On Shabuot, we received the Tora. 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”
No human being is speaking here. Not a close relative of God or a man who embodies God as 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 ANOKHI, which means “I. God introduces Himself to the People of Israel in the first person singular before giving His code of law and ethics.
In Jewish tradition, this introduction is considered a Divine commandment, or Mitsvá. Actually, the First Commandment.
This commandment is the foundation of ethical monotheism, which means that God, the Creator, is also—or as a consequence of that—the one who defines what is ethical, moral, and what is wrong—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 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 speaks when He dictates His commandment. He is addressing the men and women who, although they descend from illustrious patriarchs, have suffered for the past four generations slavery and oppression. Many have forgotten their God and their history and have been mentally programmed to replace the Creator with a 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. Every 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 people can worship—and obey—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 house of slaves…
The second part of this commandment briefly and exquisitely describes the fundamental differences between God and the Pharaoh, which was understandable to those who had just left Egypt. In this commandment, 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, and here lies the great revolution—God wants what is best for us! The proof? The Pharaoh enslaved you in Egypt while God liberated you from slavery! The Egyptian God sought to exploit your strength for his Pharaonic projects, while HaShem, your God, seeks your benefit. He cares about you.
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 and the satisfaction of knowing that we are doing what is right. This first commandment makes it clear that God explains to us in the following commandments how to live a righteous life 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
