What are the 10 commandments called in the bible. A detailed overview of the ten commandments of God in Orthodoxy

God's commandments and mortal sins are the basic laws of Christianity, these laws must be followed by every believer. They were given to Moses by the Lord at the very beginning of the development of Christianity. To save the people from the fall, to warn them from danger.

Ten Commandments of God

I am the Lord thy God, and let there be no other gods besides me.

Do not make yourself an idol, nor any image; do not worship or serve them.

Well, take the name of the Lord your God in vain.

Remember the Sabbath day: for six days do your earthly affairs or work, and on the seventh day, the day of rest, dedicate it to the Lord your God.

Honor your mother and your father, that you may be well and that you live long on earth.

Do not speak your false testimony against your neighbor. Don't bear false witness.

Do not covet anything that belongs to another: neither your neighbor's wife, nor his house, nor anything else that belongs to your neighbor.

Interpretation of the Ten Laws of God:

The Ten Commandments of Jesus Christ, translated into ordinary language, say that it is necessary:

• Believe in only one Lord, one God.
• Do not create idols for yourself.
• Do not mention, do not pronounce the name of the Lord God just like that.
• Always remember Saturday - the main day of rest.
• Respect your parents and honor them.
• Don't kill anyone.
• Do not commit adultery, do not change.
• Don't steal anything.
• Don't lie to anyone, don't lie to people.
• Do not envy your comrades, friends or just acquaintances.

The first four commandments of God directly relate to the relationship of man with God, the rest - the relationship of people among themselves.

Commandment one and two:

Means the unity of the Lord. He is revered, respected, considered Almighty and wise. He is also the kindest of all, therefore, if a person wants to grow in virtue, it is necessary to look for it in God. You cannot have other gods besides Me. (Ex 20:3)

Quote: - why do you need other gods, since your God is the Lord Almighty? Is there anyone wiser than the Lord? He directs righteous thoughts through people's everyday thoughts. Satan, on the other hand, controls by the traps of temptation. If you worship two gods, keep in mind that one of them is the Devil.

In religion it is said that all power lies in God and in him only one, from this first commandment follows the next.

People blindly pray to pictures with other idols depicted on them, bow their heads, kiss the hands of the priest, etc. God's second law speaks of the prohibition of deifying creatures and honoring them on an equal footing with the Creator.

Do not make for yourself a carving or any other image of what is above in heaven, below in the earth, or in the waters under the bottom of the earth. Do not worship and do not serve them, for remember that I am your God Jehovah, who requires exceptional devotion!

The Christian religion believes that after meeting with the Lord it is impossible to honor someone more than Him, that everything that is on earth was created by Him. Nothing can be compared or compared with it, because the Lord does not want the human heart and soul to be occupied with someone or something else.

Commandment three:

God's third law is stated in Deuteronomy (5:11) and Exodus (20:7).

From Exodus 20:7 Do not take the name of the Lord in vain, believe that the Lord will not leave without punishment a person who takes His name in vain.

This commandment uses a word from the Old Testament, it is translated as:

• falsely swear by God's name;
• pronounce it in vain, just like that.

According to the teachings of antiquity, there is great power in the name. If you pronounce with or without the name of God, which contains a special power, then there will be no benefit from it. It is believed that the Lord hears all the prayers offered to him and responds to each of them, but this becomes unlikely if a person calls to him every minute as a command or at dinner. The Lord ceases to hear such a person, and in the case when this person needs real help, God will be deaf to him, as well as to his requests.

In the second part of the commandment are the following words: ... for God will not leave unpunished those who pronounce His name just like that. This means that God will certainly punish those who violate this law. At first glance, the use of His name may seem harmless, because what's so terrible about mentioning Him in secular conversation or in a quarrel?

But it is important to understand that such an oversight can offend the Lord. In the New Testament, Jesus explained to his disciples that all ten commandments are reduced to only two: Love the Lord God with all your heart, with all your soul and mind, and love your neighbor as yourself. The third law is a reflection of man's love for God. He who loves the Lord with all his heart will not take his name in vain. This is equivalent to how a young man in love does not allow anyone to speak incorrectly about his beloved. Mentioning the Lord in vain is baseness and an insult to the Lord.

Also, the violation of the third commandment can spoil the reputation of the Lord in the eyes of people: Romans 2:24 For for you, as it is written, the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles. The Lord has ordained that His name be holy: Leviticus 22:32 Do not dishonor (do not defile) My holy name, that I may be holy among the children of Israel.

An example of how God punishes people for violating the third commandment of God's Law is in 2 Samuel 21:1-2 There was a famine on the earth in the days of David for three years, one year after another. And David asked God. The Lord spoke: it was for the sake of Saul and his bloodthirsty house that he killed the Gibeonites. Then the king called to the Gibeonites and conversed with them. Those were not from the sons of Israel, but from the remnants of the Amorites; The Israelites swore, but Saul wanted to exterminate them because of his jealousy for the descendants of Israel and Judah. In short, God punished the people of Israel for violating the oath of truce they had sworn to the Gibeonites.

Commandment Four:

According to legend, the Creator created our world and the Universe itself in six days, he devoted the seventh day to rest. This rule as a whole determines human life, where he is obliged to devote most of his life to work, and leave the rest of the time to the Lord.

According to the Old Testament, the celebration was given to Saturday. The Sabbath rest was established for the benefit of man, both physical and spiritual, and not for the sake of enslavement and deprivation. In order to gather your thoughts into one whole, to refresh your mental and physical strength, you need to step back from everyday activities once a week. This allows you to comprehend the purpose of everything earthly in general and your labors in particular. In religion, work is a necessary part of human life, but the main thing will always be the salvation of his soul.

The fourth commandment is violated by people who, in addition to working on Sunday, are also lazy to do work on weekdays, evade duties, because the commandment says to work for six days. Those who, without working on Sunday, do not dedicate this day to the Lord, but spend it in sheer fun, indulge in various excesses and revelry, are also violating.

Commandment five:

Jesus Christ, being the Son of God, honored His parents, was obedient to them, helped Joseph with his work. The Lord, for refusing parents the required maintenance under the pretext of dedicating everything they had to God, reproached the Pharisees, because by doing so they violated the requirement of the fifth law.

With the Fifth Commandment, God calls us to honor our parents, and in return promises a person a prosperous, good life. Respect for parents is respect for them, love for them, under no circumstances offend them with words or deeds, be obedient, help them and take care when necessary, especially in old age or illness. It is necessary to pray to God for their souls both during life and after death. The great sin is disrespect for parents.

In relation to other people, the Christian religion speaks of the need to honor everyone, in accordance with the position, age.

The Church has always considered and still considers the family to be its foundation and society.

Commandment six:

With the help of this law, the Lord imposes a prohibition on killing, both in himself and in others. After all, life is a great gift from God, and only the Lord himself can deprive someone of life on earth. Suicide is also a serious sin: it also contains the sin of despair, lack of faith, rebellion against God's meaning. A person who forcibly ended his life will not be able to repent, because after death it is not valid. In moments of despair, it is necessary to remember that earthly suffering is sent for the salvation of the soul.

