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Biography of Yehuda Katz | Archives | This Week's Parsha
KODOSHIM
"You shall not steal................................."(19: 11) In Pirchei Avoth 5:10 it states the following: There are 4 character types among Men...............He who says: "What is yours is mine and what is mine is mine"., this type is wicked.........(end of quote) A robber constantly feels some how short changed by G-d. He feels that he or she are so deserving and worthy that this gives him permission to steal anothers property. Surely G-d is unjust in depriving him (robber) from having all that he desires, thus allowing him to take that which is rightfully his. However, this robber is mistaken........He fails to realize that G-d has given him exactly what he needs..... nothing more or less. Therefore, Pirchei Avoth 5:10 emphasizes that this very attitude is wicked...........Baba Metzia 24a enumerates the following episode: The sage Mar Zutra once stayed at an inn where the owners silver cup disappeared. One day, Mar Zutra noticed that a certain particular guest washed his hands and then brazenly wiped them dry on anothers garment. Mar Zutra immediately called the owner of the inn and told the owner to arrest this man for stealing his silver cup. The surprised thief had thereby confessed to the theft...... Mar Zutra understood well the psychology of the robber.... A blatent disregard for anothers property is a sure indication of the wicked mans attitude...........We must all strive to be satisfied with our own personal lot in life, never stealing that which does not belong to us................................... Have a good Shabbos
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