Commandment

Verse

401   You shall not grumble against the Lord.

             Still another plural “you!”  No Jew may grumble against the Lord.

Deut. 6:16

402   You shall not make a covenant with any of the people whom you will drive

          out of the promised land.

             The two instances of “you” are singular.  Israel shall make no covenant with any of the tribes

              they drive out of Israel. This commandment is similar to Commandment 96, Exod. 23:32, but

              it is somewhat different.

Deut. 7:2

403   You shall not show mercy to any of the people whom you will drive out.

             The two instances of “you” are singular.  Israel shall show no mercy.  This is indeed a harsh

             commandment, but it was utterly necessary.  The Israelites (just as we Jews today) loved to

             assimilate and imitate.

Deut. 7:2

404   You shall not marry any of the people whom you will drive out of the

          promised land.

             The two instances of “you” are singular.

Deut. 7:3

405   You shall not take for yourself any objects of pagan worship or their

          materials.

             The “you” is plural.  No Jew may take any of these objects.

Deut. 7:25

406   You shall not bring any objects of pagan worship into your house.

             The “you” and “your” are plural.  No Jew may bring any of these objects into their home.

Deut. 7:26

407   You shall eat and you shall bless the Lord, your God, for the good land.

             The two instances of “you” and the “your” are singular.  Israel shall eat and bless the Lord.

             This verse is the basis for the blessings after a meal.  As I see it, this either refers to Israel as

             a body, or to a minion of ten (or maybe of three), but only in Israel (the good land).

Deut. 8:10

408   You shall circumcise the foreskin of your heart.

             The “you” and “your” are plural.  Every Jew must figuratively “circumcise” his heart.  In other

             words, we should each joyfully feel as if we have excised a piece of our heart and dedicated it

             to the Lord our God.

Deut. 10:16

409   You shall love the stranger.

             The “you” is plural.  Every Jew must love the stranger among us.

Deut. 10:19

410   You shall revere the Lord.

             This is a commandment, although it appears to repeat in so many words what is already in

             commandment 390, Deut. 6:5, but the “you” is singular here while it’s plural there.  So this

             commandment is for Israel as opposed to each of us.

Deut. 10:20

411   You shall cleave to the Lord.

             The “you” here is also plural.  Each Jew must cling to the Lord and depend on Him.

Deut. 10:20

412   You shall destroy all the pagan places of worship in the promised land.

             The “you” is plural.  Each Jew must destroy any pagan place he comes across in Israel.  Of

             course, mosques are not considered pagan places.

Deut. 12:2

413   You shall break down all pagan worship structures.

             The “you” is plural.  Each Jew must break down any pagan structures he encounters (also in

             the promised land).

Deut. 12:3

414   You shall fashion no abomination to the Lord, your God.

             The “you” is plural.  This applies to every Jew everywhere.  An abomination is anything with

             which the pagans worshiped their gods.  This commandment is similar to Commandment 31,

             Exod. 20:4, but is more generalized.

Deut. 12:4

415   You shall seek and come to the place that the Lord, your God, shall

          choose to put His name.

             The “you” is plural.  But this applies to the Temple and cannot be obeyed at the present time.

             However if a Jew believes that the Lord ‘s name still resides in Jerusalem (as I do), we must all

             strive to visit the western wall as often as we can.  It’s an incredible experience.

Deut. 12:5

416   You shall bring all your offerings there.

             The “you” is plural.  If offerings are now defined as blessings or money,  we may also bring

             these to one or more synagogues in Jerusalem.

Deut. 12:5,6

417   There you shall eat and rejoice before the Lord, your God.

             The “you” is plural.  Alas, if only we could carry out this commandment.

Deut. 12:7

418   You shall not eat of any of your tithes except before the Lord.

             The “you” is plural.

Deut. 12:17,18

419   Do not forsake the Levite.

             The implied “you” is singular.  It applies to the community, or its representative (other than the

             priest).

Deut. 12:19

420   If you are too far from the place the Lord will choose to put His name, you

         may eat within your gates of any of your animals.

             The two instances of “you” and “your” are each singular.  The Lord is good!  With this

             commandment, He let us off the hook with regard to the Temple.  Of course, the animals must

             be kosher.

Deut. 12:21

421   You shall not add onto everything that I am commanding you.

             The two instances of “you” are singular.  See Commandment 389, Deut. 4:2.  Notice that there

             the second-person pronouns are plural.