A person becomes guilty of murder if in some way he contributes to the murder, allows someone to kill, helps to commit it with advice or consent, covers the sinner, pushes people to new crimes.

It should be remembered that it is possible to bring a person to sin not only by deed, but also by word, therefore it is necessary to watch the language and think what you are saying.

Commandment seven:

The Lord commands spouses to be faithful, unmarried to be chaste, both in deeds and in words, thoughts, desires. In order not to sin, a person needs to avoid everything that causes impure feelings. Such thoughts need to be nipped in the bud, not allowing them to take over your will and feelings. The Lord understands how hard it is for a person to control himself, therefore He teaches people to be merciless and resolute towards themselves.

Commandment Eight:

In this law, God forbids us to appropriate to ourselves what belongs to another. Theft can be different: from simple theft, to sacrilege (theft of sacred things) and extortion (taking money from the needy, taking advantage of the situation). And any appropriation of another's property through deceit. Evasion of payments, debts, silence about what was found, fraud in sales, withholding payments to employees - all this is also included in the list of sins of the seventh commandment. A person's addiction to material values ​​​​and pleasures pushes to such a sin. Religion teaches people to be selfless, hardworking. The highest Christian virtue is the renunciation of any property. This is for those who strive for excellence.

Commandment nine:

With this law, the Lord forbids any lie, for example: deliberately false testimony in court, denunciation, gossip, slander and slander. Devil means slanderer. Lies are unworthy of a Christian, inconsistent neither with love nor with respect. A comrade understands something not with the help of ridicule and condemnation, but with the help of love and a good deed, advice. And in general, it is worth following the speech, as religion is of the opinion that the word is the greatest gift.

Commandment ten:

This law calls people to refrain from unworthy desires and envy. While the nine commandments deal with human behavior, the tenth pays attention to what is happening inside him: desires, feelings and thoughts. Calls people to think about spiritual purity and mental nobility. Any sin begins with a thought, a sinful desire appears, which pushes a person to act. Therefore, in order to fight temptations, one should suppress the thought of him in the mind.

Envy is a mental poison. No matter how rich a person is, when he is envious he will be insatiable. The task of human life, according to religion, is a pure heart, for only in a pure heart will the Lord dwell.

Seven deadly sins

The beginning of pride is contempt. The closest to this sin is the one who despises other people - poor, low. As a result, a person considers only himself wise and noble. It is not difficult to recognize a proud sinner: such a person is always looking for preferences. In self-satisfied ecstasy, a person can often forget himself and appropriate imaginary virtues. The sinner moves away at first from strangers, and later from comrades, friends, family, and, finally, from the Lord himself. Such a person does not need anyone, he sees happiness in himself. But in fact, pride does not bring true joy. Under the rough shell of complacency and pride, the soul becomes dead, loses the ability to love, to be friends.

This sin is one of the most widespread in the modern world. It paralyzes the soul. Petty desires and material passions can ruin noble motives in the soul. This sin can be suffered by the rich, and the person of average income, and the poor. This passion is not just the possession of material things or wealth, it is a passionate desire to possess them.

Often a person in sin cannot think of anything else. He is in the grip of passion. Looks at every woman as if she is a female. Dirty thoughts creep into the mind and cloud it and the heart, the latter wants only one thing - to satisfy its lust. This state is akin to an animal and even worse, because a person comes to such vices that an animal does not always think of.

This sin is a desecration of nature, it spoils life, a person in this sin is at enmity with everyone. A more pernicious passion the human soul has not yet known. Envy is one of the ways of enmity, moreover, it is almost irresistible. The beginning of this sin originates from pride. It is difficult for such a person to see his equals nearby, especially those who are higher than him, better, etc.

Gluttony

Gluttony makes people consume food and drink for the sake of enjoyment. Because of this passion, a person ceases to be a rational person, becomes like an animal that lives without reason. Through this sin different passions are born.

Anger separates God and the human soul, because such a person lives in confusion, anxiety. Anger is a very dangerous adviser, everything that is done under his influence cannot be called prudent. In anger, a person commits evil, worse than which it is difficult to do.

Despondency and laziness

Despondency is the relaxation of the forces of the body and soul, which at the same time is combined with desperate pessimism. Constant anxiety and despondency crush the spiritual forces, bring him to exhaustion. From this sin, idleness and restlessness are born.

Pride is considered the most terrible of sins; the Lord does not forgive this. God's commandments allow us to live in harmony. They are difficult to comply with, but throughout life a person needs to strive for the best.

Ten commandments of God

And God spoke to Moses all these words, saying (Exodus, ch.20):

1. I, the LORD, YOUR GOD; MAY YOU HAVE NO OTHER GODS BUT ME.

Sins against this commandment: godlessness, superstition, fortune-telling, turning to "grandmothers" and psychics.

2. DO NOT MAKE YOURSELF AN ICON AND ANY IMAGE OF WHAT IS ABOVE IN HEAVEN AND WHAT IS ON EARTH BELOW AND WHAT IS IN WATER BELOW THE EARTH; DO NOT WORSHIP THEM AND SERVE THEM.

In addition to gross idolatry, there is a more subtle one: a passion for acquiring money and various property, gluttony, pride. " Covetousness is idolatry”(The message of the Apostle Paul to the Colossians, ch.3, v.5).

3. Do not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.

In vain means without need, in empty and vain conversations.

4. remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy; work six days, and do all your work in them; and the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God.

In the Christian Church, not Saturday is celebrated, but Sunday. In addition, other holidays and fasts must be observed (they are marked in the church calendar).

5. Honor your father and your mother, that you may be well and that your days on earth may be long.

6. don't kill.

This sin also includes abortion, striking, hatred of one's neighbor: Whoever hates his brother is a murderer”(1st Conciliar Epistle of the Apostle John the Theologian, ch. 3, article 15). There is spiritual murder - when someone seduces a neighbor into unbelief and sins. " Fathers who do not care to give a Christian upbringing to their children are child-killers, murderers of their own children."(St. John Chrysostom).

7. do not commit adultery.

Sins against this commandment: fornication (carnal love between people who are not married), adultery (adultery) and other sins. " Do not be deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor malakia, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor predators - will not inherit the Kingdom of God"(1st Epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Corinthians, chapter 6, article 9). " Carnal lust in chaste people is kept in bondage through willpower and is weakened only for the purpose of procreation.(St. Gregory Palamas).

8. don't steal.

9. Do not bear false witness against your neighbor.

10. do not covet your neighbor's house; Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his field, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor any of his cattle, nor anything that is your neighbor's.

Not only sinful deeds, but also evil desires and thoughts make the soul unclean before God and unworthy of him.

The Lord Jesus Christ commanded to keep these commandments in order to receive eternal life (Gospel of Matthew ch.19, v.17), taught to understand and fulfill them more perfectly than before Him they were understood (Gospel of Matthew ch.5).

He summed up these commandments as follows:

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. the second is like it: love thy neighbor as thyself. (Gospel of Matthew, ch.22, st.37-39).

THE COMMANDMENTS OF BLESS

(an excerpt from the Sermon on the Mount - the Gospel of Matthew, ch. 5) with comments from the "Catechism" of St. Philaret (Drozdov)

Seeing the people, He went up the mountain; and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:

1. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

To be poor in spirit means to understand that we have nothing of our own, but only what God grants, and that we cannot do anything good without God's help and grace. This is the virtue of humility.

2. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

The word lamentation here means sorrow for sins, which God alleviates with grace-filled consolation.

3. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

Meekness is a quiet disposition of the spirit, combined with caution so as not to irritate anyone and not be irritated by anything.

4. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

These are those who, like food and drink, hunger and thirst for grace-filled justification through Jesus Christ.

5. Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

Bodily acts of mercy: to feed the hungry, to give clothes to the needy, to visit those who are in the hospital or in prison, to take a stranger into their home, to participate in the burial. Spiritual works of mercy: to turn a sinner onto the path of salvation, to give useful advice to a neighbor, to pray to God for him, to console the sad, to forgive insults from the heart. Whoever does this will receive pardon from eternal condemnation for sins at the Last Judgment of God.

6. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

The heart becomes pure when a person tries to reject sinful thoughts, desires and feelings and forces himself to unceasing prayer (for example: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner"). As a pure eye is able to see the light, so a pure heart is able to contemplate God.

7. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.

Here Christ not only condemns the mutual disagreement and hatred of people among themselves, but demands even more, namely, that we reconcile the disagreements of others. "They shall be called sons of God," since the work of the Only Begotten Son of God was to reconcile a sinning person with the justice of God.

8. Blessed are those persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Righteousness here means life according to the commandments of God; that means, blessed are those who are persecuted for faith and piety, for their good deeds, for constancy and steadfastness in faith.

9. Blessed are you when they reproach you and persecute you and slander you in every way unrighteously for me. Rejoice and be glad, for great is your reward in heaven.

Those who desire blessedness must be ready to gladly accept insults, persecution, calamity, and death itself for the name of Christ and for the true Orthodox faith.

“Although Christ describes the rewards in different ways, he brings everyone into the kingdom. And when He says that those who mourn will be comforted, and the merciful will have mercy, and the pure in heart will see God, and the peacemakers will be called the sons of God — by all this He means nothing but the kingdom of heaven” (St. John Chrysostom).

Other commandments of God (from the Gospel of Matthew):

Anyone who is angry with his brother in vain is subject to judgment (Matt. 5:21).

Anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart (Matthew 5:28).

Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who despitefully use you and persecute you (Matthew 5:44).

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek and find; knock and it will be opened to you (Matt. 7:7) - commandment to pray.

Enter through the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many go by it; because narrow is the gate and narrow is the way that leads to life, and there are few who find it (Matthew 7:13-14).

What can I do to live forever?

Keep the commandments

Dialogue between the Savior and the young man

(according to Matthew 19:17)

Every Christian must keep the commandments.

But what commandments are we talking about? What are God's commandments in Orthodoxy? How many commandments are in the Bible? Let's figure it out together.

There are actually 21 commandments in the Bible.

There are 21 commandments in the Bible:

• 10 biblical commandments God gave to Moses on Mount Sinai (Old Testament, Exodus 20:1-17);
• 9 beatitudes were given by Jesus Christ in the Sermon on the Mount (New Testament, Gospel of Matthew 5:3-11);
• 2 commandments, in which the Savior summarized the entire law of God (New Testament, Matthew 22:37-40).

Commandments are the laws of God

The commandment is the law of life that God gave to man. Therefore, the commandments are the laws of God. The commandments of God are in both the Old Testament and the New.

"Covenant" means "promise."

A person fulfills the Law of God in order to receive the benefits that God promised. The Old Testament promised that the Messiah would come into the world, and the New Testament promised that the believer would have the Kingdom of God.

« Bible» Greek for book. The writings of the Old and New Testaments were so popular with the merchants of the Mediterranean region in the first centuries of Christianity that they were simply referred to as "books".

The Old Testament consists of 39 books:

• 5 books of the prophet Moses,
• 7 books about the history of Israel,
• 5 educational books
• 22 prophetic books.

The New Testament consists of 27 books:

• 4 gospel books,
• 1 book of the Acts of the Holy Apostles,
• 21 apostolic epistles,
• Book 1 of the Revelation of John the Theologian.

10 commandments of Moses - the basis of the Old Testament

10 commandments of Moses in Russian:

1. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, so that you have no other gods before me.
2. Do not make for yourself an idol or any image of what is in heaven above, what is on the earth below, and what is in the water below the earth. Don't worship them and don't serve them; for I am the Lord your God, a jealous God, punishing the children for the guilt of the fathers to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, and showing mercy to thousands of generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments.
3. Do not take the name of the Lord your God in vain; for the Lord will not leave without punishment the one who pronounces his name in vain.
4. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Work six days, and do all your work; and the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God: on it you shall do no work, neither you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your servant, nor your maidservant, nor your livestock, nor the stranger that is in your dwellings. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them; and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.
5. Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which the Lord your God is giving you.
6. Dont kill.
7. Don't commit adultery.
8. Don't steal.
9. Do not bear false witness against your neighbor.
10. Do not covet your neighbor's house; Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is thy neighbor's.

Exodus 20:1-17

The Ten Commandments of Moses are the basic rules for the life of the ancient Jews. The first commandment of the Bible and the fourth commandment were especially revered.

There were 613 mandatory rules in total. They controlled the entire life of the Old Testament Israelite. Many rules were household - for example, you can’t sit down for food if you haven’t washed your hands.

An important place in the life of the Jews of the Old Testament was occupied by the study and interpretation of the Pentateuch of Moses. The laws of God were learned by heart.

Moses- one of the greatest prophets who lived 120 years. Of these, for 40 years he lived at the court of the Egyptian pharaoh and studied the sciences. Then for 40 years he lived away from people and herded sheep. For the last 40 years of his life he was a shepherd of the people of Israel - he led them out of Egyptian slavery. God instructed him to lead the Israelites into the promised land.

7 deadly sins - the most serious deviations from the commandments

Deadly sins:

1. pride,
2. envy,
3. anger,
4. despondency,
5. greed,
6. gluttony,
7. lust, fornication.

The seven deadly sins are also called the major sins. These include sins of a more private nature.

The 7 deadly sins are the most serious deviations of man from God. When a person does them, he becomes ill mentally and physically.

Deadly sins are called "mortal sins" for a reason. A person dies due to alcoholism, drug addiction, excessive fornication. If a person kills, then he can be executed or killed out of revenge.

11 commandments of jesus christ- rules of the New Testament

The commandments of the New Testament are 9 beatitudes and 2 more that summarize all the previous ones. These 11 rules were given to people by Jesus Christ when he lived on earth.

Often they write about the 12 or 10 commandments of Christ, but in fact there are 11 of them.

Bliss Commandments:

1. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
2. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
3. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
4. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
5. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
6. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
7. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
8. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
9. Blessed are you when they reproach you and persecute you and slander you in every way unrighteously for me. Rejoice and be glad, for great is your reward in heaven: so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

(Gospel of Matthew 5:3-11)

The sermon is called the Sermon on the Mount because Jesus Christ gave these commandments on the mountain.

St. John Chrysostom says that the mountain was chosen for preaching not by chance. Away from the bustle of the city, the teachings of Christ were perceived best of all.

