Freedom
of Shavuot
By
Brother Rabbi Dani’el
Rendelman
Emet Ministries
ravemet@comcast.net
MEMBER
OF BNAI YAHSHUA SYNAGOGUES
WORLDWIDE
On
July 4, 1884 the people
of France presented to the
United States an amazing
gift. This award would come
to symbolize freedom and
democracy to the all the
world. In the waters of
the New York Harbor, the
Statue of Liberty stands
tall, shining its light
as a beacon of hope for
those in search of independence.
The statue was originally
named, “Liberty Enlightening
the World.” This name accurately
describes America’s purpose
as 'the land of the free
and the home of the brave',
where opportunity is given
freely to everyone who comes
to the land.
In
a similar fashion, the Creator
has given to us His own
symbol of freedom – His
Word and His Will, as revealed
in the first five books
of the Bible. These writings
are called the “Torah” in
the ancient Hebrew language.
However, Torah is often
mistakenly referred to as
“the Law” in English Bibles.
The Torah is not some legalistic
list of observances that
should be followed to ‘earn’
salvation. On the contrary,
the Torah is the Almighty’s
instructions for living.
The Torah describes how
man should raise a family,
approach the Holy One, and
live a life that has meaning
and abundance. Infact, it
is the Torah that is quoted
over 110 times in the New
Testament. (The New Testament
never quotes itself!) The
truth is, that the Torah
is the Bible the Savior
used, and the foundation
of our faith. The Torah
is YHWH’s “Statutes of Liberty.”
(YHWH is the ancient Hebrew
name of our Maker, used
over 8,000 times throughout
the scriptures. This name
is often replaced with the
capitalized “LORD” or “GOD”
throughout English Bibles.
To learn how the great “I
AM” gave His name for His
people to use, read Exodus
Chapter 3.)
Shine
Like
the torch held by Lady Liberty,
we were created to shine
the Light of Torah in the
darkness. And, the Torah,
similar to the gift from
France, expresses our purpose
and guides us to our divine
destiny of shining the Light
of freedom to the world.
“I YHWH have called you
in righteousness; I will
take hold of your hand.
I will keep you and will
make you to be a covenant
for the people and a light
for the Nations, to open
eyes that are blind, to
free captives from prison
and to release from the
dungeon those who sit in
darkness. "I am YHWH;
that is my name! I will
not give my glory to another
or my praise to idols. See,
the former things have taken
place, and new things I
declare; before they spring
into being I announce them
to you,” -- Isaiah / Yesha’yahu
42:6-9.
As
with any gift, the Torah
was given freely. The Sages
of Judaism teach that “the
living oracles of the Torah
would be given in many tongues
or languages, and that all
70 known nations at the
time of the exodus would
and could receive the grace
that Israel was receiving
at Sinai. It was Yahweh’s
purpose to deliver His Word
in tongues, so that all
known nations could and
should walk in the light
of Torah, as 'a lamp to
their feet, and a light
to their path' (Tehillim
/ Psalms 119: 105). The
idea and concept that Yahweh
split His voice in 70 tongues,
is a Hebraic concept based
on both tradition and Torah.
His split His voice in order
to signify that Torah was
for all nations of the earth,
not just for the people
today known as the Jews
or Jewish-Israel. To signify
this desire, He split His
voice in a supernatural
manifestation in 70 differing
ways, so that all nations
would have an inward desire
to hear, walk, and receive
the truths of Torah. In
due course, they all would
receive the exact same chesed/grace
that Israel, His son was
receiving in person on Sinai,
through the nation of Israel.
When Yahweh birthed the
ecclesia at Sinai circa
1500 BCE, He supernaturally
ordained the thunderings,
so as to signify that the
sound of the Torah was to
encompass the globe, and
not be limited to that one
particular place, time or
nation. Israel’s task was
to take that same Torah
to the nations that had
previously rejected Torah,
when Yahweh came personally
knocking on their door,”
wrote Rabbi Moshe Koniuchowsky.
It
was the nation, the people
of Yisra’el that accepted
the gift of the Torah. This
newborn nation received
their national constitution
on a special day at Mount
Sinai. From that moment
on, we who associate with
the faith of the Bible have
bound ourselves to that
gift. And, in Leviticus
23, we have even been called
to celebrate the giving
of Torah every year at this
time. Like an Independence
Day, YHWH has given us “Shavuot,”
as a day to rejoice in our
freedom. Shavuot is Hebrew
for the “Feast of Weeks”
and is often referred to
as “Pentecost.” This set
apart day is often called
“Matan Ha Torah” or the
time of the giving of the
Torah.
