Last But Not Least
Parshas
Yisro
The mountain smoldered
and quaked. Thunder and lightning rent the skies. The Jewish people in their
great multitudes stood transfixed at the foot of the mountain, awestruck by the
spectacle of the revelation of the Divine Presence on the mountaintop and the
knowledge that they were about to receive the divine Torah. But what did they
actually receive at Mount Sinai? In fact, it was only a small percentage of the
entire Torah – the Ten Commandments. These were the instructions Hashem chose
to pronounce on that unforgettable occasion. These were the instructions He
chose to inscribe on the Tablets that Moses carried down from the mountaintop.
Clearly, these ten
pronouncements are the most fundamental of all the Torah’s commandments, the
very bedrock of Judaism. They define the relationship of the Jewish people to
the Creator and to their fellow man. Have faith in Hashem. Do not worship
idols. Do not blaspheme. Keep the Sabbath. Honor your father and mother. Do not
commit murder. Do not commit adultery. Do not rob. Do not bear false witness.
Do not covet another’s property or wife.
Do not covet? How did
this commandment find its way into this august group? Is coveting in the
secrecy of one’s heart an abomination against Hashem or society comparable to
the other commandments?
The commentators
explain that the tenth commandment is actually the key to all the others. Let
us reflect for a moment. How can we control a feeling? How can a wretched
person see his neighbor’s prosperity without yearning for the same good
fortune? Isn’t it only natural for him to be overcome by a strong desire to
enjoy those gifts of life that have been denied to him? How then does the Torah
command him not to covet? What is he supposed to do?
The answer lies in our
total acceptance of Hashem’s will and a profound faith in His absolute and
total goodness. The world is one vast interconnected organism, and every single
person, every tree, every blade of grass has its designated role in the grand
scheme of things. In guiding this great caldron with pure benevolence, Hashem
pays meticulous care to even the minutest element so that all together the
purpose of creation will be fulfilled. He assigns each of us a specific role in
life that will help our purpose become a reality, a personalized mission for
each of us to accomplish. If we acknowledge these truths, if we realize there
can be no greater fulfillment in life than accomplishing this divine mission,
all else becomes trivial. If a wretched person truly believes his mission in
life is to shine in his state of wretchedness, he will not covet another
person’s good fortune. The tenth commandment enjoins us to bow to the divine
wisdom, to accept His guidance in every aspect of our lives and not to covet
that which Hashem has chosen not to give us.
This then is the most
fundamental of all the commandments, and the extent to which we fulfill it
colors and characterizes our fulfillment of all the others. Why do we refrain
from idolatry, murder and robbery? Why do we honor our parents and observe the
Sabbath? Is it mere obedience, the grudging submission to the powerful Being
who has commanded us to do so? Or is it something that resonates in the very
depths of our hearts? If we have learned not to covet, if we are focused on our divinely
ordained mission in life, then we will undoubtedly view the fulfillment of all
the commandments as a joyous privilege that will help us reach the transcendent
goals towards which we strive.
A mother returned home with her son from a visit to the
optician. The boy wore a new pair of glasses with shiny, stylish gold frames,
which he proudly showed off to all his siblings. A short while later, the
mother found one her younger sons sulking in his room.
“What’s the matter?” she asked. “Why are you so glum? Has
anyone done anything to hurt you?”
“Yes,” the boy declared. “You did! You bought him glasses, but
you didn’t buy any for me.”
The mother was taken aback for a moment, then she gather her
little boy in her arms. “Do you know why he got glasses?” she said. “Because he
doesn’t see well. Without those glasses, he can’t see the blackboard. But you are
so lucky. You have such sharp vision, you can read the smallest letters from
far away. Why would I get you glasses?”
In our own lives, we are all too familiar with the pressures
of living in a materialistic society where the quality of life is often measured
by the possessions we accumulate. The tenth commandment offers us the means by
which to rise above this myopic vision. If we connect to the universal will of
the Creator and direct ourselves towards the accomplishment of our mission in
life, we will find a serenity and fulfillment that will enrich us far more than
the gratification of any of our covetous desires.
Text Copyright © 2008
by Rabbi Naftali Reich and Torah.org.
Rabbi Reich is on the
faculty of the Ohr Somayach Tanenbaum Education Center.
