The Decalogue – Division and Design/2

The Decalogue – Division and Design

Exegetical Approaches

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Traditional Ten

The statement "I am Hashem your God..." comprises its own independent utterance. As such, there is no need to split any of the others.

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, Rambam Sefer HaMitzvotPositive Commandments 1Negative Commandments 1Negative Commandments 2Negative Commandments 5Negative Commandments 6About Rambam Sefer HaMitzvot RambanShemot 20:2About R. Moshe b. Nachman,

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

• According to Ramban and Rambam despite not being formulated in the imperative, the statement, "I am Hashem..." nonetheless constitutes a command to believe in God. Ramban explains that Hashem is not simply introducing Himself, but pointing to His role in the Exodus as proof of His existence, His role as Creator,¹ and hence His unity.² This establishes the requirement that all know and believe in God.
• Shadal, in contrast, suggests that the verse is simply an introduction and not a command, but that it might nonetheless cnstitute the first of the ten utterances, as ther eneed not be direct corellation between the number of utterances and teh number of mitzvot included,

Relationship between "אָנֹכִי" and "לֹא יִהְיֶה" – These two statements are flip sides of one another, one formulated in the positive and the other in the negative. Hashem first mandates belief in Him alone, then stipulates that one may not serve any gods besides him..

"לֹא יִהְיֶה" vs. "לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה" vs.  "לֹא תִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה" etc.

• According to Ramban, the entire second statement constitutes one command, the prohibition of idolatry. All the various components relate to
• Rambam, in contrast, counts each action as its own individual prohibition, against believing in other gods, fashioning an idol, bowing down to one,³ or worshiping one in other ways.⁴ 

Correspondence between Dibrot and Mitzvot

Split "לא יהיה"

The statement "I am Hashem your God..." does not constitute an independent utterance.  The number ten is reached, instead, by dividing "לֹא יִהְיֶה... מִצְוֺתָי" into two.  This position disagrees regarding where to make the split:

"אנכי... על פני" and "לא תעשה"

The first utterance consists of both the statement "I am Hashem your God.." and "You shall have no other gods before me". The second utterance begins with "Do not make for yourselves an idol".

Sources:perhaps PhiloThe Decalogue 50-51, 65The DecalogueAbout Philo,⁵ perhaps Josephus3 5About Josephus Antiquities of the Jews,⁶ R. Yishmael Sifre Bemidbar 15:31 and Bavli Sanhedrin 99a, possibility in Shimon b. Tzemach DuranR. Shimon b. Tzemach DuranAbout R. Shimon b. Tzemach Duran,

Relationship between "אָנֹכִי" and "לֹא יִהְיֶה" – R. Shimon b. Tzemach Duran asserts that the two statements are combined because they revolve around the same issue and are, in essence, simply flipsides of each other. "אָנֹכִי" mandates belief in Hashem and "לֹא יִהְיֶה" prohibits belief in any foreign gods. Taken together, they mandate that one believe in Hashem exclusively.

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

• Command – Despite the fact that the statement is not phrased in the imperative, these sources all read it as constituting the command to accept Hashem as God. By combining "אָנֹכִי" with the explicit command "לֹא יִהְיֶה", the two are equated, suggesting that both are imperative in nature.
• Proclamation – This position could have alternatively suggested that the statement is indeed a prologue, but one which is limited to the command of "do not have any Gods before me". Before prohibiting belief in false Gods, Hashem explains why: because I am the only true God.

Can belief be commanded

"לֹא יִהְיֶה לְךָ " vs. "לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה לְךָ" – According to this approach, there is a fundamental divide between the prohibitions of these two statements, justifying their constituting two utterances.

•  Different manner of worship – R. Shimon b. Tzemach Duran asserts that "לֹא יִהְיֶה" is a commandment of the heart or mind, while "לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה" is action-oriented.  The former prohibits belief in idolatry, while the latter prohibits the making of idols. 
• Different object of worship – Alternatively, as R. Shemuel b. Chofni Gaon suggests, the first utterance speaks of belief in false gods, while the second prohibits making images even of Hashem Himself.

Correspondence between Dibrot and Mitzvot – R. Shimon b. Tzemach Duran asserts that there is no direct correspondence between the number of  mitzvot and the number of utterances.  Thus, in one utterance there could be both a positive command to believe in God and a negative command not to believe in other gods.  This is similar to the utterance regarding Shabbat, which also includes both a positive and negative command, despite it being but one utterance.

Depiction on tablets – Philo and Josephus assert that there were five utterances written on each tablet.  The first tablet focuses on Hashem, our father and Creator, and ends with commands regarding one's parents who "imitate his nature".  The other five focus on interpersonal relations.

