The Jewish people were very clearly over-awed by the full experience of Moses delivering the Ten Commandments from Mount Sinai. There was thunder and lightning, and the mountain was smoking while Moses engaged in his epic task.
A Bible Based Society of Jews
The Ten Commandments were interwoven with issues of public and private propriety. The most-emphasised propriety issue was that of covetousness and its relationship to maintaining the ensuing social compacts between people and their neighbours.
The commandment as to covetousness was worded thus, describing a hierarchy of ownership, and providing a method for deciding what might specifically be included, by use of of the constructional rule of ejusdem generis:
- Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house; thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his man-servant, nor his maid-servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.
After emphasising the severity of covetousness, the Torah states explicitly that the people saw the voices. How could this possibly take place? The 12th century C.E. school of Rashi proposed that it was an example of synesthesis: matters so strong as to cross the sense boundaries.
The Kabbalah in Jewish History
The delivery of the Ten Commandments was a strong public event, full of matters of public propriety. The section in parshas yisro describes the strength of this public event thus.
Seeing the thunder, lightning, and the mountain smoking, the people fell back and asked Moses to speak to them instead of G-d. ([Ex. 20:15-16.]) G-d told Moses to tell the people not make any gods of silver or gold, but an altar of earth for sacrifices. ([Ex. 20:17-21.]) G-d prohibited hewing the stones to make a stone altar. ([Ex. 20:22.]) And G-d prohibited ascending the altar by steps, so as not to expose the priests’ nakedness. ([Ex. 20:23.])
Jewish Society Receiving the Essence of Bible Law
Thus, it was assumed as a matter of course that there would be an altar. This was a constitutional issue. But matters of propriety surrounded it, or the priesthood could not function for the benefit of the people. Ultimately, the altar was constructed of a stone shell, filled with earth.
Jewish Culture as a Bible Society
From this discussion, it can be learned that laws derive also from matters of public and personal propriety. Such laws are the fabric for a nation, without which crime and vengeance would become rampant.
Readers will enjoy reviewing Jewish Culture as a Bible Society and The Covenant at Mount Sinai, Jewish Culture as a Bible Society and The Raising of the Hands, and A Bible-Based Society Prepares to Receive the Ten Commandments.
Sources:
Torah parshas yisro
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