The "Ten Commandments" or "Ten Utterances" are the group of the commandments given to the Israelites at Mount Sinai in a constitutive moment of divine revelation to all of the children of Israel. The first set of five commandments establish the rules of God's relationship with humanity, and the second set of five are between people and other people. The Ten Commandments appear twice in the Torah: first, when they are given at Sinai, in Exodus 20 and again in Deuteronomy 5, in Moses' retelling of the earlier narrative.
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A Living CovenantTANAKH
A Living Covenant
TANAKH
The Israelites’ experience receiving the Ten Commandments forms the foundation of the enduring covenant between God and the Jewish people. In the book of Deuteronomy, Moses reminds the Israelites of the unique and direct revelation they experienced at Sinai, also called Mount Horeb, where God granted Israel the Ten Commandments.
Experiencing the Divine at SinaiJEWISH THOUGHT
Experiencing the Divine at Sinai
JEWISH THOUGHT
God’s proclamation of the Ten Commandments at Sinai was an unparalleled event of Divine revelation — offering a proof for the divinity of the Torah. Yehuda Halevi, a medieval Jewish philosopher, emphasizes the importance of the direct encounter between God and the Israelites at Sinai.
Ten Commandments, Ten VersesTALMUD
Ten Commandments, Ten Verses
TALMUD
Contemporary public Torah reading resembles the revelation at Sinai and the proclamation of the Ten Commandments. In the Babylonian Talmud in tractate Megillah, Rav Yosef suggests that this parallel has legal ramifications.
The Paired CommandmentsMIDRASH
The Paired Commandments
MIDRASH
The Ten Commandments were arranged on two tablets, each containing five commandments arranged vertically. Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael, a third-century midrash from the land of Israel, explores the commandments as five pairs, drawing connections between each commandment and its counterpart on the opposite tablet.
The Dual Nature of the Ten CommandmentsCOMMENTARY
The Dual Nature of the Ten Commandments
COMMENTARY
The Ten Commandments appear in a specific sequence, moving from general recognition of God’s sovereignty to interpersonal obligations. Ramban, in his 13th-century commentary on the Torah, provides an explanation of each commandment and its place in the list.
When was the Revelation?TALMUD
When was the Revelation?
TALMUD
The exact timing of the revelation at Mount Sinai and the proclamation of the Ten Commandments is a subject of debate among the sages. The Babylonian Talmud in tractate Shabbat relates a detailed discussion among the sages about the specific timeline leading up to this monumental event.
The First Divine DeclarationMIDRASH
The First Divine Declaration
MIDRASH
The first commandment — “I am the Lord your God” — affirms the unique bond between God and the Jewish people. The Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael, a third-century midrashic work from the land of Israel, explores this declaration, including its placement in the Torah and significance.
The Unforgivable SinCOMMENTARY
The Unforgivable Sin
COMMENTARY
The misuse of God’s name, the third of the Ten Commandments, is a grave sin — not easily erased even by repentance. Chizkuni, in his 13th-century commentary on the book of Exodus, offers a broad interpretation of this commandment and warns against even the habitual use of God’s name in speech.
The Miracle of the Shabbat CommandmentLITURGY
The Miracle of the Shabbat Commandment
LITURGY
The Ten Commandments appear twice in the Torah, and the commandment to keep Shabbat is framed in one place as an obligation to “observe” and in another to “remember” the day. The liturgical poem “Lekha Dodi,” sung on Friday nights, refers to a midrash that argues that God miraculously uttered both words — “observe” and “remember” — simultaneously.
Honoring Father and MotherCOMMENTARY
Honoring Father and Mother
COMMENTARY
The fifth commandment is the directive to honor one’s father and mother. Isaac Alfasi, an 11th-century halakhic authority and interpreter of the Talmud, addresses the order in which mother and father appear in the commandment to honor them, and argues that the ordering is intentional and meaningful.
The Talmud at SinaiCHASIDUT
The Talmud at Sinai
CHASIDUT
Jewish tradition teaches that the revelation at Sinai included not only the Ten Commandments but also precursors to later teachings as well. In his work Torah Ohr, Shneur Zalman of Liadi, the founder of Chabad Chasidism, understands this teaching in light of the Torah’s framing of the revelation itself.
A Daily ReminderTALMUD
A Daily Reminder
TALMUD
While the Ten Commandments are central to Jewish tradition, the text of the commandments is not part of the regular liturgy. However, the Jerusalem Talmud in tractate Berakhot claims that these commandments appear implicitly during the daily recitation of the Shema.
Joseph, Living the CommandmentsMIDRASH
Joseph, Living the Commandments
MIDRASH
The midrash teaches that the Israelites carried Joseph’s casket, also an “ark,” alongside the ark of the covenant, which contained the Ten Commandments. The ancient midrash from the land of Israel Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael draws parallels between these two arks, showing how Joseph’s actions in Genesis align with the commandments in Exodus.
Ten Commandments or Fifty?KABBALAH
Ten Commandments or Fifty?
KABBALAH
The Jewish mystical tradition places special emphasis on the Ten Commandments, highlighting the creative power of language. The Zohar, the central work in Jewish mysticism, posits that the Ten Commandments are foundational to the entire Torah, recurring in various forms in each of its five books.
The Ten Commandments on ShavuotHALAKHAH
The Ten Commandments on Shavuot
HALAKHAH
The Ten Commandments are read publicly in synagogue each year on Shavuot, the holiday that celebrates the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. In Peninei Halakha, a contemporary presentation of Jewish law, Rabbi Eliezer Melamed explains the customs and procedure associated with this public reading.
The Ten Commandments in SongLITURGY
The Ten Commandments in Song
LITURGY
The Ten Commandments find their way into traditional Jewish songs. The song Echad Mi Yodea (“Who Knows One?”) sung at the end of the Passover Seder, enumerates key concepts and figures in Judaism, including the Ten Commandments.
