The Torah and the Ten Commandments
The is considered by Jews to be the holiest part of the and was given by God to Moses on Mount Sinai. The Hebrew word Torah is traditionally translated as 'law', which in this context means teaching, instruction or guidance. The most well-known of these laws are the , but the Torah contains a total of 613 commandments or covering many aspects of daily life, including family, personal hygiene and diet.
The Ten Commandments were recorded on two tablets of stone, and together they form the basis of God’s with Moses.
The Ten Commandments
- You shall have no other gods besides me.
- You shall not make for yourself a sculptured image, or any likeness.
- You shall not swear falsely by the name of the Lord your God.
- Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy.
- Honour your father and your mother.
- You shall not commit adultery.
- You shall not steal.
- You shall not commit murder.
- You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour.
- You shall not .
(Exodus 20:3-14)
Moses also received an explanation of the Torah from God, known as the Oral Torah, which is recorded in the .
The covenant Moses received assured Jews that if they followed these rules, God would protect them from harm: Do everything the Lord has said (Exodus 19:8).
Moses is considered to be very important in Jewish teaching because he led the chosen people to the and received the laws that bind Jews to God.
