Dear Friends,
Can you name all Ten Commandments – without looking them up? Give it a shot. Take a minute. I’ll wait for you!
How’d you do? Commonly, if one misses a commandment, I would guess it is either not to swear falsely by God’s name, not to bear false witness against another, or, most commonly – do not covet. I hope you got those three!
This week, we read the Ten Commandments – not just the seven which we can remember! And, this Shabbat morning, we will read the Ten Commandments from the Torah – plan to join us!
This comes to the perennial question – is there one among the Ten which stands out as most significant? I could readily argue for any of them or challenge us to that discussion – so why not.
How about the oft-overlooked Commandment #10: “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor male nor female slave, nor ox nor ass, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.” (Exodus 20:14)
Why would that command be superior in import and meaning than #1 (I am your God), #4 (Keep Shabbat), or #6 (Do not murder)? Aren’t they more inclusive, have a greater moral impact, and seemingly subsume other commands within them?
Yes, perhaps. But “Do not covet” has a unique component all to itself, which no other command can claim. This command addresses the psychological and spiritual well-being and health of the one who fulfills it. The other commandments treat how one interacts with other people or with God; this command treats how one understands oneself.
The profound message of “Do not covet” is quite simple: be satisfied with what you have, who you are, and the way in which you live. Don’t live by the measure of one’s neighbor’s stuff or accomplishments. It is not at all fatalistic; it doesn’t assert that one shouldn’t seek further education, pursue advancement in business, or undertake better and healthier habits. But, it does assert that one should measure one’s fulfillment and achievements on a scale of one’s own making. Ultimately, it teaches that the healthy soul is comfortable in her or his own skin and shoes. It requires one to stop and accept the quality of one’s life – even if one is working to improve or advance that quality.
It seems so simple. Yet, this simple message is enshrined in our most profound, sacred, and edifying statement of primary moral principles.
Without self-esteem, we probably are limited in performing the other nine commandments – this one may be #!!
God and Torah were concerned with our self-esteem. I guess we should be, too!
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Douglas Kohn
Can you name all Ten Commandments – without looking them up? Give it a shot. Take a minute. I’ll wait for you!
How’d you do? Commonly, if one misses a commandment, I would guess it is either not to swear falsely by God’s name, not to bear false witness against another, or, most commonly – do not covet. I hope you got those three!
This week, we read the Ten Commandments – not just the seven which we can remember! And, this Shabbat morning, we will read the Ten Commandments from the Torah – plan to join us!
This comes to the perennial question – is there one among the Ten which stands out as most significant? I could readily argue for any of them or challenge us to that discussion – so why not.
How about the oft-overlooked Commandment #10: “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor male nor female slave, nor ox nor ass, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.” (Exodus 20:14)
Why would that command be superior in import and meaning than #1 (I am your God), #4 (Keep Shabbat), or #6 (Do not murder)? Aren’t they more inclusive, have a greater moral impact, and seemingly subsume other commands within them?
Yes, perhaps. But “Do not covet” has a unique component all to itself, which no other command can claim. This command addresses the psychological and spiritual well-being and health of the one who fulfills it. The other commandments treat how one interacts with other people or with God; this command treats how one understands oneself.
The profound message of “Do not covet” is quite simple: be satisfied with what you have, who you are, and the way in which you live. Don’t live by the measure of one’s neighbor’s stuff or accomplishments. It is not at all fatalistic; it doesn’t assert that one shouldn’t seek further education, pursue advancement in business, or undertake better and healthier habits. But, it does assert that one should measure one’s fulfillment and achievements on a scale of one’s own making. Ultimately, it teaches that the healthy soul is comfortable in her or his own skin and shoes. It requires one to stop and accept the quality of one’s life – even if one is working to improve or advance that quality.
It seems so simple. Yet, this simple message is enshrined in our most profound, sacred, and edifying statement of primary moral principles.
Without self-esteem, we probably are limited in performing the other nine commandments – this one may be #!!
God and Torah were concerned with our self-esteem. I guess we should be, too!
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Douglas Kohn
