Parshat Yitro 5773 Schedule

Weekly Words of Torah

Parallel Themes

Insights into Parshat Yitro of Mr. Tzvi Hagler of Yeshivat Sha’alvim, by Rav Re’uven Ungar of Sha’alvim.

The Zohar says that G-d looked into the Torah and created the world based on what is written in it. This week we are privileged to read the Aseret Hadibrot and experience the purpose and essence of creation, the giving of the Torah. There is a well-known idea that the Ten Commandments are divided up into two sections; the first five, between man and G-d, and the second five, between man and fellow man. Upon close examination of the commandments in light of this idea, it seems that each commandment in the first “section” of the Aseret Hadibrot closely parallels its corresponding commandment in the second section.

The first commandment is Anochi Hashem, the commandment to believe in G-d. Corresponding to this is the sixth commandment, “Thou shalt not murder”. The Mechilta comments that these two commandments are inherently rooted one it the other. One who actively believes that G-d gives every person life and continuously sustains life will never think to take away a life that G-d put on this world. Simply put, murder is an arrogant denial of Divine jurisdiction of this world and of the Divine origin of every man.

Similary, the second commandment, the prohibition of idolatry, goes with commandment seven, the prohibition against adultery. In the Bein Adam L’makom portion G-d is commanding us that we must remain loyal to Him as our one and only G-d and we must not worship other deities. To parallel this in the realm of Bein Adam L’chaveiro we are also commanded to remain loyal to our wives and not stray to other women.

The third commandment, not to say the name of G-d in vain, has a subtler, although just as powerful connection to commandment eight, the prohibition of kidnapping. In essence, the purpose of the prohibition of saying Hashem’s name in vain is so the name of G-d should retain meaning and Awe. By saying G-d’s name unnecessarily, we are making that name less holy, and not allowing it to reach it’s full capabilities. The eighth commandment also speaks about removing the power of a name, this time in a Bein Adam L’chaveiro fashion. Kidnapping takes away a persons identity, his name, and forces him into a new reality in which he is meaningless and his name, and by extension his person, has no value.

Rav Hirsch describes how Shabbat is a “symbol of G-d’s rule of the world and of Israel and of the task of the Jew as man and as Israelite”. By observing Shabbat, we give testimony to G-d’s dominion over the entire universe and each individual person. That is why Shabbat is an “Ot”, a sign, and keeping Shabbat is a form of “Eidut”, testimony. Therefore, “the smallest work done on the Sabbath is a denial of the fact that G-d is the Creator and Master of the world”. Violating Shabbat is a form of giving false testimony about G-d. In light of this, it seems natural that the fourth commandment, Shabbat, the prohibition of false testimony against G-d, parallels the ninth commandment, which prohibits bearing false testimony against other people.

A question can be asked about commandment number five, to honor ones parents. Assuming that the first five commandments are bein adam l’makom and the second five are bein adam l’chaveiro, why is Kibbud Av v’em included in the first part of the commandments? The classic answer is that through honoring our parents we will come to love G-d and have more fear and honor for Him. Based on this we can understand commandment ten, the prohibition of being jealous of another person, and how it parallels commandment five. What’s hard to understand this last commandment is; how can G-d legislate thoughts and feelings, things that are seemingly not under our own control? We can answer this by looking at the lesson learnt, and drawing a connection from, the commandment of honoring our parents. From this commandment we learn the valuable lesson that by honoring our parents and conditioning ourselves to appreciate the good done to us, we can control our feelings and reach higher levels of Emunah and Ahavat Hashem. This is a lesson that we can apply to help ourselves with our feelings towards others also. If we act kind and show love towards other people, we will be a much closer to our goal of Lo Tachmod, an internal love and caring for every other person.