| The first of the ten
commandments, “I am the L-rd your G-d who took you out of Egypt, out of
the house of slavery,” could be said to be no commandment at all.
Rabbi Shimon Kayara, of the 10th century, did not include it as one of the
613 commandments. This could be because he saw it merely as a statement
rather than a command, or because he saw it as a root principle, not an
individual command. Ibn Ezra saw it as the root of all the 9 commands that
follow, but he did count it as one of the ten commandments.
Others saw it as a command to believe, and
it has been invoked to support most of our major beliefs in our faith.
Spanish philosopher, Rabeninu Bahyey saw it as the source for G-d’s
oneness. “I am the Lord and no other exists,” would be his reading of
it. Rabbi Joseph Bechor Shor of Medieval France saw it as a
statement of G-d as master and judge. He reads it as, “I am your Lord
and Judge.” Maimonides saw this commandment as one indicating G-d’s
simple existence. He sees it as imperative to know and understand that G-d
is the First Cause of all existence. He would read it as “I am.”
Rabbi Moshe of Coucy, of Medieval France
saw this as a heading for the whole Torah. “I who communicate the Torah
am the one who took you out of Egypt.” This becomes the source for the
divinity of the Torah. Some later commentaries see the emphasis on
the Exodus as a statement of faith that G-d is the redeemer and will
redeem us one day.
All in all, these first words of G-d to the
Jewish people have been used to affirm all of our basic beliefs,
many of which are part of the 13 principles of faith, of Maimonides. 1)
That G-d exists, 2) that G-d is the Master of our destiny, 3) that G-d
judges, rewards and punishes, 4) that G-d redeems, 5) that G-d is one, 6)
that G-d gave the Torah. So much is contained in the simple phrase, “I
am.” |
