Yisro

The last of the Aseres Hadibros says “don’t desire (or be jealous of) the house of your friend, don’t desire the wife of your friend, and his slave and his maidservant and his ox and his donkey and all that your friend has.”

The Ibn Ezra asks: How can it be that a person won’t want or desire what is good and nice in his eyes?

The Ibn Ezra explains with a mashal.  A man from a small village sees the princess.  Although she is very nice, he won’t have any desire for her because he knows that they just don’t match and there is no possibility of them getting married.  Similarly, one doesn’t desire to have wings and fly like a bird in the sky.  One recognizes and understands that this is impossible.

So too, with not desiring something of someone else.  Hashem gives every person exactly what he is supposed to have.  If he doesn’t have something it is because Hashem didn’t give it to him.  When one understands this, he won’t desire something that his friend has; because if he is supposed to have it, Hashem will give it to him.  Chazal say that children, life, and food are not dependent on zechuyos but in mazal.  These things are only up to Hashem.  Therefore, one who has seichel won’t be jealous of his friend’s possessions but will be sameach b’chelko and he won’t look for something which isn’t shayach to him.

The Avi Ezer, who explains the Ibn Ezra, is medayaik that lo sochmod is the last of the Aseres Hadibros.  He explains that the first ones are pratim and the last one is a klal.  Lo sochmod includes all the Dibros!  If one is careful with this tzivui, it is a protection for all the Dibros.  Most aveiros are done because one desires money; one will come to swear falsely, do melacha on Shabbos, kill, steal etc.  The Torah is teaching that one should prepare himself with yirah and mussar in order not to come to desire in his heart at all. If one is boteach in Hashem and recognizes that what he has is his portion, and what he doesn’t have he doesn’t need, then he will be safe and protected from all aveiros.

May Hashem help us recognize that all that we have is from Him and to be happy with our portion!