Deut. 13:1

422   You shall not take away from everything that I am commanding you.

             The two instances of “you” are singular.  See Commandment 390, Deut. 4:2.  Notice that there

             the second-person pronouns are plural.

Deut. 13:1

423   You shall not hearken to the words of a misleading prophet who urges

          you to stray.

             The two instances of “you” are singular.  Lest you suspect that this commandment refers to

             me (as a misleading prophet), let me hasten to say that I am not urging anyone to stray.  I am

             trying to urge us back to God and the Torah.

Deut. 13:2-4

424   The misleading or false prophet shall be put to death.

             No doubt some Jews may think I deserve this.

Deut. 13:6

425   You shall observe the statutes relating to anyone who would lead you

          astray

             The “you” is singular in this commandment and in the next six.

Deut. 13:7-11

426   You shall destroy any of your cities, its inhabitants, and its cattle in which

          idolators have turned them to other gods.

Deut. 13:13-16

427   When you hear of such a city, you shall inquire diligently of witnesses to

          ascertain the truth.

Deut. 13:13-16

428   You shall completely burn the city and all its spoil.

Deut. 13:17

429   The city shall never be rebuilt .

Deut. 13:17

430   You shall not keep any of the devoted things of that city.

             The “you” is singular.

Deut. 13:18

431   You shall not cut yourselves because of a death.

             The “you” is plural.  This was a practice of the pagans.

Deut. 14:1

432   You shall not make the area between your eyes bald because of a death.

             The same is true for this commandment as well.

Deut. 14:1

433   You shall not eat any animal that dies of itself.

             The “you” is plural.  This applies even to otherwise kosher animals.

Deut. 14:21

434   You shall tithe of your produce each year.

             The “you” is singular.  It applies strictly only to farmers.  However, according to tradition, it

             applies to all Jews who have any income (even if it’s from begging).  As I see it, though, this

             addition to the commandment is a violation of Deut. 4:2 and 13:1.

Deut. 14:22

435   You shall eat your portion of the tithe at the place of the Lord.

             The “you” is singular.  If you believe that the Lord has abandoned the Jews because there is no

             Temple, then following this commandment is impossible for you.  However, I believe that the

             place of the Lord is anywhere we acknowledge Him.  So this applies to all Jewish farmers,

             wherever they may live.

Deut. 14:23

436  If you are too far from the place of the Lord to carry your tithe, you may

         sell it.

             All the instances of “you” and “your” here and in the next three commandments are singular

             although it seems apparent that Moses is depicted as possibly speaking to individuals.

Deut. 14:24,25

437   Then you shall bind the money in your hand and come to the place of the

          Lord.

Deut. 14:25

438   With the money you shall purchase anything you desire and eat it there.

             That is, your portion of the tithe may be eaten by you.  See Commandment 436 above.

Deut. 14:26

439   Every third year you shall leave the tithe for the Levite, the stranger, the

          orphan, and the widow.

             Ten percent of your crop yield should be left on the field.

Deut. 14:28,29

440   A lender shall release any loan to his neighbor in the seventh year.

             Any Jew who has lent anything to another Jew shall leave it with him in the seventh year

             whether he has repaid any of it or not.

Deut. 15:2

441   A lender shall not oppress his neighbor or relative for return of the loan.

Deut. 15:2

442   You shall not withhold giving to a poor Israelite.

             The “you” is singular.  So this appears to be a commandment for the whole of Israel, but I can’t

             help thinking it is applicable to each Jew.  Yet the scribe may have intended to show that

             Moses was speaking in a general way to the entire congregation.

Deut. 15:7

443   You shall not withhold a loan to a needy relative because the year of

          release is near.

             This is another case of the “you” being singular, yet Moses is depicted again as if he is

             addressing the individuals of the congregation.

Deut. 15:9

444   You shall give freely without regret whether or not the year of release is

          near.

             The “you” is singular.

Deut. 15:10

445   One who releases a manservant in the seventh year shall not send him

          away empty handed.

Deut. 15:13,14

446   You shall remember when you were a slave in Egypt.

             The “you” is singular.  Yet this seems to be addressed to individuals.

Deut. 15:15

447   If your manservant says he will not leave, you shall take the awl and put it

          into his ear and into the door.

             And this also seems to be addressed to individuals.

