05 February, 2010

Parsha Point To Ponder- Parshas Yisro


“Aseres Hadibros” עשרת הדברותis usually translated as the “Ten Commandments”. This translation apparently has no basis from Jewish sources.

The Rambam counts fourteen Mitzvahs in the Parsha of the Aseres Hadibros.עשרת הדברות

1. אלקיך אנכי ה'
2. לא יהיה לך אלקים אחרים על פני
3. לא תעשה לך פסל כל תמונה
4. לא תשתחוה
5. ולא תעבדם
6. לא תשא שמה שוא
7. זכור את יום השבת לקדשו
8. לא תעשה כל מלאכה
9. כבד את אביך ואת אמך
10. לא תרצח
11. לא תגנב
12. לא תנאף
13. לא תענה ברעך
14. לא תחמד

Amongst the Rishonim there is a disagreement as to which- and exactly how many, of these are in fact included in the Taryag mitzvahs (Bhag does not count Anochi as a Mitzvah but rather as a fact that Klal Yisroel had to hear before they were able to hear the Mitzvahs) - but I think that all if not most will agree that there are more then Ten Mitzvahs- commandments in the Parsha.
That there were ten- is a Posuk in Parshas Veschanan that says there were ten ‘Devarim’ on two tablets. The Ramban (Drush Torahs Hashem Temima) points out that the posuk calls them Devarim and not mitzvahs. We see that there can be more then Ten Commandments on the luchas but as many as there are they make up the Ten Devarim.
There are many Shuls around the world that have a display of the Aseres Hadibros on the Aron- which has a basis in the Rishonim. I haven’t seen a disagreement as to which ten make up the Aseres Hadibros. The question is, what constitutes a dibur? It isn’t a Mitzva on its own nor is it every Parsha on its own for Anochi and Lo Yeheyah are in the same parsha.

3 comments:

doodlehead said...

besides for being written on the paroches, are there any real differences which of the dibros are the right ones? (I mean like a nafka mina lihalacha)

Reb Y. Brachfeld said...

And that the "Ten commandments" is a movie not a jewish concept lol

Anonymous said...

how do i find the transalation with yidish for parshas yisro?