It’s
all about freedom
Shavuot
is a special time to celebrate
the giving of our freedom
and the liberation of our
lives. It is specifically
when the 10 commandments
were given to the world.
Though some religious institutions
teach that the Torah is
full of legalism and bondage,
the Torah is all about freedom.
It is not some Law that
binds us down. Rather, the
New Testament calls the
Torah the “perfect law of
liberty!” “The man who looks
intently into the perfect
law that gives freedom,
and continues to do this,
not forgetting what he has
heard, but doing it, he
will be blessed in what
he does,” -- Ya’acov / James
1: 25. It is for freedom
that Messiah has set us
free. “You have been set
free from sin and have become
slaves to righteousness,”
-- Romim / Romans 6: 18.
King David prayed, “So shall
I keep Your Torah continually
le-olam-va-ed (forever).
And I will walk in liberty
for I seek Your precepts,”
-- Tehillim / Psalm 119:
44-45. To say that the Torah
is bondage is to say that
the Declaration of Independence
traps people into slavery!
It just isn’t so.
Let’s
examine the events surround
the giving of Torah and
use this understanding to
celebrate the feast of Shavuot.
As we study how our lives
should reflect His Light,
we will see exactly how
YHWH is rebuilding or fixing
the world through His statute’s
of liberty.
The
purpose of Freedom
One
purpose of the Torah’s is
to bring about Tikkun or
“fixing.” This Hebrew idea
of Tikkun literally means
“rectification, change,
or restoration.” Through
the teachings and instructions
of the Torah we can Tikkun,
or fix, our world to be
as it was first created
to be. By faithfully obeying
the precepts and principles
of Torah we can tikkun our
lives. Remember that mankind
was created within the boundaries
of a perfect relationship
with the Creator. However,
because of the fall, sin
entered the world, and broke
our fellowship with YHWH.
The Torah is an antidote
to our sinful desires. “My
children I have created
the evil impulse, and I
have created the Torah as
an antidote to it. If you
occupy yourselves with the
Torah you will not be delivered
to the power of the yetzer
hara (flesh),” says the
Talmud. It is through Messiah’s
life that we can experience
true tikkun. Indeed, the
Living Torah, the Messiah,
is the full remedy for our
sin. And with the giving
of Torah during Shavuot,
YHWH was allowing Yisra’el
to do tikkun. He was giving
this newborn nation a chance
to erase the sins of their
past. Through the spoken
words of Torah, the Almighty
was restoring Creation for
His people and giving them
a fresh start.
Passover
and Shavuot are connected
It
all started at Pesach, or
Passover, when YHWH called
Yisra’el out of the bondage
of Egyptian slavery. The
people witnessed devastating
plagues, including one final
act of judgment. Finally,
Pharaoh released the Hebrew
people to travel to their
own Land for worship. The
slaves were freed after
they smeared the blood of
a Lamb upon their doorposts
and were passed over by
the death angel. This day
of judgment is remembered
each year with the feast
of Passover. And from that
day forward, the Hebrew
nation was to count fifty
days to the time of the
wheat harvest, (Vayikra
/ Leviticus 23: 15,16).
This is called the counting
of the Omer. This counting
was to build daily, instead
of counting down, the Hebrew
were to add to their number
daily. The number of days
and the anticipation of
their hearts were to grow.
Finally, the count would
culminate with the festive
day of Shavuot. On that
first Shavuot, fifty days
after Yisra’el was released
from Egypt, YHWH freely
gave His Torah.
The
number is 50 is important
to consider as we look at
Shavuot. This number symbolizes
freedom, as every fiftieth
year would be set apart
as a yovel or “jubilee”
year. Torah teaches that
the yovel year is a time
of getting a new start.
During this year of rejoicing,
all debts are forgiven and
land is returned to the
original owners. For those
who are granted a yovel,
life begins again. (You
can read more about this
in Vayikra / Leviticus 25.)
Well,
Shavuot, which is fifty
days after Passover, is
a type of jubilee, or new
beginning. As Pesach celebrated
the release from bondage
to Pharaoh, Shavuot celebrates
being set free from the
bondage of sin and self.
