Twinkle in Your Eye
By Guest Blogger Rabbi Baruch Zaitschek
Director, the Jewish Education Program of Westchester
In our headquarters in Mamaroneck , we display a humorous plaque in which one cartoon character – with a twinkle in his eye – says to another, “The Ten Commandments are not multiple choice.”
This thought was actually highlighted by Rashi some nine-hundred years ago. Rashi took note of the fact that just prior to the Torah’s listing each of the Ten Commandments (in this week’s Parsha), the Torah states, “G-d spoke all of these statements, saying…” (Exodus 20:1). According to Rashi, before uttering each commandment separately, G-d miraculously uttered all ten of them together in one all-inclusive utterance.
The Maharal, in commenting on Rashi, tells us that according to Rashi, G-d wished to convey the understanding that The Ten Commandments were intended by Him to be a package deal. All of the commandments, both those that involve our relationship with
G-d as well as those that involve our relationship with man, are part and parcel of our obligation as Jews. G-d did not intend for each of us to pick and choose based upon our own subjective evaluation as human beings.
Through embracing the totality of Torah observance, in accordance with G-d’s original mandate, we can discover the key to acquiring our own “twinkle in our eye”.
The Jewish Education Program (JEP) of Westchester offers both monthly lectures and regular weekly classes for the for the furtherance of Jewish Education. Offices of JEP of Westchester are located in Mamaroneck, New York.
Rabbi Zaitschek may be reached at 914-381-2210.
For further information, see www.jepofwestchester.com .
By Guest Blogger Rabbi Baruch Zaitschek
Director, the Jewish Education Program of Westchester
In our headquarters in Mamaroneck , we display a humorous plaque in which one cartoon character – with a twinkle in his eye – says to another, “The Ten Commandments are not multiple choice.”
This thought was actually highlighted by Rashi some nine-hundred years ago. Rashi took note of the fact that just prior to the Torah’s listing each of the Ten Commandments (in this week’s Parsha), the Torah states, “G-d spoke all of these statements, saying…” (Exodus 20:1). According to Rashi, before uttering each commandment separately, G-d miraculously uttered all ten of them together in one all-inclusive utterance.
The Maharal, in commenting on Rashi, tells us that according to Rashi, G-d wished to convey the understanding that The Ten Commandments were intended by Him to be a package deal. All of the commandments, both those that involve our relationship with
G-d as well as those that involve our relationship with man, are part and parcel of our obligation as Jews. G-d did not intend for each of us to pick and choose based upon our own subjective evaluation as human beings.
Through embracing the totality of Torah observance, in accordance with G-d’s original mandate, we can discover the key to acquiring our own “twinkle in our eye”.
The Jewish Education Program (JEP) of Westchester offers both monthly lectures and regular weekly classes for the for the furtherance of Jewish Education. Offices of JEP of Westchester are located in Mamaroneck, New York.
Rabbi Zaitschek may be reached at 914-381-2210.
For further information, see www.jepofwestchester.com .
