INTRODUCTION
- There is a clear emphasis on the Ten Commandments in Judaism as claiming a more primary position in the Torah than other parshiot, and this is for obvious reasons- Brit with Hashem etc. This does manifest in certain ways- we have separate notes with which we read the Ten Commandments, we stand when reading them. In a way we see the AHD as a sort of prototype for the entire Torah, a broad outline of what the Torah is trying to give us a- a moral code, and we see this in various Midrashim (SOURCES 1 AND 2).
הַלּוּחוֹת הָיוּ בָּהֶן תרי"ג מִצְווֹת כְּנֶגֶד אוֹתִיּוֹת מִן (שמות כ, ב): אָנֹכִי, עַד (שמות כ, יד): אֲשֶׁר לְרֵעֶךָ, לֹא פָּחוֹת וְלֹא יוֹתֵר, וְכֻלָּן נִתְּנוּ לְמשֶׁה בְּסִינַי, שֶׁבָּהֶם חֻקִּים וּמִשְׁפָּטִים תּוֹרָה וּמִשְׁנָה תַּלְמוּד וְאַגָּדָה.
There were six hundred and thirteen commandments in the tablets - corresponding to the letters from "I am" (Exodus 20:2) to "to your neighbor" (Exodus 20:14) - corresponding to the six hundred and thirteen commandments - no less and no more. And they were all given to Moshe at [Mount] Sinai; and in them are statutes and judgments, Torah and Mishnah, Talmud and aggadah.
את לחת האבן והתורה והמצוה אשר כתבתי להורתם. כָּל שֵׁשׁ מֵאוֹת וּשְׁלֹשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה מִצְווֹת בִּכְלַל עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדִּבְּרוֹת הֵן, וְרַבֵּנוּ סְעַדְיָה פֵּרֵשׁ בָּאַזְהָרוֹת שֶׁיָּסַד לְכָל דִּבּוּר וְדִבּוּר מִצְווֹת הַתְּלוּיוֹת בּוֹ:
את לחת האבן והתורה והמצוה אשר כתבתי להורתם [AND I WILL GIVE THEE] THE TABLETS OF STONE, AND THE LAW, AND THE COMMANDMENT WHICH I HAVE WRITTEN TO TEACH THEM — All the six hundred and thirteen commandments are implicitly contained in the Ten Commandments and may therefore be regarded as having been written on the tablets. Rabbi Saadia specified in the אזהרות which he has composed those commandments which may be associated with each of the Ten Commandments.
- On the other hand this can create tensions and problems- the overemphasis of the AHD can lead to a de-emphasis on the rest of the Torah. This becomes problematic when it actually spills into the realm of theology- what was given to us by God, what was not. And this has led to pushback over the ages- see the Gemara in Brachot and the Rambam (SOURCES 3 AND 5).
וְקוֹרִין עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדִּבְּרוֹת ״שְׁמַע״, ״וְהָיָה אִם שָׁמוֹעַ״, ״וַיֹּאמֶר״, ״אֱמֶת וְיַצִּיב״, וַעֲבוֹדָה, וּבִרְכַּת כֹּהֲנִים. אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה אָמַר שְׁמוּאֵל: אַף בִּגְבוּלִין בִּקְּשׁוּ לִקְרוֹת כֵּן, אֶלָּא שֶׁכְּבָר בִּטְּלוּם מִפְּנֵי תַּרְעוֹמֶת הַמִּינִין.
The Gemara related above that the priests in the Temple read the Ten Commandments, along with the sections of Shema, VeHaya im Shamoa, VaYomer, True and Firm, Avoda, and the priestly benediction. Rav Yehuda said that Shmuel said: Even in the outlying areas, outside the Temple, they sought to recite the Ten Commandments in this manner every day, as they are the basis of the Torah (Rambam), but they had already abolished recitation of the Ten Commandments due to the grievance of the heretics, who argued that the entire Torah, with the exception of the Ten Commandments, did not emanate from God (Jerusalem Talmud). If the Ten Commandments were recited daily, that would lend credence to their claim, so their recitation was expunged from the daily prayers.
