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“I am Hashem your g-d.” (20:2)

The Aseres Hadibros, the Ten Commandments, have been described as the fountainhead of Jewish law. Indeed, it is the most sublime synopsis of human duties; it will never be antiquated. The Aseres Hadibros comprised the first compendium of laws which Hashem gave to Am Yisrael. Contemporary man distinguishes between his visible actions (i.e., the things we do and don’t do) and the actions that are in the back of his mind (i.e., the things that we think of and do not do). We tend to discern between the things we do and the motive behind these actions. This unfortunate situation…

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“And you will be to Me a kingdom of Kohanim (priests) and a holy nation.” (19:6)

A Kohen is one whose life is devoted to the service of Hashem. The title Kohen also implies “scholar”. As it is written in Shmuel II 8:18 – uhv ohbvf sus hbcuw which means that they were Torah scholars. Hence, the prime pursuit of Am Yisrael is the study of Torah. Horav Avigdor Miller, Shlita, observes that this pasuk does not merely state Hashem’s promise of Am Yisrael‘s future reward. It is an aspect of Hashem’s covenant with us which responds to our acceptance of the Torah. When we responded with the gnabu vagb, “We will do and we will…

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“And Moshe sent away his father-in-law, and he (Yisro) went his way to his own land.” (18:27)

Rashi states that Yisro returned home solely in order to convert the remainder of his family to Judaism. The Maharal interprets the words “And Moshe sent” to imply that Moshe gave his blessings to this return. Horav A.H. Lebovitz, Shlita, poignantly extols the supreme sacrifice that Yisro made by leaving Bnei Yisrael and returning to Midyan. Bnei Yisrael had been privy to a unique miraculous existence. Sustained by manna, protected by the Clouds of Glory and a Pillar of Fire, Bnei Yisrael had experienced the most intense spiritual moments of all time. Under the tutelage of the greatest teacher, Moshe…

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