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Moses further admonishes the people of Israel to follow the statues of G-d which he is relaying directly to them at that moment. He explains that G-d created a covenant at Horev with each and every person standing before him today. Moses then repeats the Ten Commandments, with a few notable changes, for the entire Jewish nation, for all time.
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| Thoughts to Consider and Discuss |
1. In regard to Shabbat, what differences appear in this version of the Ten Commandments as compared to the “original” version which appears in Exodus 20:2-14?
2. Why does Moses claim that G-d spoke face to face to this group of people, when in truth this generation had not yet been born at the time of the revelation at Sinai?
3. From your understanding of the Ten Commandments, is Judaism a religion of deed or creed? Is the first commandment really a commandment?
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“There are four dimensions to the observance of the Sabbath:...The two dimensions originating in the Torah are the commandments ‘Remember (Zachor) the Sabbath Day’ and ‘Observe (Shamor) the Sabbath Day.’ The two dimensions given exposition by the Prophets are honor (kavod) and pleasure (oneg). What is meant by ‘honor’? This refers to our Sages’ statement that it is a mitzvah for a person to wash his face, hands and his feet in hot water on Friday in honor of the Sabbath. Among the ways of honoring the Sabbath is wearing a clean garment. One’s Shabbat garments should not resemble one’s weekday clothes. What is meant by Sabbath ‘pleasure’? This refers to our Sages’ statement that a person must prepare a particularly sumptuous dish and a pleasantly flavored beverage for the Sabbath.”
Rambam (Maimonides), Laws of Shabbat 30:1-3,7
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 | | Points to Ponder | |
How do the variations in wording regarding the keeping of the Sabbath make their way to halachic literature and practice (see Deuteronomy 5:12 and Exodus 20:8)?
How do these broaden the observance and larger meaning of the Sabbath?
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