2 main commandments of the Bible: love God and neighbor

The Old and New Testaments approach breaking the commandments differently.

Probably everyone has heard about the 10 commandments of the Bible. They are considered fundamental laws in both the Christian religions and Judaism. These are simple theses, but entire volumes have been written on their interpretation. Is it realistic to apply them in today's life? Will it bring any practical benefit?

Origin of the Ten Commandments

The Bible tells how this set of laws came about. The 10 commandments of God were announced from heaven for all the people of Israel, who gathered near. Later, God himself wrote the proclaimed code of laws on ten stone tablets and handed it over to Moses so that this original was kept among the people from generation to generation.

The story of how God gave the people of Israel the 10 commandments is recorded in the twentieth chapter of the book of Exodus. Here is their summary:

1. Worship only your Creator.
2. Do not make any statues or pictures for worship.
3. Don't use God's name inappropriately.
4. Sabbath dedicate to God (do not do daily work).
5. Respect your parents.
6. Dont kill.
7. Do not participate in debauchery.
8. Do not steal.
9. Do not lie.
10. Do not envy.

Do Christians need to keep?

Do the requirements of the Law given in ancient times to Moses apply to Christians? It would be useful to mention that the provisions of the Law were not limited to only ten points. It includes about 600 different indications. However, these ten commandments contain the main principles that the rest of the decrees explained more broadly.

The main criterion for making certain decisions for Christians, in theory, should be the Bible. 10 is not mentioned anywhere. And even more than that, when Jesus Christ was asked which commandment in the Law is the most important, he gave two statements that are not part of the 10 commandments of the Bible.

Does this mean that Christ considered them obsolete by that time or irrelevant for his followers, who had to stop practicing Judaism and become the first Christians?

Far from it. If we analyze the famous Sermon on the Mount of Christ, it is easy to see the scheme according to which he built it: a specific decree from the Law is an explanation of how to fulfill it correctly. So, among these rulings there are requirements included in the 10 commandments of the Bible, and those that are not part of them.

Jesus Christ himself assured his disciples that he came to earth not to break the Law, but to fulfill it. It is no coincidence that for thousands of years the Word of God has been preserved, despite all attempts to destroy it. And it is no mere coincidence that today we have a list of the 10 commandments of the Bible. The law of God was written for our own benefit. Therefore, the principles contained in the Ten Commandments apply directly to Christians today.

The Uniqueness of God's Law

Even with a very cursory glance at the famous commandments, the resemblance to the basic laws of any civilized society catches the eye. And this is not surprising, because they reflect the understanding of human essence. However, one of the commandments is fundamentally different from any human law.

Think about the very meaning of laws. They are taken to protect the interests of society as a whole and individual members of this society in particular. In addition, any decree that prohibits something implies a certain measure of punishment in case of violation. Accordingly, the methods of fixing these violations are determined.

However, think about how you can follow the fulfillment of the last of the commandments: "Do not envy"? How can one determine, accuse, prove and punish someone who violates this directive? For a human, this is simply an impossible task.

The existence of the tenth commandment is one of the indirect proofs of the veracity of the biblical narrative. God is able to examine the heart and see the motives of actions and hidden desires. Everyone should follow their integrity in this matter independently.

The 10 Commandments of the Bible and Modern Society

Back in 2000, a survey was conducted on the subject of the attitude of respondents to the Ten Commandments. The results vividly illustrated the change in values ​​within neighboring generations. Almost 70% of the respondents, who were over 60 years old, knew the commandments and tried to act in accordance with them. But among young people under 30, there were not even 30% of those. And this trend is only getting worse.

Substitution of concepts and values

Almost everyone, even a person who is very far from religion, will say that the fulfillment of the Ten Commandments is useful and correct. And not a single sane individual will declare that one must go against God. The substitution of biblical values ​​- those values ​​that were originally established by the Creator himself - occurs at a more subtle level.

Is killing a sin? Yes! And if you kill, defending your country? The killer is renamed into a hero…. And regardless of whether this country is defending or attacking.
Is adultery a sin? Yes! What if this is true love? It already sounds different...

Don't make images for worship. Seems like an absolutely definite indication. But if it's an icon.... That which, according to the law of God, is unacceptable, at some point turned into sanctified.

This is how, imperceptibly, there is an influence on the subconscious of a person. And at the moment when you need to make a decision about how to act, the brain will automatically offer a more comfortable option. Although the consequences can be dire.

Children's education

When is the right time to start introducing Bible instruction to children? Nowadays, the popular opinion is that a child should not be given a religious upbringing. It is better to wait until he grows up and can make his own conscious decision in these matters.

However, such inferences are untenable. The 10 commandments are no less useful than for adults. And knowing these principles will certainly not cause any harm.

Think about it, we do not wait for a child to reach a conscious age in order to start teaching him how to use a spoon. And following the above logic, it would be necessary to completely let everything take its course, waiting for the right moment.

The Law of God itself prescribes the need to teach your children the commandments from an early age. But how can this be done practically?

First, don't be afraid to read the original Bible to your children from a young age. Don't underestimate the capacity for perception and learning in toddlers. It is best if you use a clear and easily understandable translation of the Bible, rather than favoring an outdated version just because of tradition.

In addition, there is now an abundance of literature that introduces basic biblical requirements, written especially for children. Read it with your child. Encourage him to ask questions and look for answers together. And do not doubt that your efforts will pay off handsomely.

10 Commandments (Decalogue, or Decalogue) - in Judaism are called Ten Sayings ( Hebrew "aseret adibrot"), which were received from G-d by the Jewish people and the prophet Moses (Moshe) on Mount Sinai during the Giving of the Torah - the Sinai Revelation. The same 10 Commandments were inscribed on the Tablets of the Covenant: five commandments were written on one tablet, and five on the other. In Jewish tradition, it is believed that 10 Sayings include the entire Torah, and according to another opinion, even the first two Sayings of these ten are the quintessence of all the other commandments of Judaism.

It should be borne in mind that the wording of the Ten Commandments, which are given in the canonical Christian translations, as a rule, strongly differs from what is said in the original, i.e. in the Jewish Pentateuch - Chumash.

The stories of the sages about the Ten Commandments.

10 Commandments on the Tablets of the Covenant - the quintessence of all the commandments of the Torah

Here is a short list of all Ten Commandments:

1. "I am the Lord your God".

2. "Thou shalt have no other gods".

3. "Do not pronounce the Name of the Lord your God in vain".

4. "Remember the Sabbath Day".

5. "Honor your father and your mother".

6. "Thou shalt not kill".

7. "Do not commit adultery".

8. "Do not steal".

9. "Do not speak of your neighbor with false testimony".

10. "Don't Harass".

The first five were written on one tablet, the other five on another. This is what Rabbi Hanina ben Gamliel taught.

The commandments written on different tablets correspond to each other (and are located opposite each other). The commandment "Thou shalt not kill" corresponds to the commandment "I am the Lord", indicating that the killer belittles the image of the Almighty. "Thou shalt not commit adultery" corresponds to "Thou shalt have no other gods," for adultery is akin to idolatry. After all, the Book of Yirmeyahu says: “And with her frivolous fornication she defiled the earth, and she committed fornication with stone and wood” (Yirmeyahu, 3, 9).

