07 Feb PARASHAT YITRO- THE EARTH’S FUEL

Parashat Yitro is fa-
mous for the story of

Ma’amad Har Sinai

– Hashem’s Revela-
tion to Beneh Yisrael

at Mount Sinai, when
He pronounced the

Ten Commandments.
This is not the first time when we find the
number 10 associated with a major world
event. In fact, we encountered it just recently,
in our reading of earlier Parashiyot in the Book
of Shemot, which tell of the ten plagues which
Hashem brought upon Egypt. Moreover, the

Mishna in Pirkeh Abot (5:1) teaches that Hash-
em created the world with “Asara Ma’amarot”

– ten “proclamations.” As we read in the open-
ing chapter of the Torah, Hashem brought each

part of the world into existence by proclaim-
ing that it should exist, and there are ten such

proclamations in all.
Thus, the world came into existence through
ten proclamations, Hashem brought Beneh
Yisrael out of Egypt through ten plagues, and

He presented the Torah to them in Ten Com-
mandments. What is the significance of this

parallel? How are these three events connect-
ed?

A number of early commentators explained
that the ten plagues served as a reaffirmation of
Hashem’s creation of the world. At the time of
creation, there were no witnesses to the event,
and so it could not be later proven. In order
to prove that He created the world, Hashem
brought ten supernatural plagues – each of

which corresponds to one of the “proclama-
tions” through which He created the world.

For example, the plague of blood, when Hash-
em transformed Egypt’s water into blood, and

then changed it back into water, reaffirmed His
creation of water. The fact that Hashem exerted
such control over the water demonstrated that
He created it. Likewise, bringing wild beasts

confirmed His creation of wildlife, and bring-
ing darkness confirmed His creation of light.

By suspending the laws of nature, and then re-
storing them, ten times, Hashem affirmed His

absolute control over the world, thus proving
all ten stages of His creation of the universe.

The ten plagues, then, were brought not sim-
ply to force Pharaoh to release Beneh Yisrael,

but, primarily, to reaffirm that Hashem created
the world. And then, after the Exodus from
Egypt, Hashem brought Beneh Yisrael to Sinai,
proclaiming the Ten Commandments. Once
the world’s creation was reaffirmed through
the ten plagues, it was time for Hashem to
provide the world with the “fuel” it needs to

be sustained – the Torah. The Ten Command-
ments contain 620 letters, representing the 613

Biblical commands, plus the seven obligations

enacted by the Sages. Thus, the Ten Command-
ments encompass the entirety of the Torah.

The progression from the ten plagues – which
reaffirmed the ten stages of creation – to the

Ten Commandments shows us that our rec-
ognition of Hashem must be followed by our

acceptance of the Torah. It does not suffice to
know and to believe that Hashem created and
governs the world. This belief must inform our
conduct, and lead us to live the way the Torah
demands. This is why the Ten Commandments
begins with the proclamation, “I am Hashem
your Hashem who has taken you from the land

of Egypt, from the house of bondage.” The giv-
ing of the Torah is a direct continuation of the

Exodus from Egypt. Once our faith in Hashem
as the Creator was reaffirmed in Egypt, the

next step is standing at Mount Sinai to whole-
heartedly accept the Torah.

Torah study and observance are the earth’s

“fuel.” They are the reason why it was cre-
ated, and why it continued to exist. It is not

enough to believe in Hashem and know
about Hashem – we must live in accordance
with His will, which is the very purpose for
which He created the earth and created us, its inhabitants.