Moses
MosesThe man chosen by God to save the Jews from slavery and take them to the promised land. In the Qur'an he is a messenger chosen by God to give the revelation of the Torah to the Israelites. led the Jews from slavery in Egypt. This is known as the Exodus. He was leading them back to Canaan when God made a covenantAn agreement or promise. with him on Mount Sinai.
God gave Moses the TorahLaw; teaching. The word Torah can be used in a narrow sense to mean the first five books of the Hebrew Bible (The Five Books of Moses) and also in a wider sense to include the whole of the Hebrew Bible and the Talmud., which contained the Ten CommandmentsThe list of rules, revealed by God to Moses, found in the Old Testament books of Exodus and Deuteronomy. Also known as the Decalogue. along with other laws. According to the TalmudA work that is part of rabbinic oral law and made up of the Mishnah and the Gemara (a commentary on the Mishnah)., there are 613 commandments in the Torah.
The Ten Commandments contain important guidance on how to have a good relationship with God and how to create a peaceful society with other people.
These commandments form the basis of the covenant at Sinai and were recorded on two tablets of stone:
- 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 murder.
- You shall not commit adultery.
- You shall not steal.
- You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour.
- You shall not covetTo desire or feel jealousy over something.. (Exodus 20:3-14)
Moses also received an explanation of the Torah from God, known as the Oral Torah, which is written down in the MishnahLiterally âteachingâ, the first document of rabbinic Judaism, assumed to have been written down from the oral tradition about AD200..
If the Jews followed these rules, God would protect them from harm: Do everything the Lord has said (Exodus 19:8).
Moses is important because he led the chosen people to the Promised LandThe land promised by God to Abraham (Genesis 15:18), Moses, and the Israelites. Also known as the Land of Israel. and he was given all of the laws that bind Jews to God.
Question
What is the first commandment?
"You shall have no other gods besides me."