(ב) אָֽנֹכִ֖י֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֑֔יךָ אֲשֶׁ֧ר הוֹצֵאתִ֛יךָ מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרַ֖יִם מִבֵּ֣֥ית עֲבָדִֽ֑ים׃
(2) I the LORD am your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, the house of bondage:
(א) היא הצווי אשר צונו בהאמנת האלהות, והוא שנאמין שיש שם עלה וסבה הוא פועל לכל הנמצאים, והוא אמרו אנכי ה' אלהיך.
This is a commandment to believe in Hashem, the cause for all that exists. The source is "I am Hashem your God."
(א) אנכי ה' אלהיך הדבור הזה מצות עשה, אמר אנכי ה', יורה ויצוה אותם שידעו ויאמינו כי יש ה', והוא אלהים להם, כלומר הווה, קדמון, מאתו היה הכל בחפץ ויכולת, והוא אלהים להם, שחייבים לעבוד אותו.ה:
(1) ..."I am Hashem your God:" This statement is a positive commandment, as it says, "I am Hashem, who teaches and commands you that you should know and believe that there is a Hashem, and He is your God," that is to say, He existed before, from Him came everything by means of his desire [i.e., He created the world because He wanted to, not by accident] and capability, and He is your God, so you are required to serve Him.
This is the first of the ten 'commandments.' How can we be commanded to believe something?
(יד) לֹ֥א תַחְמֹ֖ד בֵּ֣ית רֵעֶ֑ךָ לֹֽא־תַחְמֹ֞ד אֵ֣שֶׁת רֵעֶ֗ךָ וְעַבְדּ֤וֹ וַאֲמָתוֹ֙ וְשׁוֹר֣וֹ וַחֲמֹר֔וֹ וְכֹ֖ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר לְרֵעֶֽךָ׃ (פ)
(14) You shall not covet your neighbor’s house: you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female slave, or his ox or his ass, or anything that is your neighbor’s.
(א) שלא לחמד - שלא להעלות במחשבתנו לעשות תחבלה לקחת לנו מה שהוא לזולתנו מאחינו, שנאמר (שמות כ יד) לא תחמד בית רעך וגו'. וכבר הוכיחו ז''ל (מכילתא יתרו) מפסוק אחר דכתיב (דברים ז כה) לא תחמד וגו' ולקחת לך. שאסור לאו דלא תחמד אינו נגמר עד שיעשה בו מעשה. ואפילו נתן הדמים לחבירו על החפץ, עובר גם כן על לאו דלא תחמד, שאין לאו דלא תחמד נתקן בנתינת הדמים כל זמן שדרך הכרח לקחו ממנו, כן הוא הפרוש האמתי לרבותינו ז''ל.
(1) To not covet: To not bring up to our thoughts to do a machination to take for ourselves that which is someone else's of our brothers, as it is stated (Exodus 20:14), "You shall not covet the house of your neighbor, etc." And they, may their memory be blessed, have already proven (Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 20:14:3) from a different verse [in which] it is written (Deuteronomy 7:25), "do not covet, etc. and you shall take for yourself," that the negative commandment of "you shall not covet" is not completed until he acts upon it. And even if he gives money to his fellow for the object [that he coveted], he [still] transgresses the negative commandment of "you shall not covet." As the negative commandment of "you shall not covet" is not rectified by the giving of money, so long as he took it from him coercively.
(18) You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife. You shall not crave your neighbor’s house, or his field, or his male or female slave, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.
This comes from the second set of Ten Commandments in this week's parsha - why does the Torah add the word, 'crave'? How is 'craving' different to coveting?
They're counted as separate prohibitions, so have a think before we move on!
(יב) הא למדת שהמתאוה עובר בלאו אחד והקונה דבר שהתאוה בהפצר שהפציר בבעלים עובר בב' לאוין לכך נאמר לא תחמוד ולא תתאוה ואם גזל עובר בג' לאוין:
A person who craves another's belongings transgresses one prohibition.
One who buys something he craves transgresses two prohibitions.