“Thou shalt not steal” directly corresponds to the commandment “Thou shalt not pronounce the Name of the Lord thy Gd in vain,” for every thief eventually has to swear (in court).

“Do not speak of your neighbor with false testimony” corresponds to “Remember the Sabbath day”, for the Almighty seemed to say: “If you commit false witness about your neighbor, I will consider that you claim that I did not create the world in six days and did not rest on the seventh day"

"Do not covet" corresponds to "Honor your father and your mother," for he who covets another's wife gives birth to a son from her, who honors the one who is not his father, and curses his own father.

The Ten Commandments given on Mount Sinai include the entire Torah. All 613 mitzvahs of the Torah are contained in 613 letters, which are written in the Ten Commandments. Between the commandments, all the details and details of the laws of the Torah were written on the tablets, as it is said: "Dotted with chrysolites" (Shir ha-shirim, 5, 14). "Chrysolite" - in Hebrew tarshish(תרשיש), a word that is a symbol of the sea, therefore the Torah is compared to the sea: as small waves come in the sea between large waves, so the details of its laws were written between the commandments.

[The Ten Commandments do contain 613 letters, except for the last two words: לרעך אשר ( Asher Lereekha- "what is with your neighbor"). These two words, containing seven letters, indicate the seven commandments given to all the descendants of Noah].

10 Commandments - 10 Sayings with which Gd created the world

The Ten Commandments correspond to the ten statements-imperatives with the help of which the Almighty created the world.

“I am the Lord your Gd” corresponds to the imperative “And Gd said: “Let there be light” (Bereshit, 1, 3)”, as it is said in Scripture: “And the Lord will be an everlasting light to you” (Yeshayahu, 60, 19).

“Thou shalt have no other gods” corresponds to the imperative “And God said: “Let there be an arch within the water, and let it separate the water from the water” (Genesis, 1, 6)”. The Almighty said: “Let a barrier stand between Me and the service to idols, which are called “water enclosed in a vessel” (in contrast to the living water of the source, with which the Torah is compared): “They left me, the source of living water, and hewed out reservoirs for themselves, pierced reservoirs that do not hold water ”(Yirmeyahu, 2, 13)”.

“Do not pronounce the Name of the Lord in vain” corresponds to “And Gd said: “Let the waters that are under the sky be gathered, and let the dry land appear” (Genesis, 1, 9). The Almighty said: “The waters honored Me, gathered according to My word and cleansed part of the world - and you offend Me with a false oath on My Name?”

“Remember the Sabbath day” corresponds to “And God said: “Let the earth bring forth grass” (Bereshit, 1, 11)”. The Almighty said: “Everything that you eat on Saturday, put it in Me account. For the world was created so that there would be no sin in it, so that My creatures would live forever and eat vegetable food.

“Honor your father and your mother” corresponds to “And God said: “Let there be lights in the firmament” (Genesis 1:14). The Almighty said: “I created for you two luminaries - your father and your mother. Honor them!”

“Thou shalt not kill” corresponds to “And G-d said: “Let the water swell with swarming living creatures” (Bereshit, 1, 20).” The Almighty said: "Do not be like the world of fish, where the big ones swallow the little ones."

“Do not commit adultery” corresponds to “And God said: “Let the earth bring forth living creatures after their kind” (Bereshit, 1, 24)”. The Almighty said: “I created a couple for you. Each must cling to its mate - each being according to its species."

“Thou shalt not steal” corresponds to “And God said: “Behold, I have given you every seed-bearing herb” (Genesis 1:29). The Almighty said: "Let none of you encroach on someone else's property, but use all these plants that do not belong to anyone."

“Do not speak of your neighbor with false testimony” corresponds to “And God said: “Let us make man in Our image” (Genesis, 1, 26)”. The Almighty said: “I created your neighbor in My image, just as you were created in My image and likeness. Therefore, do not bear false witness about your neighbor.”

“Do not covet” corresponds to “And the Lord God said: “It is not good for a man to be alone” (Bereshit, 2, 18)”. The Almighty said: “I created a couple for you. Every man must cleave to his mate, and let him not covet his neighbor's wife.

I am the Lord your God (First Commandment)

The commandment says: "I am the Lord your God." If a thousand people look at the surface of the water, each of them will see his own reflection on it. So the Almighty turned to each Jew (individually) and said to him: “I am the Lord, your Gd” (“your” - and not “your”).

Why are all the Ten Commandments formulated as singular imperatives (“Remember,” “Honor,” “Thou shalt not kill,” etc.)? Because every Jew must say to himself: "The commandments were given to me personally, and I am obliged to fulfill them." Or - in other words - so that it does not occur to him to say: "It is enough that others perform them."

The Torah says, "I am the Lord your God." The Almighty revealed himself to Israel in various forms. By the sea He appeared as a formidable warrior, at Mount Sinai as a scholar teaching the Torah, in the time of King Shlomo as a young man, in the time of Daniel as a merciful old man. Therefore, the Most High said to Israel: “From the fact that you see Me in different forms, it does not follow that there are many different deities. I alone have revealed myself to you both at the sea and at Mount Sinai, I am alone everywhere and everywhere - “I am the Lord, your Gd.” »

The Torah says, "I am the Lord your God." Why did the Torah use both Names - "Lord" (denoting the mercy of the Almighty) and "Gd" (denoting His severity as the Supreme Judge)? The Almighty said: “If you do My will, I will be the Lord for you, as it is written: “The Lord is E-l (Name of the Most High) compassionate and merciful” (Shemot, 34, 6). And if not, I will be for you “your God”, who strictly exacts from the guilty.” After all, the word "G-d" always denotes a strict judge.

The words "I am the Lord your Gd" indicate that the Most High offered His Torah to all the peoples of the world, but they did not accept it. Then He turned to Israel and said, "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage." Even if we were indebted to the Almighty only for the fact that He brought us out of Egypt, this would be enough to accept any obligations to Him. Just as it would be enough that He brought us out of a slave state.

Thou shalt have no other gods (Second Commandment)

The Torah says: "Thou shalt have no other gods." Rabbi Eliezer said: "Gods that can be made and changed every day." How? If a pagan who had a golden idol needs gold, he can melt it (into metal) and make a new idol from silver. If he needs silver, he will melt it down and make a new idol out of copper. If he needs copper, he will make a new idol out of lead or iron. It is about such idols that the Torah speaks: “To the deities ... new, recently appeared” (Dvarim, 32, 17).

Why does the Torah still call idols deities? After all, the prophet Yeshayahu said: “For they are not gods” (Yeshayahu, 37, 19). That is why the Torah says, "Other gods." That is: "Idols whom others call gods."

The first two commandments: "I am the Lord your God" and "Thou shalt have no other gods" - the Jews took directly from the mouth of the Almighty. The continuation of the text of the second commandment reads: “I am the L-rd your G-d, G-d is a zealous one, remembering the guilt of the fathers to children up to the third and fourth generation, to those who hate Me, and showing mercy to thousands of generations to those who love Me and keep the commandments My".