Passover and Shavuot are
more closely connected than
any other Biblical holy
days because of their emphasis
on Freedom, or “cherut”
in Hebrew. The Torah was
given for freedom. And at
the first Shavuot, some
amazing things occurred.
“And
YHWH said to Moshe, Go to
the people, and set them
apart today and tomorrow,
and let them wash their
clothes, And be ready by
the third day: for on the
third day YHWH will come
down in the sight of all
the people upon Har Sinai.
And you shall set borders
for the people all around,
saying, Be careful, that
you go not up into the mount,
or touch the border of it:
whoever touches the mount
shall be surely put to death:
There shall not a hand touch
it, but he shall surely
be stoned, or shot through;
whether it be beast, or
man, it shall not live:
when the shofar sounds long,
they shall come near the
mountain. And Moshe went
down from the mount to the
people, and set-apart the
people; and they washed
their clothes. And he said
to the people, Be ready
for the third day: approach
not your wives in intimacy.
And it came to pass on the
third day in the morning,
that there was thunder and
lightning, and a thick cloud
upon the mount, and the
voice of the shofar exceedingly
loud; so that all the people
that were in the camp trembled.
And Moshe brought forth
the people out of the camp
to meet with Elohim; and
they stood at the foot of
the mountain. And Har Senai
was altogether in smoke,
because YHWH descended upon
it in fire: and the smoke
of it ascended as the smoke
of a furnace, and the whole
mount shook greatly. And
when the voice of the shofar
sounded long, and became
louder and louder, Moshe
spoke, and Elohim answered
him by a voice. And YHWH
came down upon Har Senai,
on the top of the mount:
and YHWH called Moshe up
to the top of the mount;
and Moshe went up,” -- Shemot
/ Exodus 19:
From
information to application
It
is easy to just read about
the first Shavuot and chalk
up these happenings as events
of our past. Yet we can
apply these events to our
life and experience the
true meaning of Shavuot.
Here are a few ideas:
*
Yisra’el was to prepare
themselves and not approach
the Holy without first being
ready. They were to wash
their clothes. “And I said
to him, Sir, you know. And
he said to me, These are
those who came out of the
Great Tribulation, and have
washed their robes, and
made them white in the dahm
(blood) of the Lamb,” –
Gilyahna / Revelation 7:
14.
*
YHWH was coming down and
the people were to go up.
When YHWH comes down powerful
things happen and YHWH imparts
part of Himself to His people.
“And YHWH came down in a
cloud, and spoke to him,
and took of the Ruach that
was upon him, and gave it
to the seventy zechanim:
and it came to pass, that,
when the Ruach rested upon
them, they prophesied, and
did not cease,” -- Bamidbar
/ Numbers 11: 25.
*
YHWH told Yisra’el to put
limits around the mountain.
He wanted them to be careful
not to sin. In essence YHWH
instructed Yisra’el to put
fences around the Torah
giving, and therefore the
Torah. These fences or limits
would set boundaries and
aide to greater intimacy.
Those who violated the fence
were to be killed. When
we put fences around, or
guard, our Torah keeping
we must be careful that
these fences keep us away
from sin and NOT away from
YHWH and the truest meaning
of the mitzvot (commandment.)
Woe to them that do not
guard their walk with fences
of caution. “He that breaks
down a hedge (or fence),
a serpent shall bite him,”
-- Koheleth / Ecclesiastes
10: 8.
*
Death would come to those
who approached YHWH without
proper cleansing or approach
Him at the improper time.
The condemned person was
to be stoned to death and
not touched. This sinful
person was unclean and therefore
the Hebrews were to not
even touch him and risk
contaminating the entire
camp. We must back away
from unclean people and
practices. “Therefore come
out from among them, and
be kadosh, says the Master
YHWH, and touch not the
unclean things; and I will
receive you,” Qorintyah
Bet / 2 Corinthians / 6:
17.
*
The people were to abstain
from relations. They were
not to even approach their
spouse for intimacy. YHWH
wanted His bride for Himself.
During days of worship we
should be focused upon YHWH
and not upon ourselves.
“The woman also who lies
with a man having semen
of emission, they shall
both bathe themselves in
mayim, and be unclean until
the evening,” -- Vayikra
/ Leviticus 15: 18. During
the set apart days, Intimacy
with YHWH alone is of great
importance.
