Weekly Dvar Torah: The Ten Commandments and The Shema

In this week’s Parsha, we learn about two fundamental aspects of Judaism: the ‘Aseres Hadibros’ (Ten Commandments) and the Shema. Both carry an identical message.

In the Ten Commandments, Hashem introduces Himself to the Jewish people as the G-d who freed them from Egypt’s house of bondage. Therefore, He instructs us to keep His Torah. It might seem more logical for G-d to introduce Himself as the Creator of heaven and earth, an even greater feat than liberating a people from slavery.

Moreover, the content of the Ten Commandments primarily deals with ordinary and mundane common laws, such as not murdering or stealing. One might expect that when G-d reveals Himself to the entire Jewish nation, He would focus on holy, lofty, and spiritual matters instead.

However, here lies the crux of the Torah and what G-d expects from the Jewish people. He emphasizes that His connection is not solely with the lofty and spiritual realms, but also with the downtrodden. He seeks to elevate and improve our lives in this world. He expects us to live within a society that faces challenges like murder and theft but to control these instincts and introduce knowledge of G-d while adhering to His teachings.

The Shema begins with the everlasting proclamation: “Hear, O Israel, G-d is our L-rd, G-d is one.” It then continues by asking us to love G-d with all our heart, soul, and strength, demanding our boundless unconditional love for Him.

This is just the first part of the Shema. Traditionally, we say the Shema every day and continue with the second part, which discusses the blessings G-d will bestow upon us if we follow His commandments. These blessings include timely rain, abundant crops, fruits, pasture, and nourishment.

The apparent combination of starting with boundless love for G-d and then focusing on material needs is like a powerful flowing stream. We need a dam to contain the force, directing it to its most beneficial place so that we benefit from the blessings without being overwhelmed.

In the second part of the Shema, G-d tells us to stop and not let the soul depart from the body due to overwhelming ecstasy. He wants to direct His blessings to the physical world, and we must get involved in productive actions to make His world a better place.

G-d desires a physical material world and needs humans who engage in it, rather than detached angels. By including G-d in our mundane activities and expressing our yearning for Him through the Shema, G-d will respond with His blessings in a way that benefits us and allows us to do His work in this world successfully.

Have a yearning and blessed Shabbos,
Gut Shabbos

Rabbi Yosef Katzman