How did the Ten Commandment reflect Jewish beliefs?

Answer 1

The Ten Commandments are a pillar of Western civilization. They have improved the conduct of billions of people; but because of His covenant with them, God specifically honored the Israelites with being the nation which would be the ones to receive and treasure the Ten Commandments until they had been absorbed by humanity in general. These Commandments are so important that God revealed His presence to the entire Israelite nation when He spoke these Commands. And He scribed them in stone; unlike the rest of the Torah, which He had Moses write.

What would Western society look like without these Commandments?

1) "I am the Lord your God..." has shaped the Western beliefs about God. Pantheism and polytheism, which were excuses for immorality, are out. The belief in One God is the foundation of Judaism, as reflected in the verses of the Torah (Deuteronomy ch.6).

2) The 7-day week, including a day of rest for everyone, is thanks to the Fourth Commandment. This too (Sabbath observance) is one of the central tenets of Judaism and has, to a significant degree, contributed to shaping Judaism into what it is.

3) Without the Fifth Commandment, we'd still be abandoning our aged parents to die. The belief in social justice is one of the pillars of Judaism and is one of the main themes of the Hebrew Prophets.

4) Without the Sixth Commandment, we'd be killing our own children. Aristotle, who was among the greatest of the Greeks, and Seneca, the famous Roman, both write that killing one's young babies is perfectly acceptable.

The above are just a few examples.

And how do Jews live by the Commandments in our daily lives?

1) "I am the Lord your God" is our reminder to be aware of God constantly.

2) "You shall not have other gods" means not to make anything other than God too important. Example: not to "worship the almighty dollar" or anything other than God.

3) "You shall not use God's name needlessly" teaches us to deal with God's names with the utmost reverence.

4) "Remember the Sabbath day": to learn the halachos (laws) of Shabbos (Sabbath) and to prepare for the holy day properly (nice clothes, food ready, etc.). The Sabbath is a testimony to the Exodus and to the Creation of the world.

5) "Honor your father and mother": to do our best to honor and assist them; and to avoid being cheeky to them. No "generation gap" should be allowed to spoil family ties.

6) Do not kill: also hints at avoiding character assassination or endangering someone.

7) Do not commit adultery: flirting is playing with fire.

8) Do not steal: even a paperclip should not be filched.

9) Do not bear false witness.

10) Do not covet: to avoid jealousy and gazing longingly at what is not ours. To realize that the other fellow's possessions have been allotted to him by God.

Answer 2

Christian Perspective

The Ten Commandments or the Ten Statements are God's and were first given to Moses for the 12 Tribes of Israel of which Judah, nicknamed Jew was the 4th. As time went by the Northern 10 tribes became extraordinarily sinful and were punished by God and taken captive in 722-718 BC, scattering a time afterwards. The Southern Kingdom of Judah, predominantly of that tribe but with some from Levi, Benjamin and Simeon, continued for a short time following God's Laws. They too became sinful and were taken captive in 586 BC. They were returned to their land and continued on again/off again lives of obedience and rebellion to God's Law.

Primarily, Judaism is a way of life following God's law. The Jewish community was reflective of this in many ways and its government was a Theocracy with an Earthly King over the people. Today the Jewish people have become the first of the tribes of Israel to return to their land God gave them and follow the Law of God as interpreted by their religious leaders. They have varying sects/branches as do other religions.

Jewish PerspectiveFirst, it's informative to note that the term "Ten Commandments" isn't the actual title. The original Hebrew is "Asseret HaDibrot" (עשרת הדברות) which means "Ten Statements." That being said, the Ten Statements encapsulate all of the 613 mitzvot (commands) found in the Torah; and they're essentially the categories of mitzvot. It is the mitzvot that provide the core guidelines for how Jews are meant to live their lives.

The Ten Commandments are a pillar of Western civilization. They have improved the conduct of billions of people; but because of His covenant with them, God specifically honored the Israelites with being the nation which would be the ones to receive and treasure the Ten Commandments until they had been absorbed by humanity in general. These Commandments are so important that God revealed His presence to the entire Israelite nation when He spoke these Commands. And He scribed them in stone; unlike the rest of the Torah, which He had Moses write.

What would Western society look like without these Commandments?

1) "I am the Lord your God..." has shaped the Western beliefs about God. Pantheism and polytheism, which were excuses for immorality, are out. The belief in One God is the foundation of Judaism, as reflected in the verses of the Torah (Deuteronomy ch.6).

2) The 7-day week, including a day of rest for everyone, is thanks to the Fourth Commandment. This too (Sabbath observance) is one of the central tenets of Judaism and has, to a significant degree, contributed to shaping Judaism into what it is.

3) Without the Fifth Commandment, we'd still be abandoning our aged parents to die. The belief in social justice is one of the pillars of Judaism and is one of the main themes of the Hebrew Prophets.

4) Without the Sixth Commandment, we'd be killing our own children. Aristotle, who was among the greatest of the Greeks, and Seneca, the famous Roman, both write that killing one's young babies is perfectly acceptable.

The above are just a few examples.

And how do Jews live by the Commandments in our daily lives?

1) "I am the Lord your God" is our reminder to be aware of God constantly.

2) "You shall not have other gods" means not to make anything other than God too important. Example: not to "worship the almighty dollar" or anything other than God.

3) "You shall not use God's name needlessly" teaches us to deal with God's names with the utmost reverence.

4) "Remember the Sabbath day": to learn the halachos (laws) of Shabbos (Sabbath) and to prepare for the holy day properly (nice clothes, food ready, etc.). The Sabbath is a testimony to the Exodus and to the Creation of the world.

5) "Honor your father and mother": to do our best to honor and assist them; and to avoid being cheeky to them. No "generation gap" should be allowed to spoil family ties.

6) Do not kill: also hints at avoiding character assassination or endangering someone.

7) Do not commit adultery: flirting is playing with fire.

8) Do not steal: even a paperclip should not be filched.

9) Do not bear false witness.

10) Do not covet: to avoid jealousy and gazing longingly at what is not ours. To realize that the other fellow's possessions have been allotted to him by God.