The words "I am the Lord your Gd" mean that the Jews saw the One who would reward the righteous in the world to come.

The words "Jealous God" mean that they saw the One who will exact from the evildoers in the world to come. These words refer to the Almighty as a strict judge.

The words “He who remembers the guilt of the fathers to the children…” contradict, at first glance, other words of the Torah: “Let the children not be punished by death for their fathers” (Deut. 24:16). The first statement refers to the case when children follow the unrighteous path of their fathers, the second - to the case when children follow a different path.

The words "Remembering the guilt of the fathers to the children ..." contradict, at first glance, the words of the prophet Yehezkel: "The son will not bear the guilt of the father, and the father will not bear the guilt of the son" (Yehezkel, 18, 20). But there is no contradiction: the Almighty transfers the merits of the fathers to the children (that is, he takes them into account when administering His judgment), but does not transfer the sins of the fathers to the children.

There is a parable explaining these words of the Torah. One man borrowed one hundred dinars from the king, and then renounced the debt (and began to deny its existence). Subsequently, the son of this man, and then his grandson, borrowed a hundred dinars from the king and also renounced their debt. The king refused to lend money to his great-grandson, as his ancestors denied their debts. This great-grandson could quote the words of Scripture: “Our fathers sinned and they no longer exist, but we suffer for their sins” (Eicha, 5, 7). However, they should be read differently: "Our fathers sinned and they no longer exist, but we suffer for our sins." But who made us pay the penalty for our sins? Our fathers who denied their debts.

The Torah says: "The one who does mercy to thousands of generations." This means that the mercy of the Almighty is immeasurably stronger than His wrath. For every punished generation, there are five hundred rewarded generations. After all, it is said about punishment: “Remembering the guilt of the fathers to children until the third and fourth generation,” and about the reward it is said: “Working mercy until the thousands of generations” (that is, at least until the two thousandth generation).

The Torah says: “Those who love Me and keep My commandments.” The words “Those who love Me” refer to the forefather Abraham and the righteous like him. The words “Keepers of My commandments” refer to the people of Israel living in Eretz Israel and sacrificing their lives to keep the commandments. "What were you sentenced to death for?" "Because he circumcised his son." "Why were you sentenced to be burned?" "Because I read the Torah." "Why were you sentenced to be crucified?" "Because I ate matzah." "Why were you beaten with sticks?" "For the fact that I fulfilled the commandment of the ascension of the lulav." This is exactly what the prophet Zechariah says: “What are these wounds on your chest? .. Because they beat me in the house of those who love me” (Zechariah, 13, 6). That is: for these wounds, I was honored with the love of the Most High.

Do not pronounce the Name of the Lord your G-d in vain (Third Commandment)

This means: do not rush to swear a false oath, in general, do not swear too often, for anyone who gets used to swearing sometimes swears even when he is not going to do it at all, just out of habit. Therefore, we should not swear, even while speaking the pure truth. For one who gets used to swearing for any reason begins to treat the oath as a simple and ordinary matter. One who neglects the holiness of the Name of the Most High and takes not only false, but even true oaths, in the end is subjected to severe punishment by the Most High. The Almighty reveals his depravity before all people, and woe to him in this case, both in this and in the next world.

The whole world shuddered when the Almighty uttered the words on Mount Sinai: "Do not pronounce the Name of the Lord your Gd in vain." Why? For only about the crime associated with an oath, the Torah says: "For the Lord will not spare the one who pronounces His Name in vain." In other words, this crime cannot be subsequently corrected or redeemed.

Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy (Fourth Commandment)

According to one explanation, the dual nature of the Sabbath commandment has this meaning: one should remember it before it comes and keep it after it comes. That is why we accept the sanctity of the Sabbath even before its formal onset, and part with it after it formally ends (that is, we extend the Sabbath in time in both directions).

Another interpretation. Rabbi Yehuda ben Beteira said: “Why do we call the days of the week 'first after Shabbat', 'second after Shabbat', 'third after Shabbat', 'fourth after Shabbat', 'fifth after Shabbat', 'Sabbath Eve'? In order to fulfill the commandment "Remember the Sabbath day." »

Rabbi Elazar said: “Great is the value of work! After all, even Divinity settled among the Jews only after they completed the work (built the Mishkan), as it is written: “And let them make a sanctuary for Me, and I will dwell among them” (Shemot, 25, 8). »

The Torah says: "And do all your work." Can a man do all his work in six days? Of course no. On the Sabbath, however, he must rest as if all the work had been done.

The Torah says, "And the seventh day is for the Lord your God." Rabbi Tankhuma (and according to others - Rabbi Elazar on behalf of Rabbi Meir) said: “You must rest (on Saturday) just as the Almighty rested. He rested from sayings (through which he created the world), you too must rest from sayings. What does it mean? That even talking on Saturday should be different than on weekdays.

These words of the Torah indicate that the Sabbath rest applies even to thoughts. Therefore, our sages teach: “One should not walk on the Sabbath in one's fields - so as not to think about what they need. You should not go into the bath - so as not to think that after the end of the Sabbath it will be possible to wash there. They don’t make plans on Saturday, they don’t make calculations and calculations, regardless of whether they relate to completed or future cases.

The following story is told about one righteous man. A deep crack appeared in the middle of his field, and he decided to enclose it. He intended to get to work, but remembered that it was Saturday and abandoned it. A miracle happened, and an edible plant grew in his field (in the original - צלף, calaf, caper) and provided food for him and his entire family for a long time.

The Torah says: "Do not do any work, neither you nor your son, nor your daughter." Maybe this prohibition applies only to adult sons and daughters? No, because in this case it would be enough to say only “neither you ...” - and this prohibition would cover all adults. The words "neither thy son nor thy daughter" refer to small children, so that no one can say to his little son: "Get me so-and-so in the market (on Saturday)."

If little children intend to put out the fire, we do not allow them to do so, for they, too, are commanded to refrain from work. Perhaps, in this case, we should ensure that they do not break clay shards and do not crush small pebbles with their feet? No, for the Torah says first of all "neither you". This means: just as only consciously performed work is forbidden to you, so only it is forbidden to children.

The Torah says further: "Nor your livestock." What do these words teach us? Maybe the fact that it is forbidden to work with the help of pets? But the Torah has already forbidden us any work before! These words teach us that it is forbidden to give or rent animals belonging to a Jew to a non-Jew for payment - so that they do not have to work (for example, carry loads) on the Sabbath.

The Torah further states: “Neither a stranger ( ger yours who is in your gates. These words cannot refer to a gentile convert to Judaism (whom we also call hero), for it is directly said about him in the Torah: “Let there be one charter for you and for the ger” (Bemidbar, 9, 14). This means that they refer to a non-Jew who did not convert to Judaism, but fulfills the seven laws established for the descendants of Noah (he is called ger toshav). If such ger toshav becomes an employee of a Jew, the Jew should not entrust him with the performance of any work on the Sabbath. However, he has the right to work on the Sabbath for himself and of his own free will.

The Torah further states: “Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.” What was the blessing and what was the sanctification? The Almighty blessed him with mana and sanctified him manom. Indeed, on weekdays, mana fell out (as the Torah, Shemot, 16) “according to an omer per head”, and on Friday - “two omers per head” (one on Friday, and one on Saturday). On weekdays, in the mana left, contrary to the commandment, the next morning, "worms started, and it stank", and on Saturday "it did not stink and there were no worms in it."

