Shabbat Greetings
Last Sunday and Monday, we celebrated Shavuot, focusing especially on The Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments are familiar- how we relate to God, honoring parents, making Shabbat holy, and not doing bad stuff like stealing, murder, lying in court. Out of all of these, there is only one commandment that addresses feelings, and that is the 10th commandment- not to covet. For the most part, Judaism is most concerned with our behavior, not our inner life. As long as we are doing the right thing, we can pretty much think and feel whatever we want.
So why this emphasis on coveting in the so-called top 10? Perhaps it is because there will always be people who have more than we do, and if we spend our lives feeling sorry for ourselves and wanting more, we are destined to be unhappy. And the Torah wants us to be as happy as possible. Jealousy, it turns out, is a foundation of misery. We are jealous of people’s success, we are jealous of people’s stuff, we are jealous of their accomplishments and recognition. We even feel jealousy about other people’s learning and their good character traits. Instead of inspiration, we feel envy. It’s no wonder that Pirke Avot (Ethics of our Ancestors) cites jealousy as one of the qualities that drive a person from this world.(4:28) Envy causes resentment and resentment can destroy a relationship.
Just look at the earliest stories in the Torah. The dust of creation had barely settled when Cain’s jealousy of his brother caused him to murder Abel. Sarah is jealous of Hagar, and Jacob has to flee from home when his jealousy causes him to steal his brother’s birthright and Esau wants to kill him. The disharmony continues when Jacob’s favoritism of Joseph motivates his brothers to sell him into slavery in Egypt.
And yet. In this week’s Torah portion, Naso (Numbers 4:21-7:89), we see a glimmer of positivity. Breaking the cycle of envy, the tribes of Israel are able to work together in peace. The moment of dedicating the mishkan in the wilderness, the portable sanctuary that accompanied our ancestors in their desert wandering, has finally arrived. Each tribe brings a gift offering for this holy celebration.
Lo and behold, each tribe brings EXACTLY the same gift, no more, no less. Judah brought a silver dish of 130 shekels in weight. Then, the next day, Issachar brought a silver dish of 130 shekels in weight. Any guesses what Zebulun brought on the third day? It would have been SO tempting to turn this moment into a competition- “My gift is greater than yours.” To be jealous of what others gave and try to top it. Clearly, the tribes consulted with each other to ensure that they all brought the exact same donation, and no one experienced jealousy of another’s gift. Instead of feeling sad or bereft or like failures, everyone was able to rejoice together at this accomplishment of the community, working together.
It has rightly been taught that we should look down from a material perspective and up from a spiritual perspective. When we are tempted to feel envious of what another person enjoys, we should remind ourselves of how blessed we are compared to so many. When we are feeling arrogant about our wisdom and spiritual prowess, we should look up, and be inspired, not envious, of those who can lead us toward even greater depth. It’s good to aspire to elevate our character. Can we do so by focusing on the kindness, intellect, generosity, caring of others, without jealousy of the individuals themselves?
“Who is rich?”, Pirke Avot asks. “The person who is happy with what they have.”(4:1) Our culture conspires to make us feel that we NEVER have enough. Cultivating a sense of gratitude, of modesty, of humility, will lead us to an overwhelming sense of contentment and peace. May we be blessed to rejoice in the good we each experience, and to share our bounty with our community with open hearts and not with envy.
SHABBAT SHALOM