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Rabbi Azarya Berzon

THE UNIQUENESS OF
the Aseret HaDibrot

he Rambam warns us against fulfill the 10, he would have accom- will perish. Just as Elokim legislates
attributing any special sanctity plished all 613. While his approach is the laws of the natural order, so does
Tto the Aseret HaDibrot, brilliant, one who studies the Azharot Elokim legislate the moral laws that
arguing that it is a fundamental will find it difficult to be convinced regulate human society. Here too,
tenet of our faith that every word that all the mitzvot can in fact be cat- Elokim knows no tolerance. Violation
in the Torah is sanctified. Yet the egorized under these 10 principles. of the moral law leads inevitably to
rational mind seeks to comprehend disaster.
why these specific 10 mitzvot were I am excited about an answer to our
given as a separate unit to the question that evolves from Rav Yosef The Aseret HaDibrot are legislated
people of Israel. There must be a Dov Soloveichik’s interpretation of an by Elokim, the same Elokim that
common denominator that links the enigmatic statement of the Mechilta, authored nature. Thus Chazal employ
10 together and explains why these quoted by Rashi in his commentary to the description ע ַ ר ָּ פ ִ ל ןָּי ַ ּ ד, meaning the
were transmitted as a ‘whole.’ One the opening verse of the Aseret HaDi- seeds of destruction are inherent
of the outstanding scholars of the brot (Shemot 20:1): in the crime. While there are many
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last generation, Rabbi S. Y. Zevin, mitzvot in the Torah for which the
argues that each one of the 10 – ׁשֵּי ֶ ׁש י ִ פ ְ ל ,ןָּי ַ ּ ד א ָּ ל ֶ א םי ִ קלֹ ֱ א ןי ֵ א .םי ִ קלֹ ֱ א ר ֵּ ב ַ דְי ַ ו punishment for violation is left to
each for its own reason – represents ,ר ָ כ ָ ׂש ל ֵּ ב ַ ק ְ מ ם ָ ד ָ א ן ָ א ָ ׂש ֲ ע ם ִ א ֶ ׁש ה ָ רֹו ּ ת ַּ ב תֹוּי ִ ׁש ָ ר ָּ פ the World to Come, this is not the
some fundamental and unusual rule ף ַ א לֹוכָי ,תּונ ָ ע ְ ר ֻּ פ ם ֶ הי ֵ ל ֲ ע ל ֵּ ב ַ ק ְ מ ֹוני ֵ א וא ָ ל ם ִ א ְ ו case for the violations of the 10. Vio-
within the world of Halacha. While – םי ִ קלֹ ֱ א ר ֵּ ב ַ דְי ַ ו ר ַ מֹול דּומְ ל ַּ ת ,ן ֵּ כ תֹור ְּ ב ִ ּ ד ַ ה ת ֶ ר ֶ ׂש ֲ ע lation of the Aseret HaDibrot leads
there is wisdom and depth to his .ע ַ ר ָּ פ ִ ל ןָּי ַ ּ ד inevitably to disaster. To mention a
presentation, one is left wanting; we few examples, one who disrespects
seek to define one single principle Which sections of the Torah fit this
that underlies all of the 10. description of Chazal as contain- his parents will not be honored by
ing commandments which ‘if one his children. Immorality leads to the
breakdown of the family structure.
elects to fulfill them he will be duly
“” There must be a rewarded, but if he decides not to per- Murder avenges itself upon the mur-
derer. Idolatry destroys the religious
form them, he will suffer no punish-
common denominator
that links the ment’? Moreover, can this description makeup of society. Desecration of the
Shabbat will result in a secular mode
apply to any of the Aseret HaDibrot?
10 together. of living devoid of spiritual meaning.
The Rav explained that the key to
unlock the mystery of this Chazal Thus, the 10 represent the underlying
A second approach can be found lies in the meaning of the particular fabric of man and his society, and are
in the principle formulated by Rav Divine Name chosen to introduce the given by Elokim whose moral law, like
Saadia Gaon, quoted by Rashi at the Aseret HaDibrot. The Name Elokim His natural law, knows no toleration.
end of Parashat Mishpatim: ׁש ֵ ׁש ל ָּ כ suggests two interrelated concepts: (a)
תֹור ְּ ב ִ ּ ד ַ ה ת ֶ ר ֶ ׂש ֲ ע ל ַ ל ְ כ ִּ ב תֹו ְ צ ִ מ ה ֵ ר ְ ׂש ֶ ע ׁשלֹ ְ ׁשּו תֹוא ֵ מ G-d as the creator of the universe and
ן ֵ ה. Rav Saadia Gaon authored his (b) G-d’s role as a judge who metes 1 HaMoadim BeHalacha, pp. 320-324.
famous Azharot in which he sub- out punishment. G-d as Elokim is
sumes all the mitzvot under the 10. the author of the natural order of the Rabbi Azarya Berzon is the Rav and
We can say that each of the Aseret universe. The law of nature is inviola- Rosh Kollel of the Emek Learning Center
HaDibrot represents a root, a funda- ble. In this domain there is zero-tol- in Jerusalem, and has over 7,200 shiurim
mental principle, and if one would erance. If a man jumps off a cliff, he available online

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