The most horrific terrorist attack on US soil since 9/11 took place this week. It happened on Shavuot, the day that the Torah was given over 3300 years ago; when all the Jewish people gathered at the foot of Mount Sinai and heard G-d communicate the Ten Commandments. “Do not murder” is the sixth commandment, something that this lowly terrorist obviously didn’t observe. Some have wondered why the need for such obvious instruction like “Do not murder” to be included in the Ten Commandments. Do we really need G-d to instruct us regarding something so basic? The answer is yes, obviously, but likely not for the reason you’re thinking. But first, another question - is murder intrinsically wrong? Don’t shout too loudly at me - think about this for a minute. Other than the fact that no one would want to be on the receiving end - either as the victim of murder or as a relative or friend of a victim - what makes it wrong? Thankfully, modern society has concluded (largely due to the influence of the Ten Commandments) that murder is wrong. But what is stopping society from changing it’s collective mind? If it’s merely a consensus of opinion, that could easily change. That’s the reason why G-d had to command us regarding matters that seem to us to be self evident, such as murder. If something is based solely on our understanding, it is based on very shaky ground. Today we view murder as unacceptable, but who is to say that tomorrow we won’t understand it differently? In fact, terrorists think that it is entirely legitimate to murder non-believers. The Nazis - a well educated and modern group of people - legitimized the wholesale murder of millions. (All while being concerned with animals and their welfare, mind you.) This is why it is imperative that we accept the prohibition of murder not simply because it makes sense but more importantly, because it is G-d’s command. At the very core of the matter is the acknowledgment that we are not the sole arbiters of right and wrong and good and evil. We may not be able to do much to help the victims of this attack and we may not be able to prevent the next one. But one thing we can do is increase in goodness and kindness, spreading a little (or a lot) more light.
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