Moses then reviewed the laws that the Jewish people had received from G-d at Mount Sinai. He began with the Ten Commandments.
Repeating the Ten Commandments
פָּנִים בְּפָנִים דִּבֶּר ה' עִמָּכֶם בָּהָר וגו':
(דברים ה:ד)
[Moses told the Jewish people, “When He gave you the Torah,] G-d spoke with you at the mountain face to face.”
Deuteronomy 5:4
The first account of the Ten Commandments – in the Book of
Exodus – is the “real time” description of how this event occurred. The second
account of the Ten Commandments is Moses’ description of it, as part of his
historical review of the Jewish people’s Exodus from Egypt and their trek
through the desert.
Reliving the first account of the Giving of the Torah allows us
to experience G‑d’s presence in the Torah as we are studying it. This
experience prevents us from forgetting that the study of the Torah is a
spiritual encounter between G‑d and us and not merely an intellectual pursuit.
Hearing the second account of the Ten Commandments, couched as part of Moses’
address to the people, enables us to employ our own, human intellect in the
study of the Torah, in order to internalize it and absorb its message fully. In
this way, the goal of making this world into a home for G‑d is achieved.1
