The Tenth Commandment
Hadawar haesiri הדּבר העשׂירי
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house; thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his man-servant, nor his maid-servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's. (2M 20:13(17))
Question: What does the tenth commandment forbid us?
Answer:
The tenth commandment forbids:
1. To desire something that belongs to someone else.
2. To think about things that belong to your neighbor, because these thoughts lead to evil deeds.
3. To envy your neighbors happiness.
Question: How can we avoid impure desires?
Answer: The best way is: to be satisfied with ones own destiny, to be diligent and hardworking and to rely on God. The reinforcing of hope and purifying our hearts is the best way and you should read the Holy Scripture as often as possible.
Question: What does this commandment order us?
Answer: The tenth commandment orders us to have pure thoughts and to be satisfied with own position - טהוֹר לבב ושׂמח בּחלקוֹ tehor levav vesameakh bekhelko.
The Tenth Commandment is confirmed by the following verses of Holy Scripture:
Woe to them that devise iniquity and work evil upon their beds! When the morning is light, they execute it, because it is in the power of their hand. And they covet fields, and seize them; and houses, and take them away; thus they oppress a man and his house, even a man and his heritage. (Mich 2:1-2)
Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues with injustice. (Proverbs 16: 8)
He that hath an evil eye hasteneth after riches, and knoweth not that want shall come upon him. (Proverbs 28:22)