The Torah and the Ten Commandments
The TorahLaw; teaching. The word Torah can be used in a narrow sense to mean the first five books of the Hebrew Bible (The Five Books of Moses) and also in a wider sense to include the whole of the Hebrew Bible and the Talmud. is considered by Jews to be the holiest part of the TanakhThe collected 24 books of the Jewish Bible. There are three sections: Torah, Nevi'im and Ketuvim (TaNaKh). May also be spelled Tenakh. and was given by God to Moses on Mount Sinai. The Hebrew word Torah is traditionally translated as 'law', which in this context means teaching, instruction or guidance. The most well-known of these laws are the Ten CommandmentsThe list of rules, revealed by God to Moses, found in the Old Testament books of Exodus and Deuteronomy. Also known as the Decalogue., but the Torah contains a total of 613 commandments or mitzvahThe singular form of the word ‘mitzvot’ (commandments or laws in Judaism). covering many aspects of daily life, including family, personal hygiene and diet.
The Ten Commandments were recorded on two tablets of stone, and together they form the basis of God’s covenantAn agreement or promise. with Moses.
The Ten Commandments
- You shall have no other gods besides me.
- You shall not make for yourself a sculptured image, or any likeness.
- You shall not swear falsely by the name of the Lord your God.
- Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy.
- Honour your father and your mother.
- You shall not commit adultery.
- You shall not steal.
- You shall not commit murder.
- You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour.
- You shall not covetTo desire or feel jealousy over something..
(Exodus 20:3-14)
Moses also received an explanation of the Torah from God, known as the Oral Torah, which is recorded in the MishnahLiterally ‘teaching’, the first document of rabbinic Judaism, assumed to have been written down from the oral tradition about AD200..
The covenant Moses received assured Jews that if they followed these rules, God would protect them from harm: Do everything the Lord has said (Exodus 19:8).
Moses is considered to be very important in Jewish teaching because he led the chosen people to the Promised LandThe land promised by God to Abraham (Genesis 15:18), Moses, and the Israelites. Also known as the Land of Israel. and received the laws that bind Jews to God.