התשובה, זה אשר הנהיג הרב הנפטר נ"ע לישב, הוא הראוי, וראיותיו ראיות נכונות לפי דיני אנשי העיון, ואין להוסיף עליהן. וכך היה ראוי לעשות בכל מקום שמנהגם לעמוד, צריך למנעם, בגלל מה שמגיע בזה מן ההפסד באמונה ומה שמדמים, שיש בתורה מדרגות ומקצתה מעולה ממקצתה, וזה רע עד מאד. ומן הראוי לסתום כל הפתחים, שמביאים לזאת האמונה הרעה. ומה שטען החכם האחר, שבגדאד ומקצת הערים עושות זאת, אין זה ראיה בשום פנים, לפי שאם נמצא אנשים חולים, לא נחליא הבריא מאנשיהם, כדי שיהיו שווים, אלא נשתדל לנתח כל חולה שנוכל... וכבר ביארו, שאין הפרש בין המכחיש התורה כולה או מכחיש פסוק אחד ואומר משה מפי עצמו אמרו. והיה מן המינים מי שהאמין, שאין מן השמים אלא י' הדברות וששאר התורה משה מפי עצמו אמרו, ולכן ביטלו קריאתן בכל יום.
LO TACHMOD- AN ANTI CLIMAX?
- So after establishing the importance of the AHD, it is obviously critical to look at the list itself. Often times, when we make important speeches, say things that we want to leave an impact, we want to start and end strong. The beginning of the AHD seems to be an obvious place to start- the theological axiom of One God who is the Commander, he is the reasons behind all of this- ultimately this entire system is rooted in and derived from G-d, and his Will, what he wants from us etc. It is really the linchpin of everything else- if you don't have it, you don't have anything. (RAMBAM SOURCE 8)
(א) יְסוֹד הַיְסוֹדוֹת וְעַמּוּד הַחָכְמוֹת לֵידַע שֶׁיֵּשׁ שָׁם מָצוּי רִאשׁוֹן. וְהוּא מַמְצִיא כָּל נִמְצָא. וְכָל הַנִּמְצָאִים מִשָּׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ וּמַה שֶּׁבֵּינֵיהֶם לֹא נִמְצְאוּ אֶלָּא מֵאֲמִתַּת הִמָּצְאוֹ:
(1) The foundation of foundations and firmest pillar of all wisdom is, To know that there is a First Being, that He caused all beings to be, and that all beings from heaven and earth, and from between them, could not be save for the truth of His Own Being.
לֹ֥א תַחְמֹ֖ד בֵּ֣ית רֵעֶ֑ךָ {ס} לֹֽא־תַחְמֹ֞ד אֵ֣שֶׁת רֵעֶ֗ךָ וְעַבְדּ֤וֹ וַאֲמָתוֹ֙ וְשׁוֹר֣וֹ וַחֲמֹר֔וֹ וְכֹ֖ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר לְרֵעֶֽךָ׃ {פ}
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.
וְלֹ֥א תַחְמֹ֖ד אֵ֣שֶׁת רֵעֶ֑ךָ {ס} וְלֹ֨א תִתְאַוֶּ֜ה בֵּ֣ית רֵעֶ֗ךָ שָׂדֵ֜הוּ וְעַבְדּ֤וֹ וַאֲמָתוֹ֙ שׁוֹר֣וֹ וַחֲמֹר֔וֹ וְכֹ֖ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר לְרֵעֶֽךָ׃ {ס}
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 ass, or anything that is your neighbor’s.
- How then does LT fit in- it seems like a bit of a trivial way to end- drama, pyrotechniques, and then oh, by the way, your mate's donkey don't go after it- complete anti climax
- The Second Problem with LT is really a very intuitive one, that I think a lot of people think of when they read it, which is- how can the Torah legislate feelings? What are we meant to do "Bad Dobby!"? (SOURCE IBN EZRA)
- Third Problem: If this is meant to be the crescendo, why use such amiguous language? (SEE IBN EZRA 2)
- In order to answer the First Problem, we either need to reassess how we look at beginnings and endings, or how we see LT.
לא תחמוד. אנשים רבים יתמהו על זאת המצוה. איך יהיה אדם שלא יחמוד דבר יפה בלבו כל מה שהוא נחמד למראה עיניו?
