Do You know the 10 Commandments?

"Why"? you ask.   (Are you that kid that used to ask the teacher "when am I going to use this in the real world?". )    The ten commandments are the most famous codes in history. Hammurabi's code, The Magna Carta, the Constitution, the "do's" and "don'ts" of Facebook etiquette.   All worth knowing.   

Having the Ten Commandments at hand doesn't make you any better, help you lose weight, or make you feel ten years younger.  How easy to ignore are they? Mere days after a Israel was awed by the promise of a just society and accepted this as their code for their new nation, they immediately forgot them and created a bacchanal cult of a golden calf.  

I did a study at a Havurah a number of years ago.  Every person there was a person of faith with a regular habit of reading the scriptures.  When I asked, not one person could recite the 10 commandments(!) Rabbi David asked in a message recently “if I ask, could you recite the ten commandments”   less than five hands went up in a room of several hundred (!!!)   

It's easy, there are only 10.  You probably have that many passwords on your cell phone. 

OIGiSH  MASLiC  if it helps, this a little mnemonic. (or else, it’s just silly!... but it works for me.)

Direction

O   Only one God

I    Idols: no idols

G   Gods name: do not take it in vain

S   Sabbath:  Remember and keep the Sabbath holy

H   Honor your mother and father

Don't...

M   Murder

A   Adultery

S   Stealing

L   Lying

C   Covetousness