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Teaching the Bible
MOSES:
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
Teacher Notes
Appropriate use in the classroom
- Many pupils are acquainted with the Ten Commandments. But they will probably have been introduced to them as 'free-floating' rather than in any biblical setting. They will have picked up that these rules are something held in esteem by society but they may not have understood why that is the case.
- The Ten Commandments are fundamental to the Jewish Torah but it is easy to misrepresent them, by emphasising how negative they are and how difficult it must be for Jews to have to keep all the rules. The Jewish attitude to its Law is very different. It is seen as God's gift to Jews and far from seeing it as a burden, they have pleasure in doing God's will by trying to observe it. So, teachers must beware of giving a wrong impression by assessing it from a non-Jewish perspective.
- There is a tendency to present the Ten Commandments with a modern interpretation which can easily distort them. This does not mean that more recent interpretations cannot be discussed but pupils should be made aware of their original meaning.
- One of the dangers inherent in this material is that because the Ten Commandments are in a negative form, this reinforces pupils' views that religion is about denial, rather than the enhancement of life. So this needs to be borne in mind when teaching, as it is easy to pass on messages unintentionally.
- It is important that pupils are given the opportunity to study the Ten Commandments because they are one of the few passages from the Bible that are still commonly known and are therefore part of the pupils' heritage. That does not mean though that only such passages should be taught. Indeed, the Bible is a treasure which has much more to offer young people than just the 'familiar bits'.
- So, while the Ten Commandments can be a useful springboard for reflecting on personal and communal morality, their Jewish context and Christian emphasis must be remembered.
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