THOU SHALT NOT COVET. Many people are amazed at this commandment. They ask, how is it possible for a person not to covet in his heart all beautiful things that appear desirable to him?
ומלת חמד בלשון הקדש מתפרשת לשני טעמים: האחד גזל ועושק וקחת של אחרים בחזקה ובאונס. וכך ״ולא יחמוד איש את ארצך״...
והטעם השני לשון תאוה בלב ולא תצא לפועל...
והעד שאמר משה בספר הזה שבאר את התורה תחת לא תחמוד אמר לא תתאוה.
ורבים אמרו כי אין עון במחשבת הלב ואין עליהם שכר ועונש. ויש ראיות רבות להשיב עליהן ולא אאריך רק אראה להם ״לב חורש מחשבות און הטיבות״ ״כי היה עם לבבך ולישרים בלבותם״ ומשה אמר בסוף ״בפיך ובלבבך לעשותו״. ועיקר כל המצות ליישר הלב, ורובם זכר והמזיד והשוגג יוכיחו:
The word chamad (coveted) has two meanings in Hebrew. One is to rob, to extort, to take someone’s property by force and compulsion. This is the meaning of the word in neither shall any man covet (yachmod) thy land (Ex. 34:24).
The second meaning is to desire in the heart without acting.
The fact that Moses in this book [Deuteronomy] in which he explains the Torah, employs ve-lo titavveh (neither shalt thou covet) (v. 18) in place of lo tachmod (thou shalt not covet) (Ex. 20:14) is proof of this.
Many say that one cannot sin with one’s thoughts and there is no reward and punishment for what one thinks. However, one can refute them by quoting many verses. I will not prolong my argument. I will merely point to the following: A heart that deviseth wicked thoughts (Prov. 6:18); thou didst well that it was in thy heart (II Chron. 6:8); And to them that are upright in their hearts (Ps. 125:4). Moses at the end said, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it (Deut. 30:14). The main purpose of the mitzvot is to perfect the heart. Most of them serve as a memorial. The distinction made between a sin committed deliberately and one committed inadvertently should convince them.
THE LEGAL DEFINITION OF "LO TACHMOD"
- We will deal with the third problem first, the actual meaning of the words "lo tachmod" and the nature of the prohibition:
- From the Ibn Ezra above, comes out two distinct understandings of the prohibition: On the one hand, it refers to EXTORTION and forced acquisition of an item. Alternatively, it refers to desiring and CRAVING that which one finds attractive.
- In other words: Is it a mitzvah bein adam lechaveiro, or bein adam leatzmo?
- The SMAK (SOURCE) takes this second approach: (tell someone to remind me to go back to the end of the Ibn Ezra after the Smak)
שלא לחמוד דכתיב (שמות כ) לא תחמוד ואף ע"ג דאמרינן במכילתין יכול בדברים ת"ל ולקחת לך מה להלן מעשה אף כאן מעשה מכל מקום נראה שאף בלב אסור. אך אינו נגמר להתחייב עליו עד שיעשה מעשה ובדיהיב דמי חייב אחת. ובדלא יהיב דמי חייב שתים. ונראה דלא תחמוד ולא תתאוה הכל אחד הוא וכפל מלה הוא:
- We see a line of thought in various sources which sees LT as a subsidiary of gezelah, theft, including in the Midrash and the Sefer HaChinuch:
דַּבֵּר אֶל כָּל עֲדַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵיהֶם קְדֹשִׁים תִּהְיוּ. מָה רָאָה לוֹמַר הַפָּרָשָׁה הַזֹּאת בְּכִנּוּס. לָמָּה לֹא אָמַר, דַּבֵּר אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, כִּשְׁאָר הַפָּרָשִׁיּוֹת, אֶלָּא אֶל כָּל עֲדַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל. לְפִי שֶׁכָּל הַדִּבְּרוֹת כְּלוּלִים בָּהּ. כֵּיצַד...בַּדִּבְּרוֹת כְּתִיב: לֹא תַּחְמֹד. וְכָאן: לֹא תַעֲשֹׁק אֶת רֵעֲךָ וְלֹא תִּגְזֹל.
