Yitro --  God's Messengers

Which of the 10 Commandments caused the entire world to tremble? The Midrash claims that it was the third commandment -- thou shalt not take the name of the Lord in vain. What was so earthshaking, literally, about this commandment?

On a practical level, this commandment refers to everything from swearing falsely to swearing frivolously to simply using God's name unnecessarily. On a daily basis, we are prohibited from reciting blessings that are unnecessary, such as repeating a blessing that we have already said. Swearing falsely refers to swearing about a tree that is a stone. Swearing frivolously means that one shouldn't swear about a tree that it is, indeed, a tree. All of these oaths that we refer to include using God's name.

That last one, swearing frivolously, arouses my curiosity. It's not a lie, it is somewhat unnecessary because the tree is patently a tree. Yet even for this, the entire world trembled when God spoke this commandment. I would even go so far as to claim that this is the worst kind. Why?

I think the entire commandment rests on the choice of the words, "thou shalt not lift up the Lord's name in vain..". The Lord's name is more than simply an identifying feature. It is the very essence, as it were, of creation. It is the very identity of Israel. As it says in Deuteronomy, "the nations of the world shall see that the name of God is called upon you, and they shall be in awe of you."

The psalmist, in a chapter that we recite every Sunday, the first day of the week, describes God's ownership and creation of the world. In that chapter, it states "who shall ascend the holy mountain?... one of clean hands and pure heart, who has not carried (lifted up) My Soul in vain and has not sworn falsely." Recognition that God is the creator of the universe requires the complete respect of the sanctity of His name.

The commentary Kli Yakar compares using God's name falsely or frivolously to lifting up (notice the expression) a tree. Even though one only deals with the root, every branch and leaf on that tree will shake. That is the explanation of the entire world trembling when God gave this commandment. When we lift up the tree, when we lift up God's name in vain, the entire creation shakes.

Why would one swear about a tree that it is a tree? As Shakespeare says, methinks the gentleman doth protest too much. I believe this hints at a deeper meaning for this commandment. There are those who will use God's name to promote themselves, to give validation to their own agendas. Sometimes they may have positive agendas, and sometimes not. These are people that are not as concerned about what they promote, but rather that they be accepted as God's personal messengers.

God does not want oaths. He wants good deeds. He wants us to carry His name through our behavior, not our public proclamations. When one individual becomes a self-appointed messenger of God, he threatens all of creation. There is such a thing as desecration of God's name, and it comes through people who carry God's name but do not walk in His ways.

We can all be messengers of God, but only if we do so by walking in His ways.