Page 45 - HaMizrachi YmYm 2020 FLIPv3

Rabbi Yuval Cherlow
TEN

דֹמ ְ ח ַ ת אלֹ

The Root of a Healthy Society

odern economy is based world forward and make it a better entire consumer-oriented existence
on desire. The desire of the place, and the unequivocal directive does to us all. We can certainly say
Msellers, to increase their of “You shall not covet.” that much of the spread of this virus
wealth, and the desire of the buyers was a result of people’s concern for
for something they don’t have, or to This is a lesson we have been learn- themselves, without thinking whether
replace old with new, etc. Indeed, ing now, during the Coronavirus and how their behavior could affect
without desire, the economy has no pandemic. On the one hand, we have others. Indeed, once we began to con-
leg to stand on. learned to make do with much less sider our surroundings – both human
than we were used to beforehand, and global – there was much greater
Of course though, there is no clear while on the other, we are faced with success in fighting the virus.
cut definition of what is permitted to the stark reality of a collapsing econ-
desire and what not. The Torah does omy, in which people are not only not Above all, this is about shaping soci-
not oppose the possession of property able to but have even lost the will to ety. A society that bases itself on “you
or that people should be financially buy new things. And on a third hand, shall not covet” builds its values on
successful. Our forefathers were very our relationship to various products a different plane. A society like this
wealthy and we do not find a puritan and activities has undergone a certain is constantly educating itself “not to
stance anywhere at all in the Torah. distillation, with it suddenly becom- look at the pitcher but at what is in
Furthermore, if people didn’t have ing clear to us how much we were it,” and always striving for a life of
the drive for more, and to attain and falsely dependent on certain needs internal content rather than external
obtain better and bigger goals, many and items. superficiality. Its advertising and sales
of the world’s greatest discoveries are aimed at real needs and benefits
would never have been discovered! What else are these times teaching rather than targeting the darker emo-
And we would be stuck in the same us? First and foremost, we need to tions in the consumer.
place as many underdeveloped coun- remind ourselves that what is truly This type of society behaves mod-
tries today. important is who we are – what good estly, for example, not holding gran-
deeds we do for others, what injus-
That’s not all. Even Torah study and tice we fight against, and how much diose weddings and giving the couple
other life treasures would be affected. we are prepared to exert ourselves in the chance to study for a year instead,
The prohibition to covet does not the pursuit of peace. This moral and with no financial worries. A society
just apply to monetary matters, but ethical stance is more important than like this strives for justice and chessed,
to other things too, such as some- any material achievement, scientific and everything anathema to desire –
one else’s wife. Similarly in the world development or personal wealth. concession and giving to others, from
of the mind and the spirit – some of an open-hearted perspective noticing
the revelations in academia, research Secondly, the impetus for things we and catering to genuine needs.
and Torah learning also stem from want must be need, even when it’s to The main benchmark for such a soci-
the internal desire to find better and do with our welfare or convenience. It ety is the constant concern that the
more truthful arguments, ideas or is so important not to build our needs benefits of economic development
proofs, and to share them with the around what our neighbors have, and are divided equally, and that it should
masses. Hence, if it would be for- to want to have more than they do. be justice and charity that drives
bidden to desire such things as well, A person’s motives must come from resource distribution rather than
we would simply be eradicating the within, and not from a comparison greed and desire.
powers that drive the world. between what he has and what the
other person has.
Therefore, we find ourselves having Rabbi Yuval Cherlow is Rosh Yeshiva of
to strike a balance between our G-d- And thirdly, we have learned that we Yeshivat Amit Orot Shaul and a founding
given trait of wanting to move the also need to consider the damage the member of Tzohar

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