(Lev. 19:2:) “Speak unto the whole congregation of the Children of Israel, and say unto them, ‘You shall be holy.’” What reason did He have to speak this parashah in an assembly? Why did He not say, “Speak unto the Children of Israel,” as in the rest of the parashiot, rather than “[Speak] unto the whole congregation of the Children of Israel?” Because all of the [ten] commandments are included within it. How?...In the commandments it is written (in Exod. 20:14 = Deut. 5:18), “You shall not covet”; and here it is written (in Lev. 19:13), “You shall not oppress your neighbor, and you shall not rob him.”
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.
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. Such is the true explanation of our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed.
- The Ralbag seems to take a middle approach, as does the Sefer HaChinuch as to a case where a persona attempts to pressure/force someone to sell their property, but does not succeed, and says that they are liable for LT.
ולא תתאוה. הנה התאוה היא בלב לבד ולפי מה שביאר' בפר' יתרו מההדרגה באלו הדברות ראוי שתתברר שהתאוה מביאה לידי חמוד והנה ההבדל שיש בין החמוד ובין התאוה הוא כי התאוה הוא בלב לבד, והחמוד הוא לקיחת דרך שיגיע לו הדבר שהיתה בו התאוה ויוציא זה לפועל כאלו תאמר שישתדל עם האיש ההוא בעל הבית שיוכרח למכור לו ביתו או שדהו או מה שהתאוה.
- Coming back to our original questions:
1. The anti climax of lo tahmod
2. The legislation of feelings
- When I talked this through with my grandfather he said that his father had a very easy cure to this- to be happy with what we have. The root of lo tachmod is a lack of not being satisfied with what we have: Midrash Kohelet Rabba- whoever has 100 wants 200, whoever has 200 wants 400." Ultimately, when we chase after material things, they come at the expense of other important things.
I think there is one answer to the two questions: R Shimshon Raphael Hirsch (see in book) explains that the AHD moves from the theological, abstract foundations of the Torah, to the practical application of the Torah's vision and then back to a fusion of the two- the idea that through the active performance of the mitzvot, and the application of the moral foundations of the Torah in day to day to life, we can perfect ourselves: the Torah isn't legislating how we should feel, it is legislating an entire worldview. if we look back at the Ibn Ezra then he say explicitly as such. What could be a better ending?
(Judaism does not believe that refinement of character can be achieved by merely pondering over philosophical ideas whilst sitting on the couch. Judaism, primarily, is not only a set of ideas, it is a way of life, that if meant to become anything meaningful must be lived rather than merely conceived in thought.)
לא תחמוד. אנשים רבים יתמהו על זאת המצוה. איך יהיה אדם שלא יחמוד דבר יפה בלבו כל מה שהוא נחמד למראה עיניו. ועתה אתן לך משל. דע כי איש כפרי שיש לו דעת נכונה והוא ראה בת מלך שהיא יפה לא יחמוד אותה בלבו שישכב עמה. כי ידע כי זה לא יתכן. ואל תחשוב זה הכפרי שהוא כאחד מן המשוגעים שיתאוה שיהיו לו כנפים לעוף השמים. ולא יתכן להיות כאשר אין אדם מתאוה לשכב עם אמו אע"פ שהיא יפה. כי הרגילוהו מנעוריו לדעת שהיא אסורה לו. ככה כל משכיל צריך שידע כי אשה יפה או ממון לא ימצאנו אדם בעבור חכמתו ודעתו. רק כאשר חלק לו השם. ...על כן הוא ישמח בחלקו ולא ישים אל לבו לחמוד ולהתאוות דבר שאינו שלו.
THOU SHALT NOT COVET. Many people are amazed at this commandment. They ask, how is it possible for a person not to covet in his heart all beautiful things that appear desirable to him? I will now give you a parable. Note, a peasant of sound mind who sees a beautiful princess will not entertain any covetous thoughts about sleeping with her, for he knows that this is an impossibility. This peasant will not think like the insane who desire to sprout wings and fly to the sky, for it is impossible to do so. Now just as a man does not desire to sleep with his mother, although she be beautiful, because he has been trained from his childhood to know that she is prohibited to him, so must every intelligent person know that a person does not acquire a beautiful woman or money because of his intelligence or wisdom, but only in accordance with what God has apportioned to him...He will therefore be happy with his lot and will not allow his heart to covet and desire anything which is not his.