Welcome to the Mussar HaTorah Podcast for Parshas V'Eschanan. Join us as we explore the weekly Parsha, uncovering valuable insights and striving to become the best versions of ourselves through Mussar teachings.
In this week's parsha Moshe Rabbenu continues speaking to Beni Yisroel in his final address to the nation and the Aseres Hadibros are repeated:
וְלֹ֥א תַחְמֹ֖ד אֵ֣שֶׁת רֵעֶ֑ךָ וְלֹ֨א תִתְאַוֶּ֜ה בֵּ֣ית רֵעֶ֗ךָ שָׂדֵ֜הוּ וְעַבְדּ֤וֹ וַאֲמָתוֹ֙ שׁוֹר֣וֹ וַחֲמֹר֔וֹ וְכֹ֖ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר לְרֵעֶֽךָ׃
You shall not covet your neighbor's wife and you shall not desire your neighbor's house, his field, or his male servant, or his female servant, his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's."
The Ibn Ezra in Shemos (20:14) asks an excellent question: How is it possible that the Torah is commanding us about an emotion? How can one person prevent themselves from desiring something beautiful? As is said these days "The heart wants what the heart wants"
The ibn Ezra answers with a moshal: An intelligent peasant who catches only the briefest of glimpses of a beautiful is not going to desire to marry her because he knows that such a marriage can't happen. After all, she is completely out of his league. In a similar vein, every intelligent person will not desire something beautiful their friend has because HaShem gives these things to us. It doesn't matter how hard they try, if HaShem doesn't want you to have it, you won't acquire it. This thing is out of reach just like the princess is to the peasant.
Rav Wolbe explains that a person with true Emunah can't desire another person's possessions. Many have difficulty with such an explanation because their emunah and bitachon end when practically applying these concepts. Some people claim to have bitachon in HaShem but if a competitor opens a store across the street they panic. Their friend may ask them "Don't you have bitachon?" They will reply, "Of course I do, but at the end of the day they will take away my livelihood!"As you can see from the exchange, their bitachon lasts until there is a test in real life.
I want to share an amazing story about emunah I heard from Rabbi Efram Goldberg on his "Living with Emunah" podcast. There was a person who owned an electronics store, we'll call him Eddie, and he lost the lease on his store. As you can imagine the loss of income would have been devastating for Eddie and his family. A neighbor of Eddie's also owned an electronics store and heard of Eddie's problem and offered Eddie an amazing solution. Eddie could open up a pop-up store in his neighbor's store rent-free, any profit that Eddie made, Eddie would keep. Friends ask him "Eddie is a competitor of yours how can you help him like this?!" He responded "HaShem gives me what I need. Why shouldn't I help out someone else with their parnassa?"
The Ibn Ezra understood that emunah is not just a theoretical concept. It is something that needs to be tested to be considered true. Yaakov Aveniu lived with the belief that everything he had was given to him by HaShem. As a result, he had a responsibility to look after his possessions to the greatest extent possible. This is why he went back over the river (for the small jars) and eventually got into the wrestling match with Eisav's malach (take a look at the Orchas Tzadikim for more on this). The reason Yaakov did this was because if HaShem gave them to him they have to serve a purpose and should not be so easily discarded.
Likewise, living with the understanding that whatever HaShem gives me is mine and what I don't have can not possibly be mine precludes someone from desiring the possessions of their friends and neighbors.
Have a good Shabbos