The
Wedding at Sinai
The
Rabbis teach us that Shavuot
is very much like a Hebrew
wedding. Consider that the
purpose of a wedding is
for the bride and groom
to unite. “Therefore shall
a man leave his father and
his mother, and shall cleave
unto his wife: and they
shall be one flesh,” --
Beresheet / Genesis 2: 22.
Unity between the bride
and groom is the reason
for the wedding ceremony.
Unity between Yisra’el and
YHWH is the reason for the
Torah being given at Shavuot.
“One of the most beautiful
images of Shavuot is that
of a the marriage between
YHWH (the groom) and Yisra’el
(the bride). In Exodus 19,
when YHWH by the leading
of Moshe brought the children
of Yisra’el to Mount Sinai,
YHWH was making a marriage
contract, a Ketubah, with
Yisra’el. In Exodus 19:
8, Yisra’el accepts YHWH’s
marriage proposal,” wrote
Edward Chumney.
It
was at the first Shavuot
that Yisra’el was wed, or
betrothed to YHWH. And,
through faithful recommitment,
each year at this time,
we can literally renew our
wedding vows to YHWH. At
Shavuot we can pledge our
lives to the Almighty and
accept His marriage/unity
proposal. Again, the issue
of Shavuot is freedom through
closeness and unity with
the Creator. Will we unite
with Him as His bride? Or,
will we make the same mistakes
our ancestors did and be
unfaithful to our groom?
Spiritual
Adultery
At
the first Shavuot, Moshe
ascended the mountain to
receive the Torah for the
nation. While Moshe was
with YHWH, the Hebrew people
became anxious and disgruntled.
They were tired of waiting
on Moshe. So, they cheated
on their husband. “And when
the people saw that Moshe
delayed to come down out
of the mount, the people
gathered themselves together
to Aharon, and said to him,
Get up, make us Elohim (gods),
that shall go before us;
for as for this Moshe, the
man that brought us up out
of the land of Mitzrayim,
we do not know what has
become of him. And Aharon
said to them, Break off
the golden earrings, which
are in the ears of your
wives, of your sons, and
of your daughters, and bring
them to me…after he had
made it a golden calf: and
they said, These be your
elohim, O Yisrael, which
brought you up out of the
land of Mitzrayim. And they
rose up early in the morning,
and offered burnt offerings,
and brought shalom offerings;
and the people sat down
to eat and to drink, and
rose up to play. And YHWH
said to Moshe, Go, get yourself
down; for your people, which
you brought out of the land
of Mitzrayim, have corrupted
themselves: They have turned
aside quickly out of the
halakha (way to walk) which
I commanded them: they have
made themselves a molded
calf, and have worshipped
it, and have sacrificed
to it, and said, These be
your elohim, O Yisrael,
which have brought you up
out of the land of Mitzrayim,”
Exodus / Shemot 32:1-9,
Restoration Scriptures Version.
Redeemed!
The
Hebrew nation broke their
wedding vows by giving themselves
over to their sinful desires.
They forsook the way to
walk and gave in to idolatry
and spiritual adultery.
They failed. Because of
their sin, on that day,
the Lewites (Levites) slaughtered
3000 people who were guilty
of going after other Elohim.
A few thousand years later,
on another Shavuot, those
3,000 Hebrews that died
were redeemed. Through the
power of a new beginning;
the power of yovel, redemption
came fifty days after Yahshua
HaMoshiach was crucified.
“And
when the moed (feast) of
Shavuot was fully counted
by the omer, they were all
with one accord in one place.
And suddenly there came
a sound from the Shamayim
(heavens) as of a groaning
Ruach, and it filled all
the Bayit (Temple/House)
where they were sitting.
And there appeared to them
divided tongues like as
of fire, and it sat upon
each of them. And they were
all filled with the Ruach
HaKodesh, and began to speak
with other tongues, as the
Ruach HaKodesh gave them
the utterance…Then Kepha
(Peter) said to them, Teshuvah
(repent and turn), and be
immersed every one of you
in the Name of the Master-Yah
Yahshua ha Moshiach (Messiah)
for the forgiveness of sins,
and you shall receive the
gift of the Ruach HaKodesh.
For the promise is to you,
and to your children, and
to all that are far off,
…Then they that gladly received
his word were immersed:
and the same day there were
added to them about three
thousand beings,” -- Acts
/ Maaseh Shlichim 2:1-4,38,39,
41.