"לא יהיה" and "לא תעשה"

The first utterance consists of only "You shall have no other gods before me", while the second statement begins "Do not make for yourselves an idol". ⁷

Sources:perhaps Baal Halakhot Gedolot, rejected opinion brought by Ibn EzraShemot Second Commentary 20:1About R. Avraham ibn Ezra and R. Yehoshua ibn ShuibYitroAbout R. Yehoshua ibn Shuib

"אָנֹכִי י״י אֱלֹהֶיךָ" – Command or proclamation? Since the verse is not worded in command form and contains no demands of the nation, this approach reads the utterance as being a prologue to the entire Decalogue.⁸ Before Hashem commands the people, He introduces Himself, explaining why they should observe His commandments.⁹  As such, the utterance is not included in the count of ten at all.

Can one command belief? The Baal Halakhot Gedolot does not count belief in God as one of the 613 commandments.  It is not clear, however, if this is because he thinks it is the foundation on which all else stands and thus comes prior to decrees, or if he assumes that faith is not subject to one's control and so it is impossible to demand it of someone.

"לֹא יִהְיֶה לְךָ " vs. "לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה לְךָ" – As above, this approach views these two utterances as mandating two distinct prohibitions.  The distinction relates either to the manner of worship (with the first speaking of belief and the second of the physical making of idols) or to the object of worship (with the first referring to idolatry and the second to making a physical representation of even Hashem).

Cantillation marks

"לא יהיה" and "לא תשתחוה"

The first utterance includes both "You shall have no other gods" and “You shall not make for yourselves an idol", while the second utterance commands both "You shall not bow down" and "You shall not serve them".

Sources:Baal Halakhot Gedolot as understood by RambanPositive Commandments 1About Hasagot Ramban Sefer HaMitzvot

"אָנֹכִי י״י אֱלֹהֶיךָ" – Command or proclamation? The announcement "I am the Lord your God" is not considered a commandment but rather an introduction to all the mitzvot for it is the foundation on which all else builds. It is, thus, not formulated in the imperative and contains no explicit directive to act, think, or feel in any way. Hashem simply introduces Himself.

Can you command belief – Ramban assumes that the Baal Halakhot Gedolot does not count belief as a commandment, not because one cannot command belief, but because it is the foundation upon which all else rests and thus cannot be itself decreed.

"לֹא יִהְיֶה לְךָ " and "לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה לְךָ" - What is included? According to this position these phrases prohibit the making and possessing of idols rather than their worship.  "לֹא יִהְיֶה לְךָ" forbids keeping idols, even if made by others and "לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה לְךָ" prohibits the creation itself.

"לֹא תִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה לָהֶם וְלֹא תָעׇבְדֵם" - What is included? As opposed to the first utterance which prohibits possession of idols, this utterance prohibits their worship.

The order – Ramban questions this understanding based on the order of the utterances.  Since active worship of idols in a much more severe sin that simply making or having them in one's possession (one is punished with death and the other only with lashes), it would have been expected that the prohibitions "לֹא תִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה לָהֶם וְלֹא תָעׇבְדֵם" precede that of "לֹא יִהְיֶה לְךָ".

Split "לא תחמוד"

The statement "I am Hashem your God" does not constitute an independent utterance. The number ten is reached instead by splitting "Do not covet" into two.

Sources:Ibn EzraDevarim 5:17About R. Avraham ibn Ezra¹⁰

¹ Ramban notes that only one who created nature can overturn it, so the miracles of the Exodus prove that matter is not eternal but that Hashem created it.

² The signs and wonders wrought in Egypt proved God's omnipotence and that "There is none like me in all the land" (Shemot 9:14).

³ The Rambam includes in this prohibition four common forms of worship - bowing, sacrificing, giving libations, and offering incense. Even if these actions are not how the specific idol is normally worshiped, such actions are prohibited.

⁴ According to Rambam this prohibition adds to the "standard" forms of prohibited worship (bowing, sacrifice, libations, and incense, included in the prohibition of "לא ישתחוה") any form of worship which is the normal way in which a specific foreign god is served.

⁵ 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").

⁶

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 of the prohibition "לו יהיה לך אלהים אחרים".

⁷ As opposed to the first variation, this position maintains that the declaration "I am your the Hashem your God..." is an introductory statement to the entire Decalogue and is not itself included as any utterance or part thereof.

⁸ One could alternatively posit that it specifically introduces only the first few utterances, all of which mention "י״י אֱלֹהֶיךָ".  As these commands relate to belief and are less intuitive than injunctions not to murder, steal and the like, it is more necessary to introduce the reason for their observance.

⁹ See Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael Shemot 20:220:2About Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael Shemot. There are similar introductory and concluding statements surrounding other  law units, such as those found in Vayikra 18-19.

¹⁰ This is his opinion as expressed in his commentary on Devarim.  In his Second Commentary to Shemot 20:1, however, he argues against this reading.