Rabbi Shimon ben Yehuda, a resident of the village of Ikhus, said: "The Almighty blessed the Sabbath day with light (heavenly bodies) and sanctified it with light (heavenly bodies)." He blessed him with a radiance that radiated from his face Adama, and sanctified it with the radiance that radiated from the face Adama. Although the heavenly bodies lost some of their strength on the eve of the (first) Sabbath, their light did not decrease until the end of the Sabbath. Although the face Adama lost some of its ability to shine on the eve of the Sabbath, the radiance continued until the end of the Sabbath. The prophet Yeshayahu says: “And the light of the moon will be like the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will become sevenfold, like the light of seven days” (Yeshayahu, 30, 26). Rabbi Yossi said to Rabbi Shimon ben Yehuda: “Why do I need all this - doesn’t it say in the Psalm: “But a man will not (long) stay in splendor, he is like dying animals”? (Tehillim, 49, 13) This means that the radiance of Adam's face was short-lived. He replied: “Of course. Punishment (i.e. loss radiance) was imposed by the Almighty on the eve of the Sabbath, and therefore the radiance was short-lived (its time did not last even one whole night), but nevertheless it did not stop until the end of the Sabbath.

The villain Turnusrufus (the Roman governor) asked Rabbi Akiva: "How is this day different from the rest?" Rabbi Akiva replied: “What makes one person different from others?” Turnusrufus replied: "I asked you about one thing, and you are talking about another." Rabbi Akiva said: "You asked how the Sabbath is different from all other days, and I answered by asking how Turnnusrufus is different from all other people." Turnusrufus replied: "By the fact that the emperor demands to show me respect." Rabbi Akiva said: “Exactly. In the same way, the King of kings requires the Jewish people to observe the Sabbath.”

Honor thy father and thy mother (Fifth Commandment)

Ula Rava asked: “What do the words of the Psalm mean: “All the kings of the earth will glorify you, O Lord, when they hear the words of your mouth” (Tehillim, 138, 4)?” And he answered: “It is no coincidence that here it is not said “the word of your mouth”, but “the words of your mouth”. When the Almighty uttered the first commandments - "I am the Lord, your Gd" and "Thou shalt have no other gods," the pagans replied: "He requires respect only for Himself." But when they heard the commandment: "Honor your father and your mother, they were imbued with reverence for the first commandments." »

The commandment obliges: "Honor your father and your mother." But what does "honor" mean? The words of the Book of Proverbs come to the rescue: “Honor the Lord from your inheritance and from the first fruits of all your earthly works” (Mishlei, 3, 9). From here we learn that we must feed and water our parents, clothe and cover them, bring them and see them back.

The commandment reads: “Honor your father and your mother,” that is, the father is mentioned first in it. But in another place the Torah points out: "Everyone be afraid of his mother and his father" (Vayikra, 19, 3). Here the mother is mentioned first. How is "reverence" different from "fear"? "Fear" is expressed in the fact that it is forbidden to take the place where the parents sit or stand, interrupt them or argue with them. To “honor” parents means to feed and water them, to clothe and shelter them, to bring them and see them back.

Another interpretation: the commandment "Honor your father and your mother" obliges to show respect not only to parents. The words “his father” oblige to extend respect to the father’s wife (even if she is not your mother), and the words “and your mother” to the mother’s husband (even if he is not your father). Moreover, the words "and mother" oblige us to show respect to the elder brother. At the same time, we are obligated to honor the father's wife only during his lifetime, as well as the mother's husband only during her lifetime. After the death of our parents, we are released from this obligation towards their spouses.

The fact is that in the original text of the commandment, the words “one’s father” and “one’s mother” are connected not only by the union “and”, but also by an untranslatable particle את (et), indicating an expansion of the meaning of the commandment. Also, although we know we are not commanded to honor the spouses of our parents after the death of our parents, we still must do so. In addition, we should show respect to our spouse's parents and grandparents.

Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai said: “Great is the importance of honoring the father and mother, since the Almighty compares their honor with his own, as well as the awe of them with the awe of Himself. After all, it is said: “Honor your Lord with your wealth” and at the same time: “Honor your father and your mother”, and also: “Fear the Lord your God” and at the same time: “Fear every one of his mother and his father ". In addition, the Torah says: “And whoever defames the Name of the Lord, let him be put to death” (Vayikra, 24, 16), as well as: “And whoever curses his father or mother, let him be put to death” ( Shemot, 21, 17). Our duties to the Almighty and to our parents are so similar because all three - the Almighty, father and mother - participated in our birth.

The commandment says: "Honor your father and your mother." Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai taught: “So great is the importance of honoring your father and mother that the Almighty put it above your own, as it says: “Honor your father and your mother,” and then: “Honor your Lord with your wealth.” How do we honor the Almighty? Separating part of his property - part of the harvest in the field, trumu and maaserot, as well as building bitch by fulfilling the commandments lulavé, shofar, tefillin and tzitzit providing food to the hungry and water to the thirsty. Only he who has the corresponding property is obliged to separate a part of it; those who don't have it don't have to. However, there are no exceptions when it comes to honoring father and mother. Regardless of what wealth we have, we are obliged to fulfill this commandment (including its material aspects) - even if for this we have to beg for alms.

The reward for the fulfillment of this commandment is great - for its full text reads: "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which the Lord your God is giving you." The Torah emphasizes: in Eretz Yisrael, not in exile or in conquered and annexed territory.

Rav Ula was asked: “How far should the fulfillment of the commandment to honor father and mother extend?” He replied: “Look at what a non-Jew named Dama ben Netina from Ashkelon did. Once the sages offered him a business deal that promised a profit of six hundred thousand dinars, but he refused, because in order to conclude it, it was necessary to get the key that was under the pillow of his sleeping father, whom he did not want to wake up.

Rabbi Eliezer was asked: “How far should the fulfillment of this commandment extend?” He replied: “Even if the father, in the presence of his son, takes a purse with money and throws it into the sea, the son should not reproach him for this.”

Those who feed their parents the most expensive delicacies (in the original - fattened birds), but behave unworthily with them, will lose their share in the future world. At the same time, some of those whose parents have to turn the millstones for them will have a share in the world to come, because they treated their parents with due respect, although they could not otherwise provide for them.

There is a commandment that prescribes to pay the debts of parents after their death.

Thou shalt not kill (Sixth Commandment)

This commandment includes the prohibition against dealing with murderers. It is necessary to stay away from them so that our children do not learn to kill. After all, the sin of murder gave birth and brought the sword into this world. It is not given to us to restore the life of the dead - how can we take it away otherwise than according to the law of the Torah? How can we put out a candle that we cannot kindle? Giving and taking life is the work of the Almighty, few people are able to understand the problems of life and death, as the Scripture says: to you the deeds of God, who creates everything ”(Kohelet, 11, 5).

