Chapter Previewהַקְדָּמָה
In this aliyah, Moshe Rabbeinu gathers all of Klal Yisrael to prepare them for the repetition of the Aseres HaDibros. He begins by emphasizing that the covenant Hashem made at Chorev was not just with the Avos, but davka with the generation standing here today, who heard Hashem speak face to face out of the fire. Moshe reminds them of his role as the intermediary who stood between Hashem and the people to convey the words because of their fear of the fire.
The aliyah then transitions into the actual text of the Aseres HaDibros as repeated in Mishneh Torah. This includes the fundamental mitzvos of emunah in Hashem, the prohibitions against avodah zarah, swearing falsely, and the positive and negative mitzvos of Shabbos, honoring parents, and the interpersonal prohibitions ending with the warning against coveting.
All introductions, summaries, and contextual notes are the editor's commentary and are not part of the original text.אַלע הַקְדָּמוֹת, סִכּוּמִים, און הערות זענען דעם רעדאַקטאָר'ס באַמערקונגען און זענען נישט קיין טייל פונעם אָריגינעלן טעקסט.
פָּסוּק א
Pasuk 1
וַיִּקְרָאAnd calledמֹשֶׁהMosheאֶלtoכָּלall ofיִשְׂרָאֵלYisraelוַיֹּאמֶרand he saidאֲלֵהֶםto themשְׁמַעHearיִשְׂרָאֵלO Yisraelאֶת—הַחֻקִּיםthe statutesוְאֶתand —הַמִּשְׁפָּטִיםthe ordinancesאֲשֶׁרwhichאָנֹכִיIדֹּבֵרspeakבְּאָזְנֵיכֶםin your earsהַיּוֹםtodayוּלְמַדְתֶּםand you shall learnאֹתָםthemוּשְׁמַרְתֶּםand you shall safeguardלַעֲשֹׂתָם׃to perform them
פָּסוּק ב
Pasuk 2
יְהוָהHashemאֱלֹהֵינוּour Godכָּרַתmadeעִמָּנוּwith usבְּרִיתa covenantבְּחֹרֵב׃at Chorev
פָּסוּק ג
Pasuk 3
לֹאNotאֶתwithאֲבֹתֵינוּour fathersכָּרַתmadeיְהוָהHashemאֶת—הַבְּרִיתthe covenantהַזֹּאתthisכִּיbutאִתָּנוּwith usאֲנַחְנוּweאֵלֶּהtheseפֹהhereהַיּוֹםtodayכֻּלָּנוּall of usחַיִּים׃alive
פָּסוּק ד
Pasuk 4
פָּנִיםFaceבְּפָנִיםto faceדִּבֶּרspokeיְהוָהHashemעִמָּכֶםwith youבָּהָרon the mountainמִתּוֹךְfrom the midst ofהָאֵשׁ׃the fire
פָּסוּק ה
Pasuk 5
אָנֹכִיIעֹמֵדwas standingבֵּיןbetweenיְהוָהHashemוּבֵינֵיכֶםand between youבָּעֵתat the timeהַהִואthatלְהַגִּידto tellלָכֶםto youאֶת—דְּבַרthe word ofיְהוָהHashemכִּיforיְרֵאתֶםyou fearedמִפְּנֵיbecause ofהָאֵשׁthe fireוְלֹאand you did notעֲלִיתֶםgo upבָּהָרthe mountainלֵאמֹר׃saying
פָּסוּק ו
Pasuk 6
אָנֹכִיIיְהוָהHashemאֱלֹהֶיךָyour GodאֲשֶׁרWhoהוֹצֵאתִיךָbrought you outמֵאֶרֶץfrom the land ofמִצְרַיִםMitzrayimמִבֵּיתfrom the house ofעֲבָדִים׃bondmen
פָּסוּק ז
Pasuk 7
לֹאnotיִהְיֶהthere shall beלְךָto youאֱלֹהִיםgodsאֲחֵרִיםotherעַלbesidesפָּנָיַ׃My presence
פָּסוּק ח
Pasuk 8
לֹאYou shall notתַעֲשֶׂהmakeלְךָfor yourselfפֶסֶלa carved imageכָּלanyתְּמוּנָהlikenessאֲשֶׁרof that whichבַּשָּׁמַיִםis in the heavensמִמַּעַלaboveוַאֲשֶׁרor of that whichבָּאָרֶץis on the earthמִתָּחַתbelowוַאֲשֶׁרor of that whichבַּמַּיִםis in the waterמִתַּחַתbeneathלָאָרֶץ׃the earth
פָּסוּק ט
Pasuk 9
לֹאYou shall notתִשְׁתַּחֲוֶהbow downלָהֶםto themוְלֹאand you shall notתָעָבְדֵםserve themכִּיforאָנֹכִיIיְהוָהHashemאֱלֹהֶיךָyour Godאֵלa GodקַנָּאjealousפֹּקֵדWho visitsעֲוֺןthe sin ofאָבוֹתfathersעַלuponבָּנִיםchildrenוְעַלand uponשִׁלֵּשִׁיםthe third generationוְעַלand uponרִבֵּעִיםthe fourth generationלְשֹׂנְאָי׃of those who hate Me
פָּסוּק י
Pasuk 10
וְעֹשֶׂהand showingחֶסֶדkindnessלַאֲלָפִיםto thousandsלְאֹהֲבַיto those who love Meוּלְשֹׁמְרֵיand to those who keepמצותוHis commandmentsמִצְוֺתָי׃My commandments
פָּסוּק יא
Pasuk 11
לֹאYou shall notתִשָּׂאtakeאֶת—שֵׁםthe name ofיְהוָהHashemאֱלֹהֶיךָyour Godלַשָּׁוְאin vainכִּיforלֹאnotיְנַקֶּהwill absolveיְהוָהHashemאֵת—אֲשֶׁרhim whoיִשָּׂאtakesאֶת—שְׁמוֹHis nameלַשָּׁוְא׃in vain
פָּסוּק יב
Pasuk 12
שָׁמוֹרObserveאֶת—יוֹםthe day ofהַשַׁבָּתShabbosלְקַדְּשׁוֹto sanctify itכַּאֲשֶׁרasצִוְּךָcommanded youיְהוָהHashemאֱלֹהֶיךָyour God
פָּסוּק יג
Pasuk 13
