The Rules of Life (Parashat Yitro)

In this week's parasha, Hashem instructs Moshe to tell B'nei Yisrael to prepare themselves over a three-day period.  At the end of those three days, Hashem is going to give them the Torah.  Moshe obeyed and B'nei Yisrael began their preparations - among them was to wash their clothing and abstain from relations.

At the end of the three day period, all of B'nei Yisrael stood at the foot of Har Sinai - this in itself is truly an awe-inspiring image!  One can only dream about what it must have been like to stand with an entire people waiting to hear from the Creator of the Universe!!  Hashem then addressed His nation....

First, Hashem recited all Ten Commandments simultaneously.  The Mefarshim explain that He did this because it is something that no man could possibly do.  This way, nobody could argue that the Commandments were recited by a person claiming to be G-d.

Hashem then went on to repeat each of the Commandments individually.  In addition, each one was said in the singular tense.  This was done so that every member of B'nei Yisrael could hear and understand them.  The reason for the singular tense was so that every person should understand that he too is commanded to follow them and not think it is sufficient for the nation as a whole to obey them.

Among the commandments is to Honor Your Father and Your Mother - but why was it necessary to give us such a commandment?  Shouldn't it come naturally for us to honor the very individuals who brought us into this world??  The answer is no.

The very fact that our parents brought us into this world and raised us seems to give us a sense of comfort.  As such, it doesn't come naturally for us to honor them - rather, we need to be reminded or "commanded" to.  Indeed, the extent to which we are supposed to honor our parents goes to great lengths.  Chazal teach us that we should honor our parents in the same way that we honor Hashem.

May we all be successful in honoring our parents properly and in doing so may we merit the long life that Hashem promises us that goes along with it.  This Wednesday is the first yahrtzeit for my father, a"h.  I can only hope that I was successful in honoring him to the extent that I should have.  Not because I'm commanded to, but because he deserved it!

Shabbat Shalom!