לֹא-תַעֲשֶׂה לְךָ פֶסֶל, וְכָל-תְּמוּנָה
אֲשֶׁר בַּשָּׁמַיִם מִמַּעַל,
וַאֲשֶׁר בָּאָרֶץ מִתָּחַת
וַאֲשֶׁר בַּמַּיִם, מִתַּחַת לָאָרֶץ
לֹא-תִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה לָהֶם, וְלֹא תָעָבְדֵם
כִּי אָנֹכִי ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ, אֵל קַנָּא
פֹּקֵד עֲוֹן אָבֹת עַל-בָּנִים עַל-שִׁלֵּשִׁים וְעַל-רִבֵּעִים, לְשֹׂנְאָי
וְעֹשֶׂה חֶסֶד, לַאֲלָפִים
לְאֹהֲבַי, וּלְשֹׁמְרֵי מִצְוֹתָי
Lo' ta`ase l'kha fesel v'khol t'muna
Asher bashamayim mima`al va'asher ba'ares
mitahat
Va'asher bamayim mitahat la'ares
Lo' tishtahave lahem v'lo' ta`avdem
Ki anokhi H' Eloheykha el qana'
Poqed `avon avot `al banim `al shileshim v`al ribe`im l'son'ay
V`ose hesed la'alafim
L'ohavay ulshomrey misvotay
You will not make for yourselves an idol or any kind of image
Of anything
that is in the heavens above or that is on the earth below
Or that is in the water below the earth
You will not bow down to them and you will not worship them
For I am the Lord your God, a jealous God
Visiting the sins of parents on children and on grandchildren and on
great-grandchildren of my haters
And doing kindness to thousands (of generations)
Of my lovers and the keepers of my commandments
This is the second of the ten commandments. The first part, which tells us not to worship anything but God, is greeted (at least in the parts of the world where I have lived) in a ho-hum fashion. But viewed through the lens of Logoism (which is the traditional Jewish lens, even if it is not given a name), it means something still important to us today: Don't think that any particular thing is the ultimate source of meaning. In my opinion, this is quite profound. Though it seems obvious when you think about it, it is in fact a mistake often made. Many people invest their whole being in some cause and, worthy though it be, it inevitably fails them. The second commandment tells us not to make this mistake.
The second part of the second commandment is more controversial. It tells us what will happen to people who don't keep it, namely that their sin will be propagated to their descendents. How many times have I heard this used to disparage the Bible, or as an example of "Old Testament Justice" - meaning cruel and inhuman. But the fact is that it is true. The sins of parents do tend to get repeated by their children, and propagated generation after generation. I cannot understand the justice in this, but I can learn from recognition of this fact, and I am comforted by the assurance that it is, in some unknown sense, just.
But there is a third part, and this greater comfort still. Though sins are punished for four generations, being good is rewarded for thousands. In other words: though the sins be greater than the good, the good, in the end, will win.
Posted by David Boxenhorn at November 24, 2004 10:52 PM