The Covenant at Sinai (AQA GCSE Religious Studies A (8062))
Revision Note
Written by: Glenn Millington
Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett
The Role of Moses
Who was Moses?
Moses is regarded as the greatest prophet in Judaism
Jews believe that he too made an important covenant with God
It is believed that Moses is the only person to have ever witnessed God face to face
Moses delivered the words of God and received miracles sent by God
Jews believe that God acted through Moses
The Story of Moses
The story of Moses is important for Jewish belief and practices, especially the story where he led the Israelites out of slavery to the promised land
Moses Leads the Israelites from Egypt
This journey is remembered and celebrated at the festivals of Succoth and Pesach
God promised to be with him in his role
"Who am I to go to the pharaoh?" said Moses to God. "And how can I possibly get the Israelites out of Egypt?" "Because I will be with you" replied God (Exodus 3:11–15)
The Covenant at Sinai
The Covenant at Sinai
Jews believe that:
After Moses had led the Israelites out of Egypt, he took them through the desert and disappeared up a mountain (Mount Sinai)
This is when God revealed to Moses the 613 commandments that Jews are expected to follow, including the Ten Commandments
God spoke to Moses through a burning bush:
Many Jews (mainly Orthodox Jews) also believe that Moses was given the Oral Torah, which was passed down by word of mouth to help people interpret the Written Torah
The Ten Commandments
Moses was also given the Ten Commandments to teach the children of Israel about the most important rules to live by
Moses formed a covenant with God that, as God’s chosen people, the Israelites would keep the commandments
The Promised Land
The promised land
The Tanakh repeatedly refers to God’s offer of a Promised Land for Abraham and his descendants
God promised Abraham and his wife Sarah many descendants
Who would make you into nations and who would be kings with whom God would keep an eternal covenant (Genesis 17:6–7)
Today, many Jews believe that the land now known as Israel belongs to Jews in fulfilment of God’s covenant with Abraham to give the Jewish people a Promised Land
This has often led to conflict both within and outside the religion
In 1948, in the face of opposition from Arab countries in the Middle East, the State of Israel was created
Since then there have been many disputes, and even wars, over the land
Different views about the promised land
For some Jews, their relationship with the State of Israel is an essential part of their religious identity and key to their understanding of Judaism
For some Jews, a connection to Israel is part of their cultural and personal identity
A very small minority of Jews do not see the land of Israel as important in their understanding of what it means to be Jewish
There are some Jews who feel that there should not have been an attempt to set up the State of Israel before the coming of the Messiah because the Jews’ exile from the land was a punishment from God
Worked Example
Which one of the following is the name of the person with whom God made a Covenant at Sinai?
(1 mark)
A. Adam
B. David
C. Joseph
D. Moses
Answer:
The correct response is D – Moses. All of the others are important figures in the Hebrew Bible but only Moses made a Covenant with God at Sinai.
Examiner Tips and Tricks
Prepare for questions that could relate to the importance of the Ten Commandments for Jewish people. For example, a 12 mark question could ask:
"Keeping the ten commandments is the most important part of Judaism"
Evaluate this statement.
In your answer you should:
• refer to Jewish teaching
• give reasoned arguments to support this statement
• give reasoned arguments to support a different point of view
• reach a justified conclusion (12 marks)
To respond to this question, you need to consider why the Ten Commandments are considered extremely important within Judaism but also how other elements of faith and practice may be equally as important.
Arguments in support of the statement could include:
All Jewish people make a covenant with God to follow the Ten Commandments, which shows their importance
They provide practical guidance on how Jews should live their lives
By following them, Jewish people will be favourably judged by God in the afterlife
Moses is considered the greatest prophet within Judaism and therefore the commandments take on greater significance
Arguments in support of other arguments could include:
Jewish people believe that the whole of the Torah is important and not just the Ten Commandments
Some Jewish people may believe that although the Commandments are important, they were for a different time and don't apply as much to modern society
Some Jews would argue that other things are just as important as the commandment rules, like regular prayer or working to end poverty and war
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