Epilogue

It seems as though the four commands that follow in the short section of the immediate epilogue to asseret hadibrot - idolatry, the earthen altar, the prohibition of cutting the stones of the stone altar, and the prohibition of stairs to ascend the altar - are introduced as somehow being engendered by "you have seen that I have spoken to you from the heaven." The question is - why? What is the connection between these verses and the experience of witnessing the revelation of Sinai?

An exploration of these four commandments leads to a deeper understanding of their important addition to the experience of the Revelation at Sinai – highlighting both the opportunity and the responsibility brought about by the newly- formed relationship between God and the Jewish people.