In the Torah (Bemidbar, 35) it is said: "Let the murderer be put to death." These words define the punishment to which the murderer is awarded - the death penalty. But where is the warning, the prohibition against killing? The commandment "Thou shalt not kill." How do we know that even someone who says: "I intend to commit murder and am ready to pay the indicated price - to undergo the death penalty" or simply: "In order to undergo the death penalty" still does not have the right to kill? From the words of the commandment - "Thou shalt not kill." How do we know that someone who has already been sentenced to death has no right to kill? From the words of the commandment.

In other words, even one who is ready to suffer the punishment for murder has no right to kill - for the Torah warned him about this.

The commandments of the Torah, which are warnings - "Do not kill", "Do not commit adultery", etc. - in the original contain a prohibitive negative particle לא ( lo), not אל ( al), which also means “not”, because they not only warn of the prohibition imposed on the offense itself, but also oblige a person to move away from him with his whole way of life, that is, to establish “barriers” that would guarantee that he would not kill , commit adultery, etc.

Do not commit adultery (Seventh Commandment)

In the Torah (Vayikra, 20, 10) it is said: "Let the adulterer and the adulteress be put to death." These words of the Torah determine the punishment for adultery. Where is the warning, the prohibition itself? In the commandment "Do not commit adultery." How do we know that someone who says, “I will commit adultery in order to be subject to the death penalty,” still has no right to commit adultery? From the words of the commandment - "Do not commit adultery." How do we know that a person is forbidden during marital intimacy to think about another's wife? From the words of the commandment.

The commandment "Do not commit adultery" forbids a man to inhale the smell of perfume, which is used by all women, forbidden to him by the Torah. The same commandment forbids giving vent to one's anger. Both last prohibitions are derived from the fact that the verb לנאף ( lin "of, "to commit adultery") contain a two-letter cell אף ( af), which as a separate word means "nose" and "anger".

Adultery is the heaviest crime, for it is one of the three offenses of which the Scripture expressly indicates that they lead to Hell (Gehinom). Here they are: adultery with a married woman, slander and unrighteous rule. Where does Scripture mention adultery in this context? In the Book of Proverbs: “Can anyone put fire in his bosom and not burn his garments? Can anyone walk on burning coals without burning their feet? So the one who enters his neighbor's wife, who touches her, will not be left without punishment ”(Mishlei, 6, 27).

Don't steal (Eighth Commandment)

There are seven types of thieves:

1. The first is the one who misleads people or fools them. For example, someone who persistently invites a person to visit, hoping that he will not accept the invitation, offers a treat to someone who will most likely refuse it, puts up, as it were, for sale items already sold to him.

2. The second is the one who forges measures and weights, mixes sand with beans and pours vinegar into oil.

3. The third one is the one who kidnaps the Jew. Such a kidnapper is subject to the death penalty.

4. The fourth is the one who is connected with the thief and receives a share of his booty.

5. The fifth is the one who is sold into slavery for theft.

6. The sixth is the one who stole the booty from another thief.

7. Seventh - one who steals with the intention of recovering what was stolen, or one who steals to upset or anger the robbed, or one who steals an object belonging to him, which is currently in the possession of another person, instead of resorting to help law.

The Torah (Vayikra, 19, 11) says: "Do not steal." The Talmud teaches us: "Do not steal (even) in order to anger the robbed, and then return the stolen to him - for in this case you violate the prohibition of the Torah."

Even our foremother Rachel, who stole the idols of her father Laban so that he would stop practicing idolatry, was punished for this offense by not being worthy to be buried in a cave Machpelah- the tomb of the righteous, since Yaakov (who did not know about this abduction) said: “Whoever you find your gods from, let him not live!” (Bereshit, 31, 32) Therefore, let each of us avoid theft and use only what he has earned by his labor. The one who does just that will be happy both in this world and in the next world, as it is said: “When you eat from the fruits of the labor of your hands, you are happy and good for you” (Tehillim, 128, 2). The word "happy" refers to this world, the words "good for you" - to the world to come.

However, it should be remembered that the commandment “Thou shalt not steal” itself refers only to kidnapping, punishable by death. Theft of property is prohibited by the Torah elsewhere.

Do not speak of your neighbor with false testimony (Ninth Commandment)

In the Book of Deuteronomy, this commandment is formulated somewhat differently: "Do not speak of your neighbor with an empty testimony" (Deuteronomy 5:17). This means that both words - "false" and "empty" - were uttered by the Almighty at the same time - although the human mouth is not able to pronounce them in this way, and the human ear is not able to hear.

King Shlomo said in his wisdom: “All the merits of a person who fulfills the commandments and does good deeds will not be enough to atone for the sin of bad words escaping from his mouth. Therefore, we are obliged to beware of slander and gossip in every possible way and not to sin in this way. After all, the tongue burns more easily than any other organ, and is the first of all organs to be judged.

One should not spread in praise to another person, so that, starting with praise, one does not say bad things about him.

Slander is one of the worst things in the world! She is compared to a lame man who, nevertheless, sows confusion around. They say about him: “What would he do if he were healthy!” Such is the human language that disturbs the whole world, remaining in our mouths. Who does he look like? On a dog chained up in a locked inner room of a house. Despite this, when she barks, everyone around her is afraid. What would she do if she were free! Such is the wicked tongue, enclosed in our mouths, shut up by our lips, and yet delivering innumerable blows - what would it do if it were free! The Almighty said: “I can save you from all troubles. Only slander is an exception. Hide from her and you won't get hurt."

In school, Rabbi Ishmael was taught: "The one who spreads slander is no less guilty than if he committed the three most terrible sins - idolatry, incest and bloodshed."

The one who spreads slander, as it were, denies the existence of the Almighty, as it is said: “Those who said: We will be strong with our tongue, our lips are with us - who is our master? »

Rav Hisda said on behalf of Mar Uqba: “About everyone who spreads slander, the Almighty speaks to the angel of hell like this: “I am from Heaven, and you are from the underworld - we will judge him.” »

Rav Sheshet said: “Anyone who spreads slander, as well as anyone who hears it, anyone who bears false witness, all of them deserve to be thrown to be eaten by dogs. Indeed, in the Torah (Shemot, 22, 30) it is said: “Psam throw him away,” and immediately after this it says: “Do not spread a false rumor, do not give your hand to the wicked to be a witness of iniquity.” »

Do not covet (Tenth Commandment)

The commandment says: "Do not covet." In the Book of Deuteronomy it is said, besides this (in continuation of the commandment): "Do not desire." Thus, the Torah punishes harassment separately, and separately for desire. How do we know that a person who desires what belongs to another will eventually begin to covet what he wants? Because the Torah connects these concepts: "Do not desire and do not covet." How do we know that the one who starts harassing ends up robbing? Because the prophet Micah says: “And they will desire the fields, and they will take them away” (Micah, 2, 2). Desire is contained in the heart, as it is said: "As much as your soul desires" (Deut. 12:20). Harassment, on the other hand, is an act, as it is said: “Do not covet silver and gold that is on them to take for yourself” (Deuteronomy, 7, 25).

It is natural to ask: how can one forbid the heart to desire something - after all, it does not ask our permission? Very simple: let everything that other people own be infinitely far from us, so far that the heart will not ignite because of it. So it would not occur to a peasant living in a remote village to harass the king's daughter.