In this week’s Torah portion Yitro the children of Israel receive the Aseret Dibrot, the 10 utterances or commonly known as the Ten Commandments. The scene is awe inspiring, the Israelites are standing at the bottom of Mt. Sinai, there is thunder and smoke and the voice of God is heard, delivering His message to His people. We recreate this scene in our minds as we hear the words of God as we receive the 10 Commandments once again, as the Torah is chanted during this week’s Torah portion. It is the custom to stand as the 10 Commandments are chanted.
Why do we stand while this Torah portion is chanted? I have two theories. The first is that the children of Israel stood together as they all heard what God wanted of them .They huddled close giving each other strength. They were together facing their challenges. The second theory is that this is the pivotal moment for the Israelites, the time that they became a people doing God’s work. To show respect for that moment and to illustrate their understanding of the monumental responsibility the Jewish People have to bring Torah to the world we rise together. We will chant Yitro this Shabbat, come and be inspired by the words of our tradition.
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