In this portion we read for the first time, G-d's esseret devarim- his 10 words or commandments given to Israel through Moses.

In chapter 19:7 for the first time the Hebrew people are in one accord vdxy (yachdo), united as one in their agreement to observe his commandments. "Whatever YHVH has said, we will do." vs. 8

In chapter 20:2, YHVH is introducing himself hvhy ykvna (Anochi Adonai) emphasizing that "I am the L-RD"… who brought the people out of Egypt.

Verse 3 is clear about not replacing him with any other gods.

And verse 4 contains two interesting words concerning the making of images. "You are not to make yourself hnvmtv lop (pesel and t'munah) a carved image (sculpture) or any likeness of…"

The word t'munah has a much broader connotation here than the literal word meaning picture. It implies anything that your mind can conjure up which can become your god; any ideas that the mind can fashion about who or what G-d is. Today we don't struggle with sculptures or pictures, as much as we do with ideas or concepts defining who G-d is or is not. From the moment we limit G-d, he ceases to exist as G-d.

Throughout the centuries, in a sophisticated way, we have developed dogmas (truths which cannot be challenged) making our ways of thinking and our set of beliefs monolithic and concrete…sealed in stone, so to speak. If we examine the religions of the world and try to speak to the elders of their institutions about G-d, they will judge G-d according to their own dogmas and if we do not conform to these, we are considered heretics. Humanity has built idolatrous realms of study where G-d is more the creation of men own imagination than who He truly is.

To speak within my own culture, one day, a Rosh Yeshiva (head of a religious Jewish institute of higher learning) came to visit me in my office. Toward the end of our conversation, he said to me "how can you believe that G-d can make himself into a man?" I simply replied "you do not believe that he can?" "No" he shrieked and banged his hand on my desk "G-d cannot do that!!!" In that moment, he instantly realized what he had said and holding his head, he cried out "Hilul ha Shem", (curse the name of G-d) then got up and ran out of my office. He knew what he had done with the name of G-d by saying that there was something G-d could not do. In that moment, he had limited G-d.

How many of us do the same without realizing it, through our own preconceived ideas about G-d which we have developed from our upbringing and our own environment (culture, superstitions, religious classes, etc.) throughout our lives.

The more religious we are, the more inflexible our thinking becomes. We place our god in a box which we conveniently define and then we can remove and replace as needed. However the closer to G-d we become, we are more open and less dogmatic to the truth.

Isaiah 29:13 best describes hypocritical religious people "Because this people approaches me only in word, honors me only with lip-service while their heats are far from me, and reverence for me as far as they are concerned is nothing but human commandment…"

Let us be attentive to G-d's commandments and not man-made commandments. Let us guard against building false gods from our own ideas and concepts of who he is. If we truly trust in him, then let us understand that He is the Rock upon whom we can lean and not upon our own concrete ideas, our own false gods. Allow Him, Our G-d, the ONLY ONE (Blessed be His NAME!) to work in you and to reveal Himself in your walk and in your thoughts.

     Rabbi Percy Johnson
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