One of the advantages of getting a driver’s license as a teenager was that I could do things outside of our parts warehouse. I helped with deliveries, returns, stock orders and even cash collections. I got to see many types of repair shops. The bustling ones, the deadbeats and everything in between.
I would like to suggest that the best ones followed a set of unspoken “Commandments.” There weren’t necessarily ten and one could quibble about how many there should be, but I’m going to go with the following “5 commandments” of the best repair shops:
- Safety comes before speed or price.
The best shops never gamble with brakes, steering, critical components or structural integrity, no matter how tight the schedule or how price-sensitive the customer is. And it goes without saying that employee safety is paramount.
- Diagnose before replacing.
Guessing is expensive and unfair. Great technicians take the time to understand the problem before reaching for parts.
- Fix the root cause, not just the symptom.
Clearing a warning light or silencing a noise isn’t a repair if the underlying issue remains.
- Tell the truth about what’s needed and what isn’t.
Trust is built by protecting customers from unnecessary work, not by maximizing the ticket.
- Return the car better than you found it.
Clean, properly installed, torqued, tested, and verified. Every job is a reflection of the shop’s standards.
The repair shop commandments of course tie into the renown Ten Commandments, which we’re introduced to in this week’s reading (Exodus 18-20), called Yitro (the Hebrew name for Jethro, father-in-law of Moshe).
The reading of Yitro opens with Moshe reunited with his family. Yitro brings Moshe’s wife, Tzipporah, and Moshe’s sons to the wilderness after hearing all that God has done for Israel in Egypt. Moshe recounts the Exodus as well as the attack by the people of Amalek, and Yitro responds with joy and gratitude, acknowledging the greatness of God. He offers sacrifices and joins Aharon and the elders of Israel in a shared meal.
The next day Yitro observes Moshe sitting alone from morning until evening judging the people. He sees the endless line and recognizes that the burden on Moshe is unsustainable. Yitro speaks directly and warns that Moshe will wear himself out and exhaust the people as well. He advises Moshe to teach the laws and instructions to the nation, while setting up a judiciary by appointing capable and trustworthy leaders to handle disputes. Moshe accepts the advice, establishes a system of delegated authority, and the people benefit from a more functional structure. This is actually one of the reasons why Yitro is such a favored biblical personality for me. He’s the world’s first management consultant!
After Yitro departs, the Israelites arrive at Mount Sinai. They camp opposite the mountain, and Moshe ascends to receive God’s message. God declares that Israel is being formed into a treasured people, a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. Moshe conveys this to the people, and they respond together that they will do all that God has spoken.
The people prepare themselves for the revelation. They are instructed to set boundaries around the mountain and to sanctify themselves in anticipation of what is to come. On the third day the mountain is enveloped in thunder, lightning, cloud, and the sound of the shofar. The people tremble as Moshe leads them forward to stand at the foot of the mountain.
God speaks the Ten Commandments directly to the entire nation. The foundational principles of faith, loyalty, rest, respect, and moral restraint are proclaimed in a moment of overwhelming intensity.
It’s important to note that while the Ten Commandments carry great significance, Jewish tradition counts a total of 613 Commandments in the Torah.
However, for people who like lists, here are the Ten:
- I am the Lord your God who took you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
- You shall have no other gods besides Me. You shall not make for yourself a graven image or bow down to them.
- You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
- Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.
- Honor your father and your mother.
- You shall not murder.
- You shall not commit adultery.
- You shall not steal.
- You shall not bear false witness against your fellow.
- You shall not covet anything that belongs to your fellow.
While hearing the voice of God, the people see the thunder, the lightning, the sound of the shofar, and the smoking mountain, and they tremble and stand at a distance. They say to Moshe, “You speak to us and we will listen, but let God not speak to us lest we die.” Moshe says to the people, “Do not be afraid, for God has come in order to test you, and so that the fear of Him will be upon your faces, so that you will not sin.”
Moshe draws near to the thick cloud where God is, while the people remain standing at a distance. God says to Moshe that the people have seen that He has spoken to them from heaven. He commands that they not make gods of silver or gods of gold. He instructs them to make an altar of earth for Him, and to offer upon it burnt offerings and peace offerings, their sheep and their cattle. If they make an altar of stone, it is not to be made of hewn stone, for lifting a tool upon it profanes it. They are also told not to ascend the altar by steps.
Thus, ends what is likely the most monumental encounter in world history. God reveals Himself to an entire nation. God’s imprint on the nation would last forever, and the ripples would spread throughout the planet.