Deut. 15:16,17

448   You shall do the same with your maidservant who refuses to leave.

Deut. 15:16,17

449   You shall not work a dedicated animal.

             The “you” is singular.  A dedicated animal is one that is designated to be sacrificed.

Deut. 15:19

450   You shall not shear the fleece of a dedicated sheep.

             The “you” is singular.

Deut. 15:19

451   When in the promised land, you shall count seven weeks from the start of

          spring reaping.

             The “you” is singular.  This is the counting of the omer from Passover to Shavuoth.  Jewish

             tradition interprets this commandment as applying everywhere, not just in Israel (another

             violation of Deut. 4:2 and 13:1).  In addition, according to my theory, this commandment is to

             be observed by an individual or body representing the community, not by each of us in the

             congregation.

Deut. 16:9

452   On the three festivals no male shall appear before the Lord empty handed.

Deut. 16:16

453   When in the promised land, you shall appoint judges and officials for

          yourselves in all your cities to judge you.

             The “you” is singular.

Deut. 16:18

454   When stoning a guilty idol worshiper, the first to cast stones shall be the

          witnesses.

Deut. 17:7

455   When a matter of any judgment is too difficult for you, you shall consult

          the priests, Levites, and the judge in the place of the Lord.

             The “you” is singular.

Deut. 17:8,9

456   You shall follow the decree they will declare.

             The “you” is singular.

Deut. 17:10

457   You shall put over you only a king whom the Lord chooses.

             The “you” is singular.  Modern Israel is unlikely to ever establish a king.  But what of the Prime

             Minister?  I can see that he might be required to follow the next eight commandments.  May

             one assume that a Prime Minister elected by the people would be the one chosen by the Lord?

             However, this commandment mentions only a king.  A strict interpretation, therefore, does not

             require a Prime Minister to conform to these commandments.

Deut. 17:15

458   You shall set as king only one of your kindred.

             The “you” is singular.  This commandment and the next seem to be superfluous.  Would the

             Lord need to follow these two commandments?  If the Lord chose a king, would he not be a

             Jew?

Deut. 17:15

459   You shall not set a king over you who is a stranger, one who is not of your

          kindred.

             The “you” is singular.

Deut. 17:15

460   The king shall not amass horses for himself.

             King Solomon violated this commandment and at least two of the next five.

Deut. 17:16

461   The king shall not lead the people back to Egypt.

Deut. 17:16

462   The king shall not amass wives for himself.

Deut. 17:17

463   The king shall not amass a treasure of silver or gold.

Deut. 17:17

464   The king shall write a copy of the Torah for himself.

             Presumably, the king would have the Torah copied by a scribe.

Deut. 17:18

465   The king shall read the Torah all the days of his life.

             Since it would take about a year to complete a copy of the Torah, the king could not fulfill this

             commandment until his Torah was completed.

Deut. 17:19

466   When you offer an ox or sheep, you shall give the shoulder, jaws, and

          belly to the priest.

             The “you” is singular.

Deut. 18:3

467   You shall give the priest the first fruits of your grain, wine, oil, and the first

          of the fleece of your sheep.

             The “you” is singular.

Deut. 18:4

468   When a Levite comes to the Tabernacle/Temple, wanting to minister there,

          he shall minister as his brethren.

Deut. 18:6-8

469   The new Levite shall consume equally with the others, besides his due

          according to the fathers’ households.

Deut. 18:8

470   A soothsayer shall not be found among you.

             The “you” is singular.  The same is true for the rest of the commandments below.  Incidentally,

            this is also true:  The use of the singular “you” in these verses is a virtual proof of the validity of

             my theory that singular second-person pronouns apply to the community as a whole.

Deut. 18:10

471   An enchanter shall not be found among you.

Deut. 18:10

472   A sorcerer shall not be found among you.

Deut. 18:10

473   A user of charms shall not be found among you.

Deut. 18:11

474   A consultant of a familiar spirit or ghost shall not be found among you.

Deut. 18:11

475   One who questions the dead shall not be found among you.

Deut. 18:11

476   You shall listen to the prophet of the Lord.

Deut. 18:15

477   You shall set apart three cities of refuge.

Deu 19:1,2

478   You shall divide your territory into three with one city in each.

Deu 19:1-3

479   You shall provide roads to the cities of refuge.

Deu 19:1-3

480   When your territory is enlarged to all of the Promised Land, you shall set

          apart three other cities.

             The “your” and “you” are singular.

Deut. 19:8,9