Dvar Torah Yisro 5785 - Becoming Wealthy

This week’s parsha features the Aseres HaDibros, popularly known as the Ten Commandments. The Torah describes the tenth one: “You shall not covet (לא תחמוד ) your fellow’s house. You shall not covet (לא תחמוד) your fellow’s wife, his manservant, his maidservant, his ox, his donkey nor anything that belongs to your fellow.” (Shemos 20:14). The tenth commandment in Sefer Devarim is slightly different: “And you shall not covet (לא תחמוד) your fellow’s wife, you shall not desire (לא תתאוה) your fellow’s house, his field, his slave, his maidservant, his ox, his donkey, or anything that belongs to your fellow.” (Devarim 5:18). What is the difference between  לא תחמוד (“you shall not covet”) and לא תתאוה (“you shall not desire”)?

The Rambam explains that one violates לא תחמוד (“you shall not covet”) when taking action to acquire something that belongs to another. However, one transgresses לא תתאוה (“you shall not desire”) when one merely contemplates in his heart how to obtain what he desires. Thus, simply desiring his neighbor’s house, wife or utensils without taking any action whatsoever is a violation (רמבם הלכות גנבה א:ט-י). Others say both are contravened by the mere desire to have what someone else has (See Ibn Ezra, 20:14).

Thus, the Torah appears to prohibit even the internal desire for something belonging to another, regardless of whether that desire is acted upon. How is this possible? Human beings are subject to emotions and desires. How is it possible for a mere human to not desire and not be jealous of anything that belongs to another?

It is fascinating that at the very beginning of the Torah, when the snake tempts Chava with the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge, the Torah describes how she perceived that the fruit was תאוה הוא לעינים (“desirable to the eyes”)  ונחמד העץ להשכיל (“and coveted for wisdom”). These are the same two terms, coveting and desiring, that appear later in the Ten Commandments. Apparently, Chava (and perhaps also Adam) experienced the passion and desire for the fruit. Nevertheless, they were punished when they succumbed to their desires and ate the forbidden fruit.

Hashem would not have punished Adam and Chava if resisting their desires was impossible. This teaches us that G-d expects mankind to overcome these desires and feelings. This is not merely isolated to the story of Adam and Chava. The inclusion of the prohibitions of לא תחמוד and לא תתאוה in the Ten Commandments shows that it is critical that mankind suppresses and overcomes these negative emotions.

The Ibn Ezra famously describes a strategy of how to accomplish this. A poor peasant, when he sees a beautiful princess passing before him, will not desire her in his heart because he recognizes that this is impossible, just as a person will not seriously desire to have wings like a bird. Similarly, since one recognizes that Hashem has forbidden to him his neighbor’s wife, he will have no desire for her. He will rejoice in what he does have and not focus on coveting things that do not belong to him.

The Torah recognizes the greatness and tremendous potential of every human being. Hashem’s expectations extend beyond refraining from theft or adultery. He commands us to refine even our inner thoughts and desires. We must work on ourselves to not even covet or desire things that belong to others. That will bring us true wealth and happiness, as Ben Zoma said (Avos 4:1): “Who is rich? He who rejoices in his lot, as it is said: ‘You shall enjoy the fruit of your labors, you shall be happy and you shall prosper’ (Psalms 128:2).”