Midrash su Deuteronomio 29:28

(Yithro 20:2) "I am the L rd your G d": Why were the ten commandments not stated at the beginning of the Torah? An analogy: A man enters a province and says (to the inhabitants): I will rule over you. They respond: Did you do anything for us that you would rule over us? Whereupon he builds the (city) wall for them, provides water for them, wages war for them, and then says: I will rule over you — whereupon they respond: Yes! Yes! Thus, the L rd took Israel out of Egypt, split the sea for them, brought down manna for them, raised the well for them, brought in quail for them, waged war with Amalek for them, and then said to them: I will rule over you — whereupon they responded: Yes! Yes! Rebbi says: (The thrust of "your [singular] G d") is to apprise us of the eminence of Israel, that when they all stood at Mount Sinai to receive the Torah, they were all of one heart, to receive the kingdom of Heaven with joy. And, what is more, they all stood security for each other (for observance of the mitzvoth.) And not only over what was revealed alone did the Holy One Blessed be He appear to them (in Arvoth Moav, viz. Devarim 29:9) to forge a covenant with them, but even over what was concealed, as it is written (Devarim 29:28) "What is hidden (is known to) the L rd our G d, and what is revealed is for us and for our children forever" — this, by way of saying: Over what is revealed we will enter into a covenant with you, but not over what is concealed, so that one not sin in secret and the congregation be bound thereby.

On this point the Tannaim differ. (Deut. 29, 28). The secret things belong unto the Lord our God, but those things which are publicly known, belong unto us and to our children for ever, to do all the words of this law. Why are the words unto us and to our children and the letter Ayin of the word ad dotted? This is to teach that for crimes conimitted in secrecy, Israel was not punished until they passed the Jordan. This is the opinion of R. Juda. R. Nechemiah said to him: "Were then Israel ever punished for crimes committed in secrecy? Behold! It is written [in the ahove passage] forever. Say then that just as they were not punished for secret crimes, so were they not punished for crimes which were done publicly until they passed the Jordan. (Fol. 44) But why was then Achan punished, [since his crime was in secret]? Because his wife and children were aware of it." (Ib.) Israel hath sinned! R. Abba b. Zabda said: "Although he had sinned he was still called an Israelite." R. Abba remarked: "This is what people say: 'A myrtle, even if it stands between willows, is still a myrtle by name, and people call it a myrtle.'" (Josh. 7, 11) Yea, they have even transgressed My covenant which I commanded them; yea they have even taken of the devoted things; and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have even put it among their own stuff; R. Illai said in the name of R. Juda b. Massaparta: "We infer from the above passage, that Achan had transgrassed all that is written in the five books of the Torah; for the word Gam (also) is mentioned five times in the above passage."

Rabbi said: At the time that the Israelites stood at Sinai, all agreed with one accord to receive with joy the yoke of the Kingdom of Heaven, as it is said: And all the people answered together, and said (Exod. 19:8). And furthermore, they pledged themselves in behalf of each other. At the time the Holy One, blessed be He, sought to make a covenant with them concerning the hidden and revealed matters, they said: We will make a covenant with Thee concerning the revealed matters, but not concerning that which is hidden, lest one of us sin in secret and the entire congregation be held responsible because of him, as it is said: The secret things belong unto the Lord our God; but the things that are revealed belong unto us (Deut. 29:28), in order that we may perform all the words of this law. Therefore, God spoke all these words.