What Are the Ten Commandments?

One of the most common misconceptions about the Ten Commandments is that they are called the Ten Commandments. In Hebrew, they are the Aseres HaDibros — the Ten Statements, or Ten Utterances. This might seem like a small distinction, but it matters. They are not just rules. They are declarations from the Creator of the universe about how reality works, spoken directly to an entire nation standing at the foot of a mountain. Nothing like it ever happened before. Nothing like it has happened since.

The Aseres HaDibros were given at Mount Sinai approximately 3,300 years ago, seven weeks after the Exodus from Egypt — an event we commemorate every year on the holiday of Shavuos. According to the Torah, the entire Jewish people — men, women, and children, roughly 3 million souls — heard G-d speak. The words were carved into two stone tablets (luchos), which were placed in the Aron HaKodesh (Holy Ark) in the Mishkan (Tabernacle) and later in the Beis HaMikdash (Temple).

The Ten Statements

First Tablet: Between Humans and G-d

1. "I am Hashem your G-d who brought you out of the land of Egypt"

This is not a commandment in the typical sense — it is a declaration of relationship. G-d introduces Himself not as the Creator of the universe (though He is) but as the One who personally redeemed us from slavery. The Rambam counts this as the mitzvah to believe in the existence of G-d. It is the foundation upon which everything else rests.

2. "You shall have no other gods before Me"

The prohibition against idol worship in all its forms. This includes not just bowing to statues — which was common in the ancient world — but any form of giving ultimate allegiance to something other than Hashem. The Rambam explains that this prohibition extends to any belief system that denies G-d's sovereignty or places something alongside Him.

3. "You shall not take the name of Hashem your G-d in vain"

This prohibits swearing falsely in G-d's name, using His name frivolously, and making promises in His name that you do not intend to keep. This is one reason why many Orthodox Jews are careful about how they reference G-d's name — writing "G-d" instead of spelling it out, or saying "Hashem" (The Name) in everyday conversation instead of using His actual names.

4. "Remember the Sabbath day to sanctify it"

The commandment to observe Shabbat — to rest on the seventh day as G-d rested after creation. In the version in Devarim (Deuteronomy), the word used is "shamor" (guard) instead of "zachor" (remember). The Talmud teaches that both words were spoken simultaneously — a concept our human minds cannot fully grasp but that captures the dual nature of Shabbat: remembering its holiness and guarding its boundaries.

5. "Honor your father and your mother"

This commandment appears on the first tablet — the one dealing with our relationship with G-d — even though it seems to be about human relationships. The placement is deliberate. The Talmud explains that there are three partners in creating a person: the father, the mother, and Hashem. Honoring parents is connected to honoring G-d Himself.

This mitzvah has real, practical implications. It means speaking respectfully to your parents, caring for them in old age, not sitting in their seat, and not contradicting them in public. It is one of the hardest mitzvos to fulfill perfectly, and it is one of the most rewarding.

Second Tablet: Between Humans

6. "You shall not murder"

The Torah distinguishes between murder (intentional killing) and other forms of killing (self-defense, wartime, judicial punishment). The Hebrew word used here is "tirtzach" — which specifically refers to unlawful killing. Jewish tradition also extends this to include embarrassing someone publicly, which the Talmud equates metaphorically with murder because the blood drains from the person's face.

7. "You shall not commit adultery"

The sanctity of marriage is a foundational value in Judaism. This commandment prohibits relations between a married woman and a man who is not her husband. The severity of this prohibition reflects the centrality of the family unit in Jewish life and the destruction that infidelity causes to families and communities.

8. "You shall not steal"

In its primary context at Sinai, the Talmud explains this refers to kidnapping — stealing a person. The broader prohibition against theft of property is derived from other Torah verses. Either way, the principle is clear: what belongs to someone else is not yours to take. This extends in Jewish law to intellectual theft, deception in business, and even stealing someone's time or peace of mind.

9. "You shall not bear false witness"

The prohibition against testifying falsely in court. In a legal system where testimony can determine life and death, false witness is not just lying — it is a form of violence against the person being judged. Jewish law requires two witnesses for most legal proceedings and has extensive safeguards against false testimony.

10. "You shall not covet"

The final commandment is remarkable because it legislates an internal state — desire. You shall not covet your neighbor's house, spouse, servants, animals, or anything that belongs to them. The Rambam distinguishes between "lo sachmod" (do not covet, which involves taking action to acquire something) and "lo sis'aveh" (do not desire, which is the internal feeling itself). Judaism takes the position that we can and should work to control not just our actions but our inner lives.

The Two Tablets

The ten statements were inscribed on two tablets of stone. The traditional understanding is that the first five (between humans and G-d) were on one tablet and the second five (between humans) were on the other. But there is a deeper connection — each commandment on the first tablet corresponds to the one directly opposite on the second:

• "I am Hashem" corresponds to "Do not murder" — because murder destroys someone created in G-d's image
• "No other gods" corresponds to "No adultery" — because idol worship is spiritual unfaithfulness
• "Do not take G-d's name in vain" corresponds to "Do not steal" — because a thief will eventually swear falsely
• "Remember Shabbat" corresponds to "Do not bear false witness" — because Shabbat testifies to G-d's creation
• "Honor parents" corresponds to "Do not covet" — because coveting leads to broken families

Why They Matter Today

My students sometimes ask: "Why do we need to learn about the Ten Commandments? Everyone knows not to steal and not to murder." And I tell them — yes, most people know these rules. But knowing and living are different things. The Aseres HaDibros are not just a list of dos and don'ts. They are a blueprint for a society built on justice, dignity, and relationship with the Divine. Every one of the 613 mitzvos in the Torah is rooted in these ten foundational statements. They are the trunk of the tree from which everything else branches.

And they were not given to angels. They were given to regular human beings standing in a desert, fresh out of slavery, still figuring out who they were. If they could receive them, so can we. That is the message of Sinai — the Torah is not in heaven. It is right here, in our hands, waiting to be lived.