Project Genesis




Mitzvos (Commandments)

Charity

Want vs. Need

Why doesn’t the prohibition against coveting include soliciting money? How can poor people collect money?

There is a clear difference between “need” and “want.” Coveting is defined by seeing what someone else has and wanting it. On the other hand, a poor person has needs regardless of whether or not someone else has it. For example, if a rich person has food to eat for supper, but a poor person needs some, it isn’t coveting when he asks for a bite to eat. However, if a rich person has a 52” HD Plasma TV, and the poor person “wants” that TV, that is coveting.

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