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Why does the First Commandment use singular form when addressing the entire nation? The shiur develops a chakira between national and personal Torah (תורה) obligations at Sinai. National acceptance created collective responsibility like a treaty, while personal acceptance (requested by the people themselves) created individual liability for actual performance of mitzvos.
Rabbi Zweig addresses a perplexing Rashi (רש"י) on the First Commandment "Anochi Hashem (ה׳) Elokecha" (I am Hashem your God), which uses the singular form. Rashi explains this gave Moshe an argument to defend the Jewish people during the Golden Calf incident - since God only commanded Moshe, the people weren't individually obligated. This raises several questions: How could only Moshe be obligated when God wanted to destroy everyone for the Golden Calf? Why would God provide a defense for such a terrible sin? Rabbi Zweig resolves this by distinguishing between two levels of Torah (תורה) acceptance at Sinai. Originally, God planned to speak only to Moshe as the king of the Jewish people, creating a national covenant similar to international treaties between nations. The people would have collective responsibility but not individual liability. However, the Jewish people requested a personal relationship with God ("Ritzoneinu liros es malkeinu" - we want to see our King), demanding that God speak directly to them as well.
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Parshas Yisro - Aseres Hadibros (Ten Commandments)
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Why does the Third Commandment use "lo sisah" (don't elevate) for oaths, and why is it punished so severely? The analysis reveals that human speech uniquely expresses either our animal needs or our divine soul - the "nishmas chaim" God breathed into us. False or unnecessary oaths misuse our highest spiritual faculty, wasting the sacred power to express our eternal essence.
