To thank before we think.

The Ten Commandments are the most famous, religious and moral code in history.

Until recently, they adorned American courtrooms.

They still adorn most synagogue arcs.

Rembrandt gave them their classic artistic expression in his portrait of Moses,

about to break the tablets on seeing the golden calf.

John Roger Herbert's massive painting of Moses bringing to break the tablets on seeing the golden calf. John Roger Herbert's massive painting

of Moses bringing down the tablets of law dominates the main committee room of the House of Lords.

The twin tablets with their ten commands are the enduring symbol of eternal law under the sovereignty

of God. It's worth remembering, of course, that the Ten Commandments are not Ten Commandments.

The terror calls them Aserat Hadavarim, and Tradition calls them Aserita Dibroat, meaning the ten

words or utterances.

And we can understand this better.

In the light of documentary discoveries in the 20th century,

especially Hittite covenants or suzerainty treaties, dating back to 1400 BCE, that is, around the time of Moses and the Exodus.

These treaties often contained a twofold statement of the laws laid down in the treaty, first in general

outline, then in specific detail. That is precisely the relationship between the Azaredadad

the ten utterances and the detailed commandments of Parachat Mishpatim. The former are the general

outline, the basic principles of the law. Now, of course,

usually they're portrayed graphically and substantively as two sets of five, the first dealing

with relations between us and God, including honoring our parents since they, like God, brought

us into being, and the second with relations between us

...