the ten commandments didn’t drop down from mt. sinai as a totally unique set of laws. other ancient societies possessed value systems. the torah portion toldot offers a moment of shared societal values. toldot also sheds light on two puzzling passages in genesis.
prior to the portion toldot, abraham and sarah-while in egypt- represented themselves as siblings. abraham feared that he would be killed if he admitted their matrimony. this act of false representation continued into the next generation. in toldot, isaac, while dwelling in gerar, presented rebekah as his sister as well to the populace. he too feared that their marital status put his life in jeopardy.
while residing in gerar, the philistine king abimelech viewed isaac and rebekah acting out in a marital way and called out isaac. when confronted by the king, isaac confessed to the deception. in response to isaac, “abimelech said, “what have you done to us? the most prominent of the people might easily have lain with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us.”
this passage illustrates that philistine society valued the institution of marriage and was concerned with adultery. the king’s comments, however, suggest that a class system may also have been parts of their values as his concern was only for the prominent individuals.
in the end, “abimelech commanded all the people [with respect to isaac and rebekah], saying, “whoever touches this man or his wife shall be put to death.”
thus, toldot reflects a moment when two value systems collide. we see at societies sharing similar values. these values, however, may not be identical. toldot reminds us that the ten commandments, while unique, incorporates many universal societal concerns.
thus, two of the torah’s oddest moments provide for a teaching moment.
be well!!
The Ten Commandments Project 