The parshah of Yitro contains one of the most—if not the most—special sections in the entire Torah: the Aseret Hadibrot, the Ten Commandments.

Rabbi Saadia Gaon, the brilliant 10th-century Talmudic scholar, philosopher, and Jewish leader, teaches that all 613 mitzvot are encompassed within the Ten Commandments, and he traces each one back to its source.

Taking it a step further, the Zohar teaches that the very first word of the Ten Commandments, the “I” (Anochi) in “I am the L‑rd your G‑d Who brought you out of the land of Egypt,”1 encompasses the entire Torah.

What kind of word is Anochi? I'm a simple guy from New Jersey. I know that the Hebrew word for “I” is “Ani.” If I wrote the Ten Commandments, which I didn't, I would have started with the word Ani.

What language is Anochi? What is its origin? At first, I thought it was Spanish. But the surprising answer, found in the midrash Yalkut Shimoni, informs us that Anochi is an Egyptian word!

How is it possible for the word Anochi to be of Egyptian origin? How can it be that the word that encompasses the entire Torah, and the word that denotes G‑d’s essence, is of the language spoken by the most morally bankrupt civilization at the time?

It’s Personal

We are taught that every Jewish soul that has ever and will ever come into this world was present at the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. G‑d gathered every man, woman, and child of the Jewish faith and said, “I am the L‑rd your G‑d Who brought you out of the land of Egypt.” If G‑d wanted to impress everyone, why didn’t He say, “I am the L‑rd your G‑d who created heaven and earth”? That’s much more impressive.

While “G‑d Who created heaven and earth” is indeed impressive, it has very little to do with each of us on a personal level. When I hear “G‑d Who took the Jewish people out of Egypt,” that’s personal; that’s about me.

It is especially personal when considering the teaching of the Mishnah that, “In every generation a person is obligated to regard himself as if he had come out of Egypt.”2 The Hebrew word for Egypt – “Mitzrayim” – also means boundaries and limitations. We all have our own constraints, things that hold us back, box us in, chain us down. These limitations can be externally imposed or self-created.

But, G‑d promises us: “I took you out of Egypt once; I can also take you out of your own Egypt.” We are connected to the One G‑d—Anochi—and we can do anything we set our minds to; there’s nothing we cannot accomplish.

Dialogue in Heaven

The Talmud recounts a fascinating dialogue between G‑d, Moses, and the angels when Moses ascended Mount Sinai to heaven to receive the Torah.3

The ministering angels protested to G‑d, saying, “This beautiful, concealed thing [Torah] You desire to give to one of flesh and blood?! You are giving it to a human being?!”

G‑d turned to Moses and said, “You answer them.”

Moses was terrified!

“Are You kidding? They’re going to breathe on me and consume me with their fiery breath!”

G‑d replied, “Don’t worry about it. Grab ahold of My throne of glory and it will protect you. But I want you to respond to the angels.”

And so Moses responded, “The Torah states, ‘I am the L‑rd your G‑d Who brought you out of the land of Egypt.’ Angels, did you ever live in Egypt? Were you slaves to Pharaoh? You were not. So, what do you need the Torah for?”

Moses continued, “The second commandment says, ‘Do not have any other gods before Me.’ Do you live amongst nations of the world who worship idols that you would learn from them?

“What else is written in the Torah?” continued Moses, “‘Remember the day of Shabbat to keep it holy.’ Do you work all week that you need to rest on Shabbat? Do you get tired? ‘Do not take G‑d’s name in vain?’ Will you, angels, ever be asked to swear in court? Do you engage in business dealings? ‘Honor your father and mother.’ You have no father or mother! ‘Do not murder; do not commit adultery; do not steal.’ Do angels ever become jealous? Do angels have an evil inclination?

“The Torah is not for you,” concluded Moses.

With that, the angels conceded, praised Moses, and even presented him with gifts.

Clearly, not only is Torah also for imperfect people, it is primarily for those of us who struggle, who are tempted, and who may sometimes fall short.

Always With You!

The Rebbe explained that in Moses’ first words to the angels he stressed the Anochi, the Egyptian word. “I—Anochi—am G‑d Who took you out of the land of Egypt.”

G‑d was telling the Jewish people, “I remember you in Egypt. I know what it is to be human. I know what it means to have temptations, to face trials and tribulations. I know what it is to feel boxed in, limited. Anochi! I’m not using Lashon Hakodesh, the Hebrew tongue, where everything is rosy and holy and perfect. I am using an Egyptian word. I was with you in Egypt, and I am with you now! I created the evil inclination, and I created Torah as its antidote.4 This Torah I am giving you will arm you with the ability to transcend your limitations and overcome your personal difficulties.”

Eternally Relevant

As we read the portion of the Ten Commandments, it’s crucial to internalize that they encompass the entire Torah, which serves as a blueprint for life.

One might question the relevance of Torah today, asking, “Why are you wasting your time with that?” In truth, however, Torah is the only thing that remains relevant, both today and always. Everything else is transient.

Imagine a doctor using 19th-century medicine or a judge applying outdated laws in a modern courtroom. A computer from a decade ago is considered a dinosaur. Science, technology, the “conventional wisdom” … everything evolves, but Torah remains unchanged; it is eternal.

And Torah is the best prescription for a happy life. When you leave a Torah class and share what you learned with your spouse, friends, or children, everyone around you will be uplifted.

Everything In Perspective

Is it always easy to adhere to the Torah? Certainly not. Take the 10th commandment, which states, “Do not covet.” What should you not covet? “Your neighbor’s house, wife, servant, ox, donkey, and everything your neighbor has.”5

How can we truly observe this commandment? What if my neighbor has a nice car? What if he has a Maserati?! I wish I had a Maserati!

Here’s something I heard many years ago and have shared often: The final words of the Ten Commandments are “[Do not covet…] everything your neighbor has.”

Having enumerated house, spouse, servants, and animals, what does the Torah add by saying, “and everything your neighbor has?” What else is left?

The answer lies in a beautiful teaching, a lesson we would all do well to bear in mind.

People constantly feel pressured to “keep up with the Joneses” (or the Schwartzes, or the Cohens). We tend to think that the other guy has it all and the grass is greener on the other side.

But before bemoaning the fact that you don’t have what your neighbor has, it’s important to understand that you don’t know the whole story. You know the car and the house, but you don’t know the troubles. You have no idea what goes on behind closed doors—one’s relationship with their spouse, one’s relationship with their children, the audit or the investigation one is dealing with. You have no idea of the “tzuris”—the troubles—your neighbor may be experiencing, G‑d forbid.

So before you say, “Why can’t I be like the other guy?” think about something my mother, Rebbetzin Miriam Gordon, of blessed memory, would always say, echoing what Jewish mothers and grandmothers have been saying for generations: “Everyone thinks the neighbors have it made, but if every family’s ‘package’ was hung out in public and G‑d ordered that we each pick one, we would all run to pick our own. After seeing what the neighbor has to deal with, we change our minds! He can keep his fancy car, and he can keep his troubles.”

The truth is we’d rather not have “everything our neighbor has.”

With that in mind, we can return to the first words of the Ten Commandments, Anochi, the knowledge that G‑d gave the Ten Commandments to human beings fresh out of Egypt. Each day, we must tap into our Divine connection to transcend our limitations and achieve freedom from our personal exile. Empowered by the eternal Torah, may we continually ascend higher in our partnership with G‑d, utilizing our talents to make His world a better place. May we truly merit to see a world of perfection, with the coming of our righteous Moshiach, may it happen speedily in our days! Amen.