Few events today make us tremble with awe.
One of those rare chances is imminent. Thursday night, Shavuot begins. It is the holiday celebrating one of the greatest events in Jewish history, or human history for that matter.
The holiday celebrates the receiving of the Torah, focusing specifically on the Ten Commandments.
Traditional Jews believe that amid smoke, lightning and thunder, God personally came down to Mount Sinai and revealed the Ten Commandments as the Jews trembled with awe. Many traditional Jews also believe that the souls of all Jews — past, present and future — were actually there. That means you.
Other Jews believe that the Ten Commandments evolved, that Jewish sages adapted and molded them from surrounding cultures as well as their own tradition.
The latter version isn’t nearly as dramatic as the former. But it, too, should be awe-inspiring.
The true genius of the Ten Commandments is evident in their staying power.
If a committee of decent-minded Jews were asked to sit down today and come up with 10 rules that would set the standard for all civilization, could they really come up with anything better?
Don’t lie, steal, murder. Those keep communities intact. Honor your parents and don’t commit adultery. Those keep families intact. Remember God, worship only God, keep the Sabbath and don’t use the name of God to swear falsely. Those keep our faith intact.
And to round out the list: Don’t be jealous. In many ways, that one is the most brilliant of all the commandments. Jealousy is insidious, and some sages have argued that unchecked jealousy actually leads to the violation of the all the other commandments.
The brilliance of the Ten Commandments, however they came to be, is worth trembling over. And Shavuot is the perfect time to revel in them.