What is the deeper meaning of this?

Torah directs the surges of mankind within a specific structure. Structure is the unification of disunity. The ultimate unity is G-d.(9) The closer things are to G-d, then, the more they will express G-d - by expressing His Unity. A man, for example, who reaches a level of G-dliness - will exhibit wholesomeness and completion. The closer one comes to G-d the more he will express Unity. The closest creation to G-d is Torah. The portion of Torah nearest to G-d is the Ten Commandments.

The Ten Commandments were said at one moment in time because Unity is so strongly a part of them. Their being spoken in unison, was an inevitable expression of their closeness to G- d.(10)

(11)Let us study the Ten Commandments.

The first five commandments are:

1. "I am Your God." 2. "You Shall Not Have Other Gods before me." 3. "You Shall Not Swear Falsely in My Name." 4. "Remember the Sabbath Day and Make it Holy." 5. "Honor Your Father and Mother."

What is the significance of the order these commandments are listed in?

Let us probe.

As stated earlier, the purpose of the Ten Commandments is to forge a bond between Man and G-d. The words of those commandments -the instruction the commandments contain - relates to the two parts of that union: laws on how to properly relate to G-d - and how to rightly relate to Man. The first five commandments speak of our relationship with G- d. Their order is set up in this sequence: sins more direct in their assault on G-d's essence are listed first; sins less direct in their affront are mentioned later.

The first commandment orders us to believe in G-d's existence. The negation of this command - the denial of G-d's existence, would assault G-d's very essence. It would be the most intimate action against G-d. Thus, it is mentioned first.

"You Shall Not Have Other Gods before Me," the second commandment, commands us to believe that G-d is One. The undoing of this command would be the denial of G-d's Singularity. This denial would not deny G-d's essence - but would deny the definition of His essence: Totality. Thus it is listed second.

The third commandment, "Do Not Swear Falsely in My Name," is a sin less focused on G-d. Profaning G-d's name is not a denial of G-d's essence, nor a denial of His Singularity. It is a violation of His honor. G-d's honor is farther from G- d's essence than is His Singularity. It is thus mentioned third.

"Remember the Sabbath" is the fourth commandment. Through positive verbiage, it warns us not to violate the Sabbath. Sabbath is not a representative of G-d's honor. It is, rather, a representation of G-d's creative power. A violation of Sabbath, a denial of G-d's creation - relates to the entities outside of G-d, entities that G-d created.(12) This is distant from G-d's own existence - more distant than His honor. Thus it is mentioned fourth.

The fifth commandment, "Honor Your Father and Mother," through positive verbiage, forbids the dishonor of parents. Parents are more distant in their representation of G-d. They represent G-d as His partners. They represent G-d as His partners in procreation. This addresses a more distant relationship than the relationships implied by the first four commandments. Thus it is mentioned last.

Consider: Even this most indirect violation of a relationship with G-d constitutes leaving the order that G-d instructs us to maintain - and is forbidden.

7 Mechilta; Yisro chapter 4

8 Midrash teaches that while the Ten Commandments were spoken to the Jewish People at one instant, G-d repeated them, individually, in a specific order. That is the order listed in Torah.

9 G-d, as the source of all existence, is, ultimately, everything.

10 The numeral é (numerical value 10) represents unity in another way, too. é is spelled as a single dot - an entity that is without parts and can not be broken down (Gevuras Hashem). Also, the mispar kattan of 10 is 1 (T.Y. 35).

11 Tiferes Yisroel; chapter 36

12 Maharal; Gevuras Hashem