That
year, just after Messiah’s
death, the first believers
began to count the Omer
to fifty. Each day they
counted up. Each day they
waited and wondered about
what would take place. They
had no idea what would happen
when they finished their
counting. They were just
told “to go and wait.” Yet,
fifty days after the Passover
Lamb Yahshua was killed,
the gift of the Ruach HaKodesh
was given. With the giving
of the Ruach HaKodesh at
Shavuot, the Hebrews experienced
the true freedom of Messiah.
Now, we have that same opportunity
this year, and every year
at this time. As we follow
the example of Exodus 19,
we can tap into the power
of Matan HaTorah. We can
experience the freedom of
Shavuot and do tikkun. Through
accepting anew the Torah
we can in essence rebuild
the world and start over.
Yet, we shouldn’t fall into
the sins of the Hebrews
at Sinai. We must prepare
ourselves, purify ourselves,
and be faithful to our groom
Prepare
for the Wedding Day
Just
as we would not attend our
wedding in dirty clothes
or soiled garments, we must
prepare for Shavuot. As
we build up to the Giving
of Torah during the counting
of the Omer, we can prepare
our lives and search our
thoughts, hearts, and actions
for anything that is not
pleasing to YHWH. Perhaps
we can do mikvah (immersion)
as an outward symbol of
inwardly changing to become
more like YHWH. Like Moshe,
we should ascend the Mountain,
through prayer or study.
And please notice that YHWH
did not just come down to
Yisra’el at Sinai. Moshe
went up and then YHWH came
down. Through prayer and
works of tzedekah (righteousness)
we can soar in heavenly
places. As we seek Him,
He will make Himself known
to us.
We
need to also receive the
Torah. The Sages say that
Shavuot is Matan HaTorah,
the time of the “giving
of the Torah.” However,
everyday – TODAY and TOMORROW
– are days to receive the
Torah. This isn’t just intellectual
knowledge of receiving a
book, but receiving a way
of life that will mold us
to be more like YHWH. Maybe
out of all the commandments
and principles in the Scriptures,
we could choose one or two
and really commit to keep
them more fully. “We should
not view Shavuot as a one
time event, rather, every
person must feel as though
he entered into a covenant
with YHWH. (Deuteronomy
5:1-3) Every generation
must know that the Ten Commandments
were spoken to them directly,
no less than to earlier
generations. To celebrate
the anniversary as a single
moment in our history would
diminish its importance.
YHWH desires that we see
this event as something
that needs to be re-lived,
more than commemorated,”
wrote Rinah Shalom.
A
Deeper Study
Let’s
start our Shavuot preparations
by studying the Ten Commandments
a little deeper. Yes, yes,
the Ten Commandments are
so simple that children
can memorize them. However,
within the Ten Words is
the divine will of YHWH.
Below is a fascinating look
at how YHWH was rebuilding
the world when He gave Yisra’el
the Ten Words. As we understand
these mitzvot (commandments)
more clearly and apply this
knowledge to our lives,
we too can rebuild our lives.
And what better time to
start tikkun than at Shavuot?
Through the freedom of Torah
we can do tikkun that will
change us and change the
people around us. We can
take this freedom and minister
it to those in need. The
gift of liberty and freedom
has been given to our nation,
Yisra’el. Let’s accept His
statutes of liberty, and
use this gift to establish
“one nation under YHWH,
indivisible, with liberty
and justice for all.”
The
following is a translation
of a Chasidic discourse
by Rabbi J.I. Schneersohn,
edited by Moshe Miller and
Rabbi Dani’el Rendelman.
Use this short study to
further your understanding
of this special time.
The
Zohar says, "The world
was created by means of
ten utterances." The
following section explains
the connection between the
asarah ma’amorot [Ten Utterances
of Creation] in Genesis
and the aseret hadibrot
[Ten Commandments] in Exodus
20.
Rabbi
Shimon bar Yochai taught:
kaf asarah asarah -- (“Each
incense bowl weighed ten
sanctuary shekels” -- literally,)
each bowl ten ten. Why (the
doubled words) “ten ten?”
Once, to allude to the work
of creation, and once to
allude to the Torah. There
are ten utterances in the
creation of the world, and
(corresponding to them)
ten utterances in the Torah
(the Ten Commandments).
What does this tell us?
That the world was created
for the sake of Torah, and
as long as the Hebrew people
occupy themselves with Torah,
the world will continue
to exist. But if the Hebrew
people abandon Torah, the
verse declares, “If not
for My Covenant (the Torah),
I would not have set day
and night, and the bounds
of heaven and earth.”
