavuot
10. A Special Tune Is Used
When the Ten
Commandments are read in the synagogue, they are sung in a tune known
as taam elyon (“upper inflection”), thus named because the
cantillation marks used to guide the reader are found above the
words, as opposed to an ordinary taam, where marks are also
found below the text.
Now: Take the 10 Commandments Quiz
 By Menachem Posner More by this author
Rabbi Menachem Posner serves as staff
editor at Chabad.org, the world’s largest Jewish informational
website. He has been writing, researching, and editing for Chabad.org
since 2006, when he received his rabbinic degree from Central Yeshiva
Tomchei Temimim Lubavitch. He lives in Chicago, Ill., with his
family.
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