The Mekhilta, commenting on the section of the Aseret Ha-dibberot, notes the well-known arrangement of the Ten Commandments on the stone tablets – the first five on one tablet, and the next five on the other.  Based on this arrangement, the Mekhilta establishes that the first and sixth commandments – which appeared side-by-side on the tablets – bear a connection with one another: “Anyone who spills blood is considered as though he has defiled God.”  The two commandments’ juxtaposition to one another indicates that they are somehow related.  The Mekhilta thus asserts that taking another person’s life is akin to blasphemy, as the killer denies God’s exclusive control over human life. 

            This comment by the Mekhilta, besides offering insight into the theological (rather than just ethical) aspects of murder, also invites us to find parallels between the other couplets of commandments.  The underlying assumption of the Mekhilta is that the pairs of horizontally juxtaposed commandments reflect a certain theme, thus calling upon us to find points of connection between the other four couplets. 

            Indeed, some of these relationships are readily discernible.  The prohibition of idolatry, for example, is coupled with adultery, as paganism constitutes a betrayal of our special relationship with the Almighty.  Shabbat observance is commonly viewed as a form of testimony, whereby we bear witness to God’s having created the universe, and thus the commandment of Shabbat is paired with the prohibition against false testimony. 

            Perhaps the least obvious of these relationships is the connection between the fifth and tenth commandments – honoring parents, and the prohibition of “lo tachmod” (“You shall not covet”).  How might these two commandments be related to one another? 

            One possibility, as suggested by Rav Asher Brander, relates to the concept of accepting inalterable realities.  A child is born into a family against his or her will.  We can select our friends, spouse, mentors and associates, but we cannot choose our family.  The mitzva of respecting parents is based not only on the obvious need to show gratitude to those who created and raised us, but also on the concept of respecting the framework into which we were born.  Honoring parents means accepting the unchangeable realities of our lives, looking positively upon the basic structure in which we live despite never having chosen it.  Conversely, failing to show respect to parents expresses a rejection of the framework of our lives.  If we show contempt to our parents, we essentially proclaim our disdain for the life situation in which God has placed us, whereas by honoring our parents, we demonstrate our happy acceptance of the framework He chose for us. 

            And herein, perhaps, lies the connection between this mitzva and the prohibition of “lo tachmod.”  As Ibn Ezra famously comments, this prohibition requires framing one’s mindset according to legal and halakhic norms, viewing other people’s property the way a peasant boy views the prospect of marrying the princess – as an accepted and clear-cut impossibility.  “Lo tachmod” requires us to view what we have as our allotted share, without fretting over what we do not have.  Just as we accept the basic family structure into which we were born, we are to accept the unchangeable conditions into which God brings us throughout our lives.  The prohibition of “lo tachmod” challenges us to look at our peers’ blessings as something beyond our realm, and hence as something that there is no need or reason for us to desire. 

            Thus, the fifth and tenth commandments instruct us to accept the inalterable realities of our lives, both natural and spiritual.  The Almighty prescribed for each of us certain conditions and frameworks within which we must lead our lives.  We must accept this reality and utilize it to the very best of our ability, respecting the situation into which we are placed without resenting the conditions that God, in His infinite wisdom, wanted for us.