שֵׁשֶׁתSixיָמִיםdaysתַּעֲבֹדyou shall laborוְעָשִׂיתָand you shall doכָּלallמְלַאכְתֶּךָ׃your work
פָּסוּק יד
Pasuk 14
וְיוֹםand the dayהַשְּׁבִיעִיthe seventhשַׁבָּתis Shabbosלַיהוָהto Hashemאֱלֹהֶיךָyour Godלֹאyou shall notתַעֲשֶׂהdoכָלanyמְלָאכָהmelachaאַתָּהyouוּבִנְךָand your sonוּבִתֶּךָand your daughterוְעַבְדְּךָand your servantוַאֲמָתֶךָand your maidservantוְשׁוֹרְךָand your oxוַחֲמֹרְךָand your donkeyוְכָלand allבְּהֶמְתֶּךָyour cattleוְגֵרְךָand your strangerאֲשֶׁרwho isבִּשְׁעָרֶיךָwithin your gatesלְמַעַןso thatיָנוּחַmay restעַבְדְּךָyour servantוַאֲמָתְךָand your maidservantכָּמוֹךָ׃like you
פָּסוּק טו
Pasuk 15
וְזָכַרְתָּAnd you shall rememberכִּיthatעֶבֶדa slaveהָיִיתָyou wereבְּאֶרֶץin the land ofמִצְרַיִםMitzrayimוַיֹּצִאֲךָand He took you outיְהוָהHashemאֱלֹהֶיךָyour Godמִשָּׁםfrom thereבְּיָדwith a handחֲזָקָהstrongוּבִזְרֹעַand with an armנְטוּיָהoutstretchedעַלthereforeכֵּן·צִוְּךָcommanded youיְהוָהHashemאֱלֹהֶיךָyour Godלַעֲשׂוֹתto makeאֶת—יוֹםthe day ofהַשַׁבָּת׃Shabbos
פָּסוּק טז
Pasuk 16
כַּבֵּדHonorאֶת—אָבִיךָyour fatherוְאֶתand —אִמֶּךָyour motherכַּאֲשֶׁרasצִוְּךָcommanded youיְהוָהHashemאֱלֹהֶיךָyour Godלְמַעַןso thatיַאֲרִיכֻןmay be prolongedיָמֶיךָyour daysוּלְמַעַןand so thatיִיטַבit may go wellלָךְwith youעַלuponהָאֲדָמָהthe landאֲשֶׁרwhichיְהוָהHashemאֱלֹהֶיךָyour Godנֹתֵןis givingלָךְ׃to you
פָּסוּק יז
Pasuk 17
לֹאYou shall notתִּרְצָח׃murderוְלֹאand you shall notתִּנְאָף׃commit adulteryוְלֹאand you shall notתִּגְנֹב׃stealוְלֹאand you shall notתַעֲנֶהtestifyבְרֵעֲךָagainst your fellowעֵדwitnessשָׁוְא׃false
פָּסוּק יח
Pasuk 18
וְלֹאAnd you shall notתַחְמֹדcovetאֵשֶׁתthe wife ofרֵעֶךָyour neighborוְלֹאand you shall notתִתְאַוֶּהcraveבֵּיתthe house ofרֵעֶךָyour neighborשָׂדֵהוּhis fieldוְעַבְדּוֹor his slaveוַאֲמָתוֹor his maidservantשׁוֹרוֹhis oxוַחֲמֹרוֹor his donkeyוְכֹלor anythingאֲשֶׁרthatלְרֵעֶךָ׃belongs to your neighbor
Chapter Summaryסִכּוּם
The aliyah flows from Moshe Rabbeinu's introductory words about the living covenant at Chorev directly into the repetition of the Aseres HaDibros. It details the first commandments of believing in Hashem and rejecting avodah zarah, followed by the prohibition of taking Hashem's name in vain. The text then commands the observance of Shabbos, linking it to both the creation and the exodus from Mitzrayim, and continues with the mitzvah of kibbud av v'em. Finally, it lists the severe prohibitions against murder, adultery, theft, false testimony, and coveting a neighbor's wife, home, or possessions.
לְמַעֲשֶׂהWhat To Take Home
Look at the yesod Moshe Rabbeinu is laying down here before he repeats the Aseres HaDibros. He tells the Yidden, "It was not with our ancestors that Hashem made this covenant, but with us, the living, every one of us who is here today." Lichoira, we know the covenant was made with the dor de'ah at Har Sinai. But Moshe is teaching us a massive chiddush in avodas Hashem: the Torah cannot be treated like an old family inheritance or a beautiful piece of history we merely preserve. It has to be a living, breathing, personal connection today.
When you sit down to learn, or when you stand up to do a mitzvah, the yetzer hara wants you to feel like you are just going through the motions of an ancient tradition. The Torah is telling us, "lo es avoseinu", it is not just about what was. Hashem is making this covenant with you, personally, right now in this very moment. The warmth, the fire, and the "panim b'panim" connection of Sinai are meant to be experienced today.
Take one mitzvah you do every single day, whether it is saying Shema, putting on tefillin, or making a brachah on food, and before you do it, stop for three seconds to think: "Hashem is commanding me to do this right now, personally, today."