Toto

The Ten Commandments don't forbid coveting or killing, claims Dr. Joel M. Hoffman in a press release pushing his new book

Any confirmation of this? "No Coveting" is the most puzzling commandment, and I have seen it explained as related to magical thinking, the destructiveness of envy, etc.

ApostateAbe

Do you know if he explains the apparent redundancy that his interpretation of the ten commandments would imply? There is already a commandment that says, "do not steal."

KeepTalking

There is precedence for this, as the first two commandments are fairly redundant as well, and the one thing separating the two is ignored by most Xians with their crosses and statues/images of Jesus and Mary.

ApostateAbe

Yep. I would still have to think that a less-redundant commandment is more likely than a more-redundant commandment.

steve_bnk

Doesn't JC equate mentaly lusting after a woman as the sane as actual adultery/fornication?

HaRaAYaH

Without reading the book it's hard to say. Just based on the premise of his web page I don't necessarily agree with him. The second set of the 10 commandments in Devarim (Deuteronomy) 5:18 uses the Hebrew word for crave which matches better with original idea of coveting. I don't dismiss his ideas out of hand, I just don't know how authoritative they are.

As for coveting, it is clearly to prevent you from taking that which belongs to your neighbor. Most commentators express that view. Envy that would lead to action.

As for Heart and Soul translation that appears in the Plaut Commentary and that is almost 30 years old. No new ground there at all.

Generally speaking, Judaism is all about deeds and not about your "heart". In other words if your neighbors wife is a fox it's ok to want to screw her, it's just not OK to do it....

John Kesler

There are exceptions, however:

HaRaAYaH

Unfortunately, you can find quotes in the bible that support anything. What almost 100% of the people on this board do not understand bible<>Judaism. Judaism is an interpretation of the bible. You will not find any Jewish teaching that supports your conclusion. Of course Love your neighbor as yourself is also about action not about thoughts. It's all about the deeds. There is no sin of the heart.

show_no_mercy

Which is probably why Jews are generally a lot less neurotic than Christians

HaRaAYaH

I think Jews are plenty neurotic as Illustrated by the story of the Frenchman, the German and the Jew traveling through the desert.

The Frenchman......: I'm tired, I'm thirsty I must have wine....
The German...........: I'm tired, I'm thirsty I must have beer....
The Jew................: I'm tired, I'm thirsty I must have ..... diabetes.....