The Decalogue – Division and Design/2

The Decalogue – Division and Design

Exegetical Approaches

This topic has not yet undergone editorial review

Traditional Ten

Sources:Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael Shemot20:12About Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael Shemot, YerushalmiBerakhot 1:5About the Yerushalmi, Bavli MakkotMakkot 23b-24aAbout the Bavli, Vayikra Rabbah24:5About Vayikra Rabbah, TanchumaKedoshim 3About the Tanchuma,

Split "לא יהיה"

"אנכי... על פני" and "לא תעשה"

Sources:perhaps PhiloThe Decalogue 50-51, 65The DecalogueAbout Philo,¹ perhaps Josephus3 5About Josephus Antiquities of the Jews,² R. Yishmael in  Bavli Sanhedrin 99a R. Shimon b. Tzemach DuranR. Shimon b. Tzemach DuranAbout R. Shimon b. Tzemach Duran,

"אָנֹכִי י״י אֱלֹהֶיךָ" – Command or proclamation?

Correspondence between Dibrot and Mitzvot

"לֹא יִהְיֶה לְךָ " - What is included?

לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה לְךָ - what is included?

Depiction on tablets

"לא יהיה" and "לא תעשה"

"לא יהיה" and "לא תשתחוה"

Split "לא תחמוד"

¹ As Philo paraphrases the various utterances in his own language it is difficult to know for certain how he divides them.  Yet, since he speaks of the second utterance as referring "to images and statues, and in short to all erections of any kind made by hand" it is likely that he is referring to the statement "לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה לְךָ פֶסֶל". In addition, later in speaking of the first commandment, we writes, "to think that there is but one God, the most highest, and to honour him alone; and let not the polytheistical doctrine ever even touch the ears" combining both belief in God and the negation of other gods (both "אנוכי" and "לא יהיה").

²

Josephus is somewhat ambiguous but his statement that the second commandment is "not to make the image of any living creature to worship it", implies that he maintains that the second utterance begins with "לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה לְךָ פֶסֶל... לֹא תִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה לָהֶם". and not "".  Moreover, in explaining the first commandment of belief in God, he adds "and that we ought to worship him only" which is simply the positive formulation o fthe prohibition "לו יהיה לך אלהים אחרים".