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Last But Not Least • Torah.org
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.
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Human Achievement Lies in The Ten Commandments
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
Rabbi Berel Wein- Jewish historian, author and international
lecturer offers a complete selection of CDs, |
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