The Ten Commandments according to Jewish tradition

According to the Jewish faith, the Jews made two important deals - covenants - with their God. The first covenant was made between Abraham and God. God promised that if Abraham and his descendants promised to obey God, he would make Abraham the ancestor of a powerful people. The second covenant was made between Moses and God. God told Moses that if the Israelites promised to serve God and follow his laws - his commandments - they would become his holy people.

So what were these commandments? Well according to Jewish tradition Moses received 613 commandments from God, but they are usually condensed into ten. And it’s these ten commandments that the bible says were dictated by God to Moses, who inscribed them onto two stone tablets. While Moses was receiving the commandments, the Israelites became impatient and prayed to another god. Then Moses became infuriated and threw the tablets to the ground.

They broke - but luckily Moses got new ones from God, so the covenant was renewed and the Israelites were forgiven. These are the Ten Commandments according to Judaism. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You must believe in God, that is. You shall have no other gods beside Me.

So this is a prohibition of worship of other Gods. You shall not take the name of the Lord Your God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that takes His name in vain. According to Jewish tradition this is a prohibition of swearing an oath. Oaths were sworn in the name of God in the Israelites’ time. This is particularly a prohibition against swearing an oath and not keeping it - lying that is.

Remember the Sabbath, to keep it holy. The Sabbath is the holy day of the Jews, Saturday. Then you’re not supposed to work. This commandment is also about all the other Jewish religious holy days. Honour your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord God gives you.

This means respect your parents and teachers. You shall not murder. This is not just a prohibition of killing someone, but also of physically harming another person. You shall not commit adultery. A prohibition of being unfaithful or sexually immoral.

Though what is considered immoral of course differs much depending on the time, society, or group in which you live. You shall not steal. This commandment is not very hard to understand. A prohibition of theft. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

This means prohibition of harming someone through what you say, like lying or gossiping. You shall not covet your neighbor’s house, nor his wife, his man-servant, his maid-servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is your neighbor’s. So this is a prohibition of desiring - coveting - something of someone else’s. It means you shouldn’t be greedy but pleased with what you have. The Ten Commandments in Christianity differ somewhat from those in Judaism.

In Christianity they start with the commandment that comes second in Judaism: You shall have no other gods beside Me. And Commandment number 10 gets divided in Christianity, into two: nine and ten. According to Jewish tradition the commandments may be divided into two groups. The first four state how to behave towards God, and the last six are about how to behave towards other people. But what if you’re in a situation where a commandment from the first group clashes with a commandment from the second group?

Then the commandment which specifies how to behave towards other people should be followed. Within Judaism human relationships are very important.