Picture the following scenario: It's 1:30 PM, and a woman, let's call her Nancy, is sitting in her home in Closter, NJ. The doorbell rings. Nancy opens the door and standing there is a delivery boy from Closter Flowers with a stunning bouquet of perfect extra long-stemmed red roses in a Swarovski crystal vase. Nancy thinks for a moment.... it's not my birthday or anniversary, so why is someone sending me flowers? Nancy hurries to the dining room table, quickly unwraps the bouquet, and a small off-white envelope drops to the table with the following note: "For Nancy – the most beautiful, talented, and amazing woman I have ever met. Love, Me.”

Perplexed about the anonymous note, she quickly dials her husband Steve. "Steve," she says, "what do you want from me?" "Nothing at all," he replies. "So what's with the flowers?" she demands. "Nancy," he says, "the flowers are just a small token of my appreciation for all that you do for me and the kids. I am not sure why I just came to this realization today, but you never stop, even for a second, worrying, caring, coordinating, and facilitating every aspect of our family's life, and for this I say thank you!” Nancy thanks Steve profusely and lovingly places the flowers on the small antique table at the entrance to their home so that everyone who walks into their house can see the evidence of Steve's thoughtfulness and appreciation. Giddily, Nancy putters around the kitchen, humming to herself as she prepares Steve's favorite dinner. She reasons that one good deed deserves another!

Now let's repeat this exact same story, but this time starring another woman from Closter. Let's call her Tracy. When Tracy receives the bouquet of roses, she breaks into a cold sweat. You see Tracy has been "too friendly" with her boss, her personal trainer, and even her personal banker! Now she is in a dilemma: She is not sure who her "anonymous" benefactor is! She can’t call her husband and ask him – what if the flowers are not from him? In a panic, she takes the note, rips it into small pieces and flushes them down the toilet. She disposes of the flowers and vase in the dumpster at a neighborhood park. Confident that she has destroyed the evidence, she smugly returns to her car… when she suddenly realizes that the flowers may actually be from her husband! Poor Tracy! What a tough situation!

In this week's Torah portion, Yisro, the fledgling Jewish nation experiences a direct revelation from the Almighty and receives the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments are inscribed on two tablets called the luchos, with five commandments on each tablet. The five commandments on the right side are all related to the relationship between man and G-d, i.e., idol worship, belief in one G-d, Shabbat observance. The five on the left were instructions pertaining to relationships between human beings, i.e., murder, theft, etc. The commentaries point out that each of the five commandments on the right side corresponds to its respective commandment on the left, and they are connected on some level. For example, the fourth commandment on the right, Shabbat observance, corresponds to the fourth commandment on the left (the ninth overall), the commandment against false testimony, since one who observes Shabbat is testifying to the fact that G-d created the world in six days and rested on the seventh. Conversely, when one desecrates the Shabbat, it’s as if they are bearing false testimony.

This phenomenon of corresponding commandments manifests itself in a phenomenal way when the second and seventh commandments are juxtaposed. The second commandment reads: "There shall not be to you other gods in addition to Me."  This corresponds to the seventh commandment, which prohibits adultery and infidelity.

These commandments reveal a profound connection between infidelity and belief in additional deities. An individual whose only allegiance is to the Almighty lives a simple and straightforward existence. Life's challenges and successes, gifts and setbacks are perceived as part of a very unique set of circumstances that are given by the Almighty to mold and shape the individual.  An anonymous gift or ordeal is not confusing at all; the benefactor or sender is quite apparent. Nancy's immediate response was to pick up her phone and call her one and only true love, her spouse. Conversely, one who believes in multiple deities and powers is constantly in a state of confusion. Should one attribute their success to themselves, G-d, good luck, the horoscope? Are their setbacks just a series of unfortunate events, bad luck, or karma? Tracy's bewilderment is a direct result of her infidelity, and the subsequent confusion is a consequence of her disloyalty.

So next time that life sends you a beautiful bouquet of roses, turn to your "anonymous" benefactor with certainty, confidence, and conviction and tell Him, “Thanks! I really appreciate your gift!”