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You
shall
not take the name of
the Lord your God in vain
Upper
left-hand quadrant:
How were the Ten Commandments set forth? There were five on one tablet,
five on the other. On the one was written, 'I am the Lord your God,' and
opposite it: 'You shall not murder.'
On the one was written, 'You shall have no other God,' and opposite
it: 'You shall not commit adultery.' On the one was written, 'You shall
not take the name of the Lord your God in vain,' and opposite it: 'You
shall not steal.'
Mekhilta
According to Rabbi Ishmael
Upper right-hand
quadrant: The world was created in precisely ten utterances, corresponding
to the Ten Commandments through which the Torah was given to Israel.
Bet Hamidrash, ed. Yellineck. Vol 6, p. 46.
Lower left-hand
quadrant: Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, "Each of
you take handfuls of soot from the kiln, and let Moses throw it toward
the sky in the sight of Pharaoh. It shall become a fine dust over the
land of Egypt, and cause an inflammation breaking out in boils on man
and beast throughout the land of Egypt." Exod. 9:8-9
Lower right-hand
quadrant: After R. Joshua ben Teradion was slain, R. Judah ben
Bava was put to death. The Ten Martyrs
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