“You can't always get what you want But if you try sometimes, well, you might find You get what you need” #Yitro#devartorah#parashathashavua

In this week’s parasha we shall read how Moses received on behalf of the Jewish people the 10 Commandments.  The very last of the 10 is “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house . . . nor anything that is your neighbor’s.” —Exodus 20:17

A store owner in Maine stubbornly refused to carry a new product. “You must remember, young feller,” said the storekeeper to the salesman, “that in this part of the country every want ain’t a need.”

Confusing our wants with our needs goes to the heart of coveting and explains why we are so often driven by the desire for more and more. We fail to see that life’s greatest fulfillment is not found in accumulating things but in knowing God.

The tenth commandment may seem like an add-on compared to such big-ticket items as murder, stealing, lying, and adultery, but it is foundational to all the other commandments and ensures peace and contentment. It is the only command that zeroes in on a forbidden attitude rather than an action. Yet it is a safeguard against the temptation to break the other nine commandments.

David’s covetous desire for another man’s wife led to adultery, stealing, and murder (2 Sam. 11). And a desire for more and more pleasure, power, or possessions can destroy family relationships and cause us to lie to others. Consequently, it also keeps us from having and maintaining a right relationship to God.

Contentment is wanting what you have, not having everything you want.