Human Achievement Lies in The Ten Commandments
Parshas
Yisro
Posted on February 2, 2010 (5770) By
Rabbi Berel Wein | Series: Rabbi Wein
| Level: Beginner
The basis for all civic
morality and personal piety lies in the words of revelation granted to Israel
at Mount Sinai and recorded for us in the Torah in this week’s parsha. It is
difficult to imagine any sort of human progress or civilization absent the Ten
Commandments and its value system. Monotheism, respect for parents and
authority, protection of person and property, the importance of a day of rest
and spiritual serenity, truthfulness and justice, are all the bases of human
existence and progress.
We are aware even
today, millennia later, that these necessary ideas for human achievement are
still not universally accepted. Crime, murder, and immorality of all sorts
still rule much of human society. Perhaps that is one understanding of the dire
statement of the rabbis in Avot that there is a heavenly voice that emanates
daily from Sinai that states: “Woe to My creatures due to their abuse and
insult of Torah!”
These basic rules of
life that are so clearly and logically self-evident in their wisdom and essence
are nevertheless observed more in their breach than in their true observance.
One look at any daily newspaper anywhere around the globe will confirm this sad
assessment of human affairs in our current world.
We are a long way from
assimilating the ideas of Sinai into our lives even after thirty three hundred
years of their existence as the basic building blocks of human civilization.
Sadly, the evil nature of humans remains somehow paramount in our society.
But the Torah bids us to combat this inherent individual evil
nature within us. We have to begin with ourselves. It is related that a great
sage once stated in his elderly years: “When I was young I attempted to rectify
everything that was wrong in the world. As I grew older I realized that this task
was beyond my abilities, so I concentrated on my community. After time I
realized that this was also beyond my abilities, so I now concentrated on my
family and my descendants. Sadly, I realized that this was also not given to me
rectify easily. So now I have decided to concentrate on myself – my own
self-discipline and improvement.”
The Torah always speaks
to us in personal terms, as individuals who are held responsible for our
actions and omissions. The Ten Commandments are therefore written to us directly,
in second person, and not merely as nice moral generalities. They are
commandments and not just advice that can be accepted or rejected.
The Talmud and
Halacha have defined for us each of these commandments in a legal and technical
manner. Jewish tradition, customs and mores have expanded on these legal
details and fleshed out for us a moral code for daily, practical human
behavior.
It is only in this
broader moral context that we can understand the commandment “not to covet.” It
may be unenforceable legally in a court of law by itself unless one has
actually stolen because of it but the moral implications of the commandment
should be clear to all. Fortunate are we to whom such a Torah and moral value
system was given.
Shabat shalom
Rabbi Berel Wein
ESSENTIALLY
THE SAME
“I am Hashem, your G-d,
who has taken you out from the land of Egypt…” (20:2)
The commentaries all
question why it was necessary for Hashem to identify himself as the G-d who
took Bnei Yisroel out of Egypt. Rashi
cites the answer given by the Midrash stating that at Sinai, Hashem appeared to
Bnei Yisroel as an elderly person, full of compassion, whereas upon leaving
Egypt, at the splitting of the Red Sea, He appeared as a powerful warrior. This
apparent dichotomy could leave a person with the impression that the world is
controlled by different deities. Therefore, Hashem accentuates that He is the
same G-d who took Bnei Yisroel out of Egypt.1 Monotheism is a basic tenet of Judaism
introduced to the world by Avraham Avinu. After Avraham, this concept was
passed down from father to son, and is the basic belief of every Jew. How could
any person standing at Sinai require a message regarding the unity of Hashem? Furthermore, another basic tenet of
Judaism is Hashem’s omnipotence, His ability to perform any miracle He desires.
Why would there be any doubt that the G-d who split the Red Sea and drowned the
Egyptians is the same force at the Sinaitic revelation? The Midrash is offering
a powerful insight into the level of revelation which occurred at both the Red
Sea and Sinai. All miracles require some
level of revelation of the presence of Hashem. However, the level of revelation
at the splitting of the Red Sea and at Sinai was so strong that, although
Hashem is incorporeal, having no body or form, the people experiencing this
event perceived that they “saw” Hashem’s true essence. It would cause
great conflict in the human mind to perceive Hashem’s essence in one form, and
then again in another. It required a statement from Hashem to prevent any
misconceptions and to prove that there were no inconsistencies in His true
essence.
1.20:2
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