And if a person steals something, he transgresses three prohibitions.
(ב) ואל תתמה לומר ואיך יהיה בידו של אדם, למנוע לבבו מהתאוות אל אוצר כל כלי חמדה שיראה ברשות חבירו, והוא מכלם ריק וריקם? ואיך תביא התורה מניעה במה שאי אפשר לו לאדם לעמד עליו? שזה הדבר אינו כן, ולא יאמרו אותו, זולתי הטפשים הרעים והחטאים בנפשותם, כי האמנם, ביד האדם למנע עצמו ומחשבותיו ותאוותיו מכל מה שירצה, וברשותו ובדעתו להרחיק ולקרב חפצו בכל הדברים כרצונו, ולבו מסור בידו, ... והראיה שאלו שני הלאוין שזכרנו חלוקים בענינם ונחשבין לשנים מה שאמרו במכלתא לא תחמד בית רעך, ולהלן הוא אומר ולא תתאוה לחיב על התאוה בפני עצמה ועל החמוד בפני עצמו ושם נאמר מנין שאם נתאוה, סופו לחמד? תלמוד לומר לא תתאוה ולא תחמוד מנין שאם חמד אדם, סופו לגזל? תלמוד לומר (מיכה ב, ב) וחמדו שדות וגזלו.
(2) And do not wonder to say, "And how is it in the hand of a man to prevent his heart from desiring the storehouse of every delightful vessel that he sees in the hand of his fellow, whereas he is totally empty of them; and how does the Torah bring a prevention about that which is impossible for a man to uphold?" ...As truly, it is in the hand of a man to prevent himself and his thoughts and his desires from anything that he wants. And [it is] within his control and his cognizance to distance and to bring close his want for all things according to his will.
And the proof that these two negative commandments are different... is that which they said in Mekhilta DeRabbi Shimon bar Yochai 20:14, "'You shall not covet your neighbor's house' (Exodus 20:14), and later it states, 'and you shall not desire,' to make liable for the desire on its own and for the coveting on its own." And there, it [also] says, "From where [do I know] that if he desires, his end will be to covet? [Hence,] we learn to say 'you shall not desire' 'and you shall not covet.' From where [do I know] that if a man coveted, his end will be to steal? [Hence,] we learn to say 'They covet fields, and steal' (Michah 2:2)."
(ז) רַבִּי נַחְמָן בַּר שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר נַחְמָן בְּשֵׁם רַב שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר נַחְמָן אָמַר, הִנֵּה טוֹב מְאֹד, זֶה יֵצֶר טוֹב. וְהִנֵּה טוֹב מְאֹד, זֶה יֵצֶר רָע. וְכִי יֵצֶר הָרָע טוֹב מְאֹד, אֶתְמְהָא. אֶלָּא שֶׁאִלּוּלֵי יֵצֶר הָרָע לֹא בָּנָה אָדָם בַּיִת, וְלֹא נָשָׂא אִשָּׁה, וְלֹא הוֹלִיד, וְלֹא נָשָׂא וְנָתַן. וְכֵן שְׁלֹמֹה אוֹמֵר (קהלת ד, ד): כִּי הִיא קִנְאַת אִישׁ מֵרֵעֵהוּ.
(7) Rabbi Nahman said in Rabbi Samuel's name: 'Behold, it was good' refers to the Good Desire; 'And behold, it was very good' refers to the Evil Desire. (It only says 'very good' after man was created with both the good and bad inclinations, in all other cases it only says 'and God saw that it was good') Can then the Evil Desire be very good? That would be extraordinary! But without the Evil Desire, however, no man would build a house, take a wife and beget children; and thus said Solomon: 'Again, I considered all labour and all excelling in work, that it is a man's rivalry with his neighbour.' (Ecclesiastes 4:4).
