On Shavuot, we received the Torah. It all began with the Ten Commandments.
I, HaShem, am your God, the one who rescued you from the land of Egypt, from the society of slaves.
“I”
This is not a human being. It is not a close relative of God or a man who embodies God like the Pharaoh or Yeshu defined themselves. Nor is it a prophet who receives a message from an angel or a person appointed by God to speak in His name. This commandment begins with the Hebrew word: ANOJÍ, which means “I” (which, in this case, I like to write with two capital letters: “I”): God presents Himself in the first person singular before giving His code of law and ethics. This introduction is considered in Jewish tradition as a Divine commandment or Mitsvá: the First Commandment.
The first commandment is the foundation of what is known as ethical monotheism, which means that God, the Creator, is the one who establishes the definition of what is ethical and moral, what is right or wrong, what is good and what is bad to do. In Jewish terms: what is permitted and what is forbidden. Ethical monotheism strongly rejects the idea that ethics emanate from human criteria or opinion, but rather they come directly from God, transcending the subjectivity and arbitrariness of time, trends, and geographies.
I AM YOUR GOD: Forget about the Pharaoh!
This “I-you” also establishes a direct, personal, almost “horizontal” connection that develops the main idea of this commandment. To better understand it, we must remember to whom God is speaking when He dictates His precepts. Men and women who, although they descend from illustrious patriarchs, have suffered for the past four generations in a state of total oppression. Many have forgotten their God and their history and have been mentally programmed to replace Him with the Pharaoh. It is similar to what happened to those Jews in Russia who, during Stalin’s time, were mentally programmed to replace God with Stalin. In the ancient societies of 3500 years ago, there was a minimal, indistinguishable distance between the gods and human leaders. The Pharaoh proclaimed himself the “supreme leader and greatest benefactor of humanity.” Egypt was something like present-day North Korea, where Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un prohibits all religions because he is obsessed with being the “only deity that can be worshiped—and obeyed—in that country” (see this alarming article). The first commandment urges the children of Israel to free themselves from that ideological tyranny and abandon the worship of the Pharaoh.
…who rescued you from the land of Egypt, [and liberated you] from the society of slaves…
The second part of this commandment briefly and exquisitely describes the fundamental differences between God and the Pharaoh, which was absolutely understandable to those who had just left Egypt. God does not present Himself as the universal Creator but as the One who intervened in our lives and liberated us from slavery. The message is powerful: unlike the Pharaoh, an egocentric deity who demanded unconditional obedience and loyalty “for his own benefit,” God requires nothing from us for “HIS” own benefit. In fact, here lies the great revolution—God wants what is best for us! The proof? The Pharaoh enslaved you in Egypt, while God liberated you! The Egyptian god sought to exploit your strength for his Pharaonic projects, while HaShem, your God, seeks your benefit. He cares about you.
FREEDOM, FREEDOM, FREEDOM
And that is why, immediately after mentioning freedom, God gives us His laws, rules, prohibitions, and precepts. Why? Because true freedom is not about doing whatever one wants but exercising moral self-control and proper behavior in our interactions with others. This ethical conduct will lead to true and lasting happiness. The fulfillment of knowing that one is doing what is right. This first commandment makes it clear that the reason God explains to us in the following commandments how to live a righteous life is because He cares about us, loves the people of Israel, and wants our well-being. It offers us a deep appreciation of ethical monotheism and shapes our understanding of true freedom.
Rabbi Yosef Bittón
