Aliya Summary: Moshe repeats the Ten Commandments, reminding the
Israelites that the Sinai covenant was not limited to those who were
physically present at Mount Sinai.
The very first of
the ten commandments is very unique. It doesn't just say "I am the Lord
your G-d", which would have been sufficient. In case we forget, it
continues "... who took you out of Eqypt...", and as if that wasn't
enough, "...out of the house of slavery". It's pretty obvious that
knowing G-d also requires appreciating the correct context with which to
know Him, and I think the following two phrases offers two different
depths of appreciation: On a basic level, G-d physically took us out of
Egypt, performing many miracles in the process, and for that we are
forever indebted to Him. But we were also in a situation where we were
slaves to the slave-masters, who were slaves to their superiors, who
worked for theirs, on their way up the hierarchical ladder to Pharaoh.
We weren't just slaves, we were slaves in a house of slaves, drowned in
meaning and purpose diluted at every mired level of slavery. G-d took
us from that situation to one where we interact directly with G-d
himself, where meaning and purpose is clear, pure and undiluted, and
part of the first commandment is for us to understand and appreciate G-d
on all these levels.
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