Lecture on The Ten Commandments: Coveting and Its Implications

Overview of Commandments Six to Nine

• Commandment Six: Prohibits murder
• Commandment Seven: Prohibits adultery
• Commandment Eight: Prohibits stealing
• Commandment Nine: Prohibits perjury

Importance of the Tenth Commandment

• Commandment Ten: "Do not covet anything that belongs to others"
  • Spouse, house, servants, animals, property
• Unique for legislating thought, unlike other commandments which legislate behavior

Why Coveting is Significant

• Coveting often leads to evil actions
  • Leads to breaking Commandments Six to Nine
• Example:
  • People steal because they covet someone else's property
  • Many murders occur due to coveting
  • Adultery happens because of coveting someone else's spouse
  • Perjury often covers up crimes caused by coveting

Definition of Coveting

• Hebrew term "la'hamod" means:
  • "To want to the point of seeking to take away and own something that belongs to another person"
• Two key elements:
  • Seeking to own
  • Belongs to another person

What Coveting Is Not

• Not simply wanting or envying (e.g., envy or lust)
  • Not just admiration or desire
  • Uncontrolled envy and lust can lead to bad behavior, but are not prohibited themselves
• Coveting involves a deeper intent:
  • Seeking to possess what is not yours

Constructive vs. Destructive Wanting

• Not prohibited: Admiring someone's possessions with a desire to have similar
  • Can lead to self-improvement
• Prohibited: Wanting and seeking to take possession of the specific items or individuals that belong to someone else
  • Leads to harmful actions

Conclusion

• Coveting as defined in the Tenth Commandment involves the intent to possess another's property
• Avoiding coveting helps prevent the evils of murder, adultery, stealing, and perjury
• Respect for neighbors' possessions is crucial to ethical living

Presented by Dennis Prager