The Ten Commandments
The covenant at Sinai
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. teaches Jews about the covenantAn agreement or promise. God made with all Jewish people at Mount SinaiA mountain in the Sinai desert, believed to be where Moses received the Ten Commandments.. God gave MosesThe man chosen by God to save the Jews from slavery and take them to the promised land. In the Qur'an he is a messenger chosen by God to give the revelation of the Torah to the Israelites. a set of ten laws that they should follow in order to please him. God told Moses that if these rules were not followed, God would punish people who disobeyed them. Today these laws are known as 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..
The Ten Commandments are found in the book of ExodusThe second book of the Old Testament in the Bible and the second book of the five books of the Torah. It literally means 'departure'. It describes Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt, where they had to endure slavery.. They are:
- Do not have any other gods.
- Do not make or worship idols.
- Do not disrespect or misuse God’s name.
- Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy.
- Honour your mother and father.
- Do not commit murder.
- Do not commit adulterySexual intercourse between a married person and another person who is not their spouse..
- Do not steal.
- Do not tell lies
- Do not be envious of others.
Exodus 20:1–15
Moses
Jews believe that Moses was a very important ProphetSomeone believed to give messages from God. as he was chosen by God to pass on these laws to all of the Jewish people. It is believed that God gave the laws to Moses verbally before they were inscribed on stone.
Importance of the Ten Commandments today
The Ten Commandments still hold great significance for Jews today for many reasons:
- They are a guide for Jewish living today.
- Following the Ten Commandments is part of the covenant made at Mount Sinai, which applies to all Jews.
- God will judge Jews on how well they have observed these commandments.
- Following the commandments helps Jews to become better people today.
- The commandments help Jews to treat other people with respect.
- The commandments guide Jews to love and worship God effectively.
Question
Explain why it is important for Jews to follow the Ten Commandments.
Firstly, Jews believe that they entered into a covenant with God (the covenant at Mount Sinai) in which they promised to follow these laws in order to live as God wants them to.
Secondly, Jews believe that God is a judge and that he will base his judgement on how well they have observed these commandments.