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