The
Zohar now explains how the
ten utterances parallel
the Ten Commandments.
The 1st (commandment, instructing
us to have faith in Elohim)
states: "I am the YHWH
your Elohim..." Regarding
creation, the verse states:
“There shall be light, and
there was light.”5
From the verse “YHWH is
my light and salvation,
whom shall I fear?” we learn
that faith in the Holy One,
blessed be He, is also called
“light.” (Hence, light and
faith in Elohim, the first
commandment, correspond.)
The
2nd states: “You shall have
no other gods before Me,”
and (the second utterance)
states: “There shall be
a firmament between the
waters, and it shall divide
between water and water.”
“There
shall be a firmament,” refers
to the Hebrew people who
are part of YHWH Above,
for they are attached to
that plane which is called
Shamayim (Heaven, or firmament).
“Between the waters,” --
among the words of Torah
(which is called water,
as our Sages explain) “And
it (the Hebrew people) shall
divide between water and
water” -- between Elohim,
who is called “the Source
of Living Water” and false
deities which are called
“broken wells” containing
bitter, putrid and stagnant
water. (Thus, the division
between water and water
is dependent on the Yisraelite
people learning the Torah.)
The
3rd states: “Do not take
the name of YHWH in vain,”
and (the third utterance)
states: “The waters below
the firmament shall be gathered
into one place..” Do not
cause a separation in the
unity of the waters (referring
to the Shekinah -- the indwelling
Divine Presence) by uttering
a false oath.
The
4th states: “Remember the
Sabbath to keep it holy,”
and (the fourth utterance)
states, “The earth shall
sprout vegetation..” When
does the earth become fertile
and become covered with
vegetation? On the Sabbath,
when the bride (the Sabbath)
unites with the King (YHWH).
This brings forth vegetation
and blessing for the world.
(Every weekday is provided
its food by virtue of the
blessing it receives from
the Sabbath, just as the
manna, which came down only
during the week, was by
virtue of the Sabbath.)
The
5th states: “Honor your
father and mother,” and
(the fifth utterance) states,
“There shall be luminaries
in the sky ...” This means
that the luminaries are
your father and mother --
the sun is your father,
and the moon your mother,
alluding to the Holy One,
blessed be He, your father,
as the verse states. “For
the sun and its sheath are
Elohim.” (The verse makes
an association between YHWH
— who is the ultimate source
of all “light” in the sense
of Divine revelation --
and the sun, the source
of physical light.) And
the moon refers to Knesset
Yisrael (the collective
soul of the Hebrew people),
as the verse states (regarding
Israel), “Your moon shall
never disappear.” (It seems
that the intention here
is that our “father and
mother” -- Elohim, and the
collective Hebrew soul --
are honored by the Torah
which the Hebrew people
learn in this world, as
our Sages explain, “There
is no honor other than Torah.”16)
The
6th states: “Do not murder,”
and (the sixth utterance)
states “The waters shall
teem with living creatures.”
Do not kill a man, who is
also called “a living creature.”
And do not be like fish,
the larger of which swallows
the smaller.
The
7th states: “Do not commit
adultery,” and (the seventh
utterance) states, “The
earth shall bring forth
living creatures... in their
species.” From this we learn
that a man should not approach
a woman who is not his soulmate.
For this reason the verse,
“in their species.” A woman
must not bear children from
one who is not her “species”,
i.e., her soul mate.
The
8th states: “Do not steal,”
and (the eight utterance)
states, “I have given you
every seed bearing plant
on the surface of the earth.”
That is, that which I have
given you, and allowed you
to use, is yours. Do not
steal that which belongs
to someone else.
The
9th states: “Do not testify
as a false witness,” and
(the ninth utterance) states,
“We shall make man with
Our image, of Our likeness.”
Do not testify falsely against
one who bears the Divine
image. And if one testifies
falsely, it is as if he
blasphemed.
The
10th states: “Do not be
envious or covet...” and
(the tenth utterance) states,
“It is not good that man
is alone. I will make him
a helper to match him.”
This refers to each person’s
soul-mate who matches him
perfectly. Hence, “Do not
be envious of your neighbor’s
wife...” Do not want what
is not yours. YHWH will
meet all of our needs. Trust
Him.
These
are the ten utterances of
creation, which parallel
the Ten Commandments.”
