10Th Commandment
5. Putting One’s Predicament into Perspective
The Torah states in the Ten commandments, “You shall not covet your fellow’s house. You shall not covet your fellow’s wife, his manservant, his maid servant, his ox, his donkey, nor anything that belongs to your fellow.” Ibn Ezra writes, “Many people are taken aback by this negative commandment. How is one to control his own feelings and emotions? I will explain it with an allegory. There was a villager who was well-rooted in common sense. When he sees the beautiful daughter of the king does it even enter into his heart that he should desire her or cohabit with her? He understands that such thoughts are meaningless because it is an impossibility for him to even approach her. He thinks to himself, ‘Am I not sane? When I see the birds flying in the sky does my heart lust to have wings as they do?’ He understands that these things have no relevance to him. Similarly does one have sexual desire for one’s own mother? Although she may be beautiful, he through conditioning understands that she has no relevance to him. Therefore anyone with intelligence should understand that whatever one has in life, it is unrelated to his own capability.”
He continues, “One has only what G’d provides for him. Even if one does not toil, G’d will give him his portion. Children, livelihood, and quality of life are not determined by one’s merit, rather it is dependent on his mazal. One who understands this, will not desire anything that is not his own. After one understands that his fellow’s wife is forbidden to him by the Torah, he will know that she is even more removed from him then the king’s daughter is to the villager. As a result of this understanding, one will rejoice in his portion. If one understands that the reason he does not have something is because G’d Willed it to be so, then he will be content. Is it possible to consider to take something against His Will? The only reason one does not rejoice in his portion is because he...
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