Beth HaDerech; Messianic Jewish Congregation, Toronto, Canada

Redemption and Torah

R. Bechaye writes that when God's presence filled the Tabernacle, He said: "Today I am causing My Presence to rest among you; if you sin, My Presence will leave you. But when Messiah comes, My Presence will remain with you permanently. Now you see the Divine Presence through fire, but with the advent of the Messiah you will see it clearly revealed, as it is written: "For eye to eye shall they see when God returns to Zion." (Tz'enah Ur'enah) Commentary: Then God spoke all these words, saying, "I am HaShem your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery." (Exodus 20:1-2) The Festival of Shavuot (Pentecost) is the anniversary of the giving of the Torah and the giving of the Holy Spirit. As part of the commemoration, the Ten Commandments are read publicly in the Assembly on the Feast of Shavuot. According to the traditional reckoning, the first commandment is simply, "I am HaShem your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery." (Shemot / Exodus 20:1-2) The first commandment is to believe in God and to accept His claim of ownership over us. Unless we accept the basic premise of God's existence, no number of commandments will have any authority or meaning for us. The need for such a command demonstrates...