Parshas Va'eschanan
APPRECIATING OUR BLESSINGS
By Rabbi Shlomo Jarcaig
This week's Torah portion once again presents the Ten Commandments, the last
of which forbids coveting a friend's possessions. We are instructed not to
desire other people's wives, houses, fields, slaves, animals or any of their
belongings. We can easily appreciate a commandment not to act upon our
desires and take things that do not belong to us, but how are we, as mere
human beings, expected not to even want them? Is desire not a natural
tendency? Furthermore, the Torah teaches us, regarding acts that are
forbidden, that one is not held accountable for his desires until he acts
upon them. How is it that here the Torah expressly forbids a desire?
Rabbi Avraham Ibn Ezra (1089-c.1164, composed classic commentary on entire
Bible, famous for its grammatical and linguistic analysis) explains with a
parable that one should look at desirable things the way in which a peasant
views the daughter of the king. She may contain all the attributes he wants
in a wife, but he cannot reasonably expect to marry her anymore than he can
expect to grow wings and fly. His desire for her is, therefore, pacified by
the reality of his situation. Similarly, explains Rabbi Ibn Ezra, G-d allots
each person his portion for the year on Rosh Hashanah. For someone to covet
what belongs to another is therefore pointless, because if Hashem chose not
to apportion this item to him then it cannot be his anymore than he can grow
wings and fly.
Another approach to controlling ones cravings is illustrated in the allegory
of the very wealthy king who was also very righteous and pious. One day an
old friend asked him, "How is it that despite your wealth and honor you
maintain your righteousness? Are you not drawn by the lures of alcohol and
other worldly pleasures like everybody else?" The king suddenly became
incensed and instructed one of his servants to fill up a cup with wine, and
have his friend carry it through all the streets of the city. If even one
drop spilled from the cup the friend should be hung. Carefully the man
carried the cup through the streets and managed not to spill. When he
returned, the king asked him if, as he was walking through the streets, he
was drawn to bars, restaurants, and other worldly pleasures. The old friend
responded that he was too afraid of spilling to even be distracted by those
petty pursuits. Similarly, the king explained, that when he walks through
the streets he fears the One Above, focused only what He wants, and is not
drawn by external distractions.
Ultimately, when Hashem charges us to not covet our neighbor's possessions
He is really reminding us of His dominion and control over the physical
world. When we realize that our friend's belongings are entirely out of our
realm, divinely ordained not to be ours, our desire to have them disappears.
With the concurrent appreciation that all we DO have is a blessing showered
upon us by Hashem out of his boundless love and compassion for us, we will
find joy and satisfaction in our good fortune, as Ben Zoma taught in the
Pirkei Avos/Ethics of our Fathers (4:1), "Who is truly wealthy? He who is
happy with portion."
Have a Good Shabbos!
Copyright © 2001 by Rabbi Pinchas Avruch and Project Genesis, Inc.
Kol HaKollel is a publication of the Milwaukee Kollel Center for Jewish
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