Ten Sayings

Given to msoes on mount sinai - Aseret ha-D'ibrot (ten sayings) pr Aseret ha-D'varim (ten principles)

Serve as the foundation for all the other 603 mitzvot - recounts that the statements were carbed on two stone sablets - clear that they can divdied into two catagories - whtat is expected regarding a person's relationship with god and the rest setting out the expections regarding a person's relationship with others- both considered to hold equla status with duties to God being just as important as duties to toher people - obligation to others should take precedence over obligation to God - talmud gives the example of a man who ignored the cries of a drowning mand cause he did not want to interrupt his prayers

Two versions of the ten saying frome xodus and deuteronomy - the ethical decalogue and the ritual decalogue - ritual decalogue believed to be composed first - 'the ethical decalogue eflects and is derived from the morla teaching of 8th century prophers (anderson)

Rabbi Boteach teaches that the essence of the ten saying is as divine law as the operating force they 'illustrate the majetic scope of his mission on earth - soar from the most basic 'i am the lord your god''

universally applicable in evedry age and every time - not subject to interpretation or modifcation

neither rewards nor punishments are provided for these - aim to bring ethical montheism

Not individual commandments but catagories which the othe 603 mitzvot can be placed under 0 ten saying serve as an outline for the torah

Anderstand 'the decalogue merely stakes out general limitations which are deined by the covenant relationship'

1 Belief in god - first commandments - ' i am the lord your god' - oneness of God- 2 prohibition against improper worship - 3 prohibition against taking of oaths - uttering the name of heaven uelessly - maimonides - use adonai when talking about god - 4 - observation of sacred time- 5 - respect for your parents - midrash 'everything your father says you must obey- 6 - prohibition against harming another person - noachide laws - mininal moral duties - 7 ptohibition against sexual immorality - 8 - prohibition against theft - 9 - prohibition against harming another person through speech - lashon hara means evil - tongue as an evil weapon - 10 - prohibtion against coverting-   maimonides decribed this prohibition as keeping us at a safe distance from the srioes sins of theft, adultery and murder ' desire leads to coverting and coverting leads to stealing