and good evil,
who put darkness for light
and light for darkness,
who put bitter for sweet
and sweet for bitter.
I think "covetous" leads to other sins. It is the gateway drug to happening and ruin.
This being Shavuot, when Jews commemorate receiving the 10 Commandments at Sinai, I figured I'd overlay the last 5 Commandments with what happened on October 7th:
- 10th (Do not covet): The attack included the seizure of land, property, and hostages, reflecting a desire to take what belongs to others.
- 9th (Do not bear false witness): Propaganda and misinformation were used to justify and glorify the attacks, violating truthfulness.
- 8th (Do not steal): Looting, theft of property, and hostage-taking were widely reported.
- 7th (Do not commit adultery): Reports from survivors and international investigations found evidence of rape and sexual assault committed by attackers, a direct violation of this commandment.
- 6th (Do not murder): The mass killing of civilians, including families and children, was a clear breach of this commandment.
Hamas and complicit Palestinians checked all the boxes in the most grievous possible way on 10.7 and they continue to do so with the support of hundreds of millions around the world who deny the Lord.
Notice how falling into evil begins with the 10th Commandment. Coveting leads to all the other sins against man. The latter sin being greater than the former, all the way to adultery and then murder. In the Gospels sense, it would be said that when we covet, we are the road to predition.
What we do to our fellow we do to Adonai. The sins against man mirror the sins against God.
Last night while I was at temple to "shema" the 10 Commandments on the holiday of Shavuot, we were talking about the practice of having a second bar-mitzvah at age 83. A thought struck me that is related to the 10th Commandment, "Do Not Covet."
I want to tell you story to illustrate and contrast how the sin of covetous and violence are related. It shows how the history of violence (Hamas) is related to "covetous" and repeats over & over through the millennia.
The custom of a "second bar mitzvah," is based on the reading of Psalm 90:10, which says that 70 years is the expected lifespan of most humans. Reaching age 70, then, can be considered a new start – and therefore, age 83 would be the equivalent to reaching b’nai mitzvah age again. It is a reminder to follow God's Commandments a in every lifetime, and reason to celebrate God's Holy Word.
Contrast what Jews do, to what the evil spirit of Hamas did a second time on the day after Shavuot, 84 years ago, 1941 in Baghdad.
In that year, the evil (Ra) spirit of Hamas (violence) turned the holiday of the giving of the Torah, into a holiday of plunder, murder, rape – total debauchery. Some called it: the Kristallnacht of Iraqi Jews. On the day after Shavuot, 84 years ago, crowds of Muslims took to the streets of Baghdad and rioted against the city's Jews.
No one to protect the Jews. The British, who were near the city, refused to intervene. Nearly 200 Jews were brutally murdered, thousands were injured, women were raped, homes and synagogues were looted, and all of this was inspired by anti-Semitic Nazi propaganda that swept through Iraq at the time.
The evil (Ra) spirit of violence, and hatred of Jews can be traced back to the fact that God chose the Children of Jacob. Which can be traced back to Jacob who "stole" (recieved!) his brother Esau's blessing from his father Issac. Muslims believe Esua recieved Jacob’s blessing.
The story of Jacob and Esau is a shadow of the story of Sarah's maid servant Hagar, who had a son of Abraham, Ismael, who was denied his father Abraham's blessing.
The violence (Hamas) in the world can be traced back to Cain who coveted God's favor of Able.
It has been said that it is traces back to the Serpent in the Garden who coveted to be like God and persuaded Eve to take from the Tree that she and Adam were not supposed to have.
In every lifetime we are called to follow the mitzvahs that God chose us to have. But there is always Ra, the evil inclination to covet what we don’t have. That evil leads to hamas (violence). We see it happening again & again, and we see it happening now with Israel and Jews.
Hamas's acts on 10.7 are an image of our entire world upside down where choas and evil rules.
Consider the destruction in Gaza, Israel didn't try to preserve buildings, it tried to preserve Palestinian lives. Hamas wanted maximum civilian deaths! That is why all the buildings are destroyed. Nothing matters to Hamas, not people or property. All that they care about is killing Jews.
Please pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Wo to those who support Hamas and call evil (Ra) good.