Nearly every year since 1973, around Passover time, ABC has aired Cecil B. DeMille’s classic movie, The Ten Commandments. And like a lot of Jewish families, when I was a kid ours would gather around the television to watch. Perhaps this is part of your tradition too.
Despite its title, the movie isn’t really about the Ten Commandments very much. The bulk of its 3 hours and 40 minutes is devoted to the story of the Exodus. But then, with just a bit of time left in the film, Moses finally comes down the mountain. In this scene, he’s met by his lieutenant, Joshua:
Play [1:52-2:01]
Now, while listening to Charlton Heston dramatically recite his lines gives me a nice nostalgia rush, at this point in my life I kind of wish I hadn’t seen the movie at such a young age. Because, for me anyway, it actually makes the Ten Commandments feel like words that were literally written in stone thousands of years ago. It makes me feel farther from them, not closer. And it has taken a good deal of work for me to develop a relationship with them as words that really speak to me, in this time and place.
Maybe that resonates with you, too. If so, you’re in luck, as this is the first episode in a series we’re going to do on the Ten Commandments. My goal here is to help us rediscover these words, and explore how they can really help us live more mindfully.
So let’s start at the very beginning (a very good place to start). “Anochi, I the Eternal am your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, the house of bondage.” Wait, what? That’s not a commandment, it’s a statement. But traditionally it’s counted as the first of the Ten Commandments. Why?
First of all, let’s do a little refresher on something I’ve talked about on previous episodes: The word mitzvah does, in fact, mean “commandment.” But there’s a long Jewish tradition that also understands mitzvah as meaning “connection,” or “opportunity for connection.” It doesn’t have to be a heavy-handed “commandment.” Also, in Hebrew these aren’t actually called the Ten Mitzvot, they’re called Aseret Hadibrot: the Ten Divine Utterances, the Ten Things God Said. When we call them the Ten Commandments in English, we’re already orienting ourselves in a particular direction—and I’d like us to find some alternatives. I’ll keep calling them the Ten Commandments (I mean, that’s branding that just isn’t going away), but already with this first Divine Utterance we can see that these aren’t really commandments—they’re something else: an invitation to more mindful living.
All right, so back to the first one. What’s the invitation in “I the Eternal am your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, the house of bondage?” I would suggest that this is an opportunity to connect with our very deepest roots. We have to do this before we get to any of the ethical precepts of the Ten Commandments or the rest of the Torah. We need to ground in the deep, abiding spiritual reality that the animating, loving life force of the universe that brought our ancestors out of Egypt, the place of narrowness and constriction—that very same force is liberating us right now. It’s pulsing through us, present in every breath, constantly available.
That’s our starting point for everything that follows. All the other commandments—mitzvot, utterances, opportunities for connection—all of them are variations on this theme. We have to start with touching into the oneness of creation: the same Divine being that breathed life into the universe is the one who brought our ancestors to freedom—and is doing the same thing for us right now.
We can say that, of course. But it’s another thing to really feel it. So here’s a short meditation practice to help.
Find a comfortable posture, whether you are seated, or lying down, or standing. Allow your body to settle. If you’re sitting, feel your sit bones rooted, your spine gently lengthening upwards. If you’re lying down, feel the full support of the earth beneath you. Allow your shoulders to soften, your hands to rest gently.
Take a few deep, intentional breaths. Inhaling slowly, filling your lungs. And exhaling completely, letting go of any tension you might be holding. Just allowing your breath to be a gentle anchor, bringing you into this moment.
Now, bring your awareness to the simple fact of your own existence. The miracle of breath moving in and out of your body. The sensation of being alive. Feel the gentle rise and fall of your chest, the subtle movements within you.
As you breathe, you might silently echo the words, or simply hold the feeling, of “ Anochi” I am the Divine presence, your God. Not as a distant concept, but as the very ground of your being, the energy that animates you, the force that brought you into this moment.
Now consider the second part: “who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.” On a spiritual level, “Egypt” (Mitzrayim in Hebrew) literally means “narrow places.” We all experience “narrow places” in our lives – moments of fear, anxiety, self-doubt, constriction.
As you sit here, gently acknowledge any “narrow places” you might be feeling right now. Perhaps a worry, a tension, a feeling of being stuck. Just notice it, without judgment, without needing to change it.
Now, bring to mind the radical truth: just as the Israelites were led from Mitzrayim, you too are being continually led from constriction into spaciousness. This divine presence, this “I AM,” is a force of liberation within you and around you. It invites you to a profound acceptance of what is, knowing that even within challenges, there is a pathway to freedom.
Feel the breath flowing freely. Imagine each inhale bringing in more spaciousness, more release from any self-imposed “bondage.” And each exhale gently releasing the grip of those narrow places.
There’s no need to force anything, no need to struggle. Simply allow. Allow yourself to be present with whatever arises. This is the practice of radical acceptance: acknowledging what is, and trusting in the deeper currents of existence that are always moving towards wholeness and liberation.
Rest in this awareness. The simple, profound truth of “I AM.” The ever-present source of life. The liberating force. The ground of being.
When you’re ready, if your eyes have been closed, open them gently. And see if you can bring some of this awareness into the rest of your day.
Blessings for the journey. Know that I’m on it with you.