(א) בֶּן זוֹמָא אוֹמֵר, אֵיזֶהוּ חָכָם, הַלּוֹמֵד מִכָּל אָדָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים קיט) מִכָּל מְלַמְּדַי הִשְׂכַּלְתִּי כִּי עֵדְוֹתֶיךָ שִׂיחָה לִּי. אֵיזֶהוּ גִבּוֹר, הַכּוֹבֵשׁ אֶת יִצְרוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (משלי טז) טוֹב אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם מִגִּבּוֹר וּמשֵׁל בְּרוּחוֹ מִלֹּכֵד עִיר. אֵיזֶהוּ עָשִׁיר, הַשָּׂמֵחַ בְּחֶלְקוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים קכח) יְגִיעַ כַּפֶּיךָ כִּי תֹאכֵל אַשְׁרֶיךָ וְטוֹב לָךְ. אַשְׁרֶיךָ, בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה. וְטוֹב לָךְ, לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא. אֵיזֶהוּ מְכֻבָּד, הַמְכַבֵּד אֶת הַבְּרִיּוֹת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמואל א ב) כִּי מְכַבְּדַי אֲכַבֵּד וּבֹזַי יֵקָלּוּ:
(1) Ben Zoma said:Who is wise? He who learns from every man, as it is said: “From all who taught me have I gained understanding” (Psalms 119:99). Who is mighty? He who subdues his [evil] inclination, as it is said: “He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that rules his spirit than he that takes a city” (Proverbs 16:3). 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) “You shall be happy” in this world, “and you shall prosper” in the world to come. Who is he that is honored? He who honors his fellow human beings as it is said: “For I honor those that honor Me, but those who spurn Me shall be dishonored” (I Samuel 2:30).
(8) You shall not despise an Edomite, for he is like a sibling. You shall not despise an Egyptian, for you were a stranger in his land.
(1) לא תתעב אדמי THOU SHALT NOT ABHOR AN EDOMITE utterly, although it would be proper for you to abhor him because he came out against you with the sword (Numbers 20:18—20).
(2) לא תתעב מצרי THOU SHALT NOT ABHOR AN EGYPTIAN ...although they cast your male children into the river. And what is the reason that you should not abhor him utterly? Because they were your hosts in time of need (during Joseph’s reign when the neighbouring countries suffered from famine).
Even though Rashi tells us we have good reason to feel hatred towards these people, we must go against our feelings and rid ourselves of any feeling of hate!
(יז) לֹֽא־תִשְׂנָ֥א אֶת־אָחִ֖יךָ בִּלְבָבֶ֑ךָ הוֹכֵ֤חַ תּוֹכִ֙יחַ֙ אֶת־עֲמִיתֶ֔ךָ וְלֹא־תִשָּׂ֥א עָלָ֖יו חֵֽטְא׃
(17) You shall not hate your fellow in your heart... You must tell a person when he makes a mistake.
If we can't hate other people of the world, even more so we can't hate a fellow Jew.
(1) You shall not covet: Many people have wondered about this commandment, how is is that a man not covet in his heart that which is beautiful [and] all that which appears pleasant in his eyes. I will give you a parable [to explain this]. You should know that a villager who thinks correctly and sees that the king's daughter is beautiful will not covet her in his heart, that he should sleep with her; as he knows that this is impossible. And this villager will not think like one of the lunatics that desires that he should have wings to fly in the sky, when it is not possible.
[This is like] that which a man does not desire to sleep with his mother, even though she is beautiful, as they have accustomed him from his youth to know that it is forbidden to him. So must every enlightened person know that a beautiful woman or money is not attained by a person because of his wisdom or knowledge; rather it is from that which God apportioned to him. And Kohelet said, "(to that) [and to the one that did not toil in it], will he give it as his portion" (Ecclesiastes 2:21). And the sages said (Moed Katan 28a), "Children, life and sustenance - [this] matter does not depend on merit, but rather on the constellation." And because of this, the enlightened one will not desire and not covet.
And once he knows that God forbade him the wife of his friend, it is more removed in his eyes than the daughter of the king is in the eyes of the villager. Therefore, he will 'rejoice in his portion' and he won't place in his heart to covet and desire something that is not his. Since he knows that God did not want to give it to him [and that] he is not able to take it with his power and thoughts and machinations.