JEWISH WORLD

JEWISH WORLD • JUNE 14-20, 2024 7 The Essence Of Who We Are Parshat Naso Numbers 4:21- 7:89 continued on page 28 By SHLOMO RISKIN W ho was the target audi- ence for the Ten Com- mandments? Our Biblical portion this week speaks of the ongoing voice of the Divine, which continues to be heard from within the Sanctuary (Mish- kan) on a continual basis after the Divine Revelation, which has just been heard by the entire nation at Sinai. It is clear from the text that G-d will be speaking to Moses – and only to Moses – from between the two cherubs (Numbers 7:89). The revelations that Moses will receive in the Sanctuary would later be communicated to the rest of Israel in the form of the Pentateuch (and per- haps even major principles of the Oral Law) which we have today. This is in contrast to the Ten Com- mandments (or at least the first two of the Ten Commandments) which – at least according to the majority of our biblical commentaries – were initially revealed by G-d to the en- tire Israelite nation at Sinai (Exodus 20:1). It seems rather obvious that the subsequent Sanctuary revela- tions were targeted specifically to the Jewish people with the necessity of Moses’s serving as intermediary; after all, many if not all of those commandments deal with the activi- ties of the Israelites after they enter the promised Land of Israel. But what of the Ten Command- ments? Were they initially meant for Israel – or, perhaps, were they, and are they, really meant for the entire world, for all of humanity? The Midrash certainly seems to think that G-d initially was desirous of making His revelation a univer- sal one, directed at all of civiliza- tion. In Moses’s farewell message to the Israelites at the conclusion of his earthly life (and at the conclu- sion of the Pentateuch), he declares: “The Lord came from Sinai and above from Seir to them; He ap- peared from Mt. Paran….” (Deut. 33:2). Rashi (ad loc) cites the Mid- rash, “He began with the children of Seir (Edom or Esau, and, in the Mi- drashic tradition, the progenitor of Rome and Christianity), offering that them the Torah (of the Deca- logue) but they did not desire it. He then went on and offered it to the children of Ishmael (Midrashi- cally, the Arab Moslem world), but they did not want it…” the famous Midrash goes on to describe how the entire world was not yet ready to ac- cept the moral strictness and limita- tions of “Thou shalt not murder, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not commit adultery,” whereas the Isra- elites declared, “We shall carry out (initially) and (only later attempt to) understand” the laws of the Deca- logue, but we now accept them “wholesale” and in their entirety (Exodus 24:7). But in the first in- stance, according to the Midrash, G-d intended the Ten Command- ments for everyone! It is also fasci- nating to note that even within the biblical text itself the all-inclusive nature of G-d’s revelation seems ev- ident; the introductory verse of the Decalogue reads “And G-d spoke all these words saying…” without any specific object or nation. He was addressing (Exodus 20:1), whereas the previous verse states, “And Mo- ses descended to the nation and spoke to them…” (Ex 19:25). Mo- ses’s audience may have been Israel, but G-d’s audience was – and is – the world. A nd indeed, each of the laws of the Decalogue are universally relevant and even critical for the preservation of humanity. The intro- ductory statement “I am the Lord your G-d who took you out of the Land of Egypt, the house of bond- age” refers not only to G-d’s concern that Israel be free but also to G-d’s concern that every human being – created in the Divine image be free; had G-d only been parochially con- cerned for the Israelites, He could have air-lifted them out of Egypt as we Israelis airlifted the Beta Yisrael Jewish community out of Ethiopia in Operations Moses and Solomon, and there would have been no necessity The laws of the Decalogue are universally relevant for the preservation of humanity, but it was Israel that accepted them. DVAR This is the place to be. Brookdale Battery Park City is a 14-story independent living community in Lower Manhattan where you can lead a vibrant, enriching life. Spacious apartments with old world charm, full-sized kitchens and easy access to some of the city’s best culture all empower you to spend your day your way. Will each day hold leisure, or adventure? You decide, when you choose to call Brookdale Battery Park City home. 1107706 CB Brookdale Battery Park City Independent Living 455 North End Avenue New York, New York 10282 Live it up scale. We are here to serve you . To schedule a complimentary lunch for two or an exclusive tour, call (347) 588-3308. BrookdaleBatteryParkCity.com ©2024 Brookdale Senior Living Inc.All rights reserved. BROOKDALE SENIOR LIVING is a registered trademark of Brookdale Senior Living Inc. 1107706-Battery Park City-Manhattan Jewish Sentinel Ad 511.indd 1 : ɐP0