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 themselvesContinue reading “Toldot’s Ten Commandments’ Moment”
Tag Archives: ten commandments
The Jewish Apocrypha & The Ten Commandments: The Book of Judith
scholars date the book of judith’s authorship to approximately 100 bce. the jewish annotated apocrypha, new revised standard edition. despite judith being fictional and excluded from the bible, the text, however, may provide insight into the ten commandments’ reception during this particular period at which the macabees ruled and the temple in jerusalem was operational.Continue reading “The Jewish Apocrypha & The Ten Commandments: The Book of Judith”
Chayeh Sarah, A Ten Commandments’ Teaching Moment
You shall not take the name of the Lord, your God, in vain, for the Lord will not hold blameless anyone who takes His name in vain. exodus 20:7 the prohibition of using god’s name in vain is one of the most puzzling of the ten commandments. the torah portion chayeh sarah, however, may assistContinue reading “Chayeh Sarah, A Ten Commandments’ Teaching Moment”
A Ten Commandments’ Hero?
unwillingness to accept ignorance is a horrible human trait. we should all be able to accept the fact that we are not all knowing. the world contains much enlightening information that could either prove us wrong or supplement our understanding. as such, we need courage to either open up our smart phones and “google” toContinue reading “A Ten Commandments’ Hero?”
The City of Babel? The Torah Portion Noah
the city? yes, the city. while the “tower of babel” story is referred to as the “tower of babel”, the torah portion also references the “city of babel”. why is the “city of babel” also included? the reason is that cities play a unique role in the torah. in the “city and tower of babel”Continue reading “The City of Babel? The Torah Portion Noah”
Philo & The Ten Commandments
philo, the jewish author and philosopher from antiquity, composed an essay “the decalogue” on the ten commandments. philo’s writings are valued by both jews and christians as his writings cover theological matters during the roman occupation of the holy land. some of the writings were around the time when jesus lived. philo’ss writings offer muchContinue reading “Philo & The Ten Commandments”
Egyptian Iconoclasm & The Ten Commandments
from oxford languages, iconoclasm is defined as “the action of attacking or assertively rejecting cherished beliefs and institutions or established values and practices; or, the rejection or destruction of religious images as heretical.” in the ten commandments, exodus 20:4, indicates that “you shall not make for yourself a graven image or any likeness which is in the heavens above, which is onContinue reading “Egyptian Iconoclasm & The Ten Commandments”
The Most Honorable Star Trek Episode?
actor leonard nimoy made television history when he transformed the kohen priestly blessing sign into the iconic star trek vulcan greeting. the sign, an open hand with the two fingers on each side forming a “v”, combined with the words “live long and prosper”, capped his artistry to create a moment that audiences at largeContinue reading “The Most Honorable Star Trek Episode?”
Will A Presidential Candidate’s Two Tablets Save America?
in a nypost.com article, presidential candidate mr. vivek ramaswamy went old school. he, like the united states’ founding fathers, ventured back in time to the exodus and mt. sinai. in doing so, he produced his ten commandments for america. mt. sinai- historically- represents the first moment a freed people embarked to create a new typeContinue reading “Will A Presidential Candidate’s Two Tablets Save America?”
The Ten Commandments’ Significance To Americans
we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, and that they are endowed with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness declaration of independence the declaration of independence’s powerful line does not happen without mt. sinai and the ten commandments. the united states-Continue reading “The Ten Commandments’ Significance To Americans”
The Ten Commandments Project 