Theft – Don’t

Recently, I discussed the nuances of the Ninth Commandment. I believe that it is equally reasonable to talk about the absence of nuance in the Eighth Commandment. “You shall not steal.” It reads as clearly in Hebrew as it does in every language on the planet. There are no caveats, clarifications, or mitigations. This rule is clear and undeniable. Even so, I want to talk about the elements of the Bible that discuss the lax transfers of property, if only to sharpen the point of the Eighth Commandment. Neither the sons of Israel nor their ancestors were ever meant to … Continue reading “Theft – Don’t”

Simplicity and Thanksgiving

Thomas_Cole_painting

Thanksgiving is soon approaching and there is so much good food to look forward to in the upcoming days. Thanksgiving, much like the Sabbath, is a day on which we rest and look back on all that we are grateful for. Yet despite the myriad of things that we can say we are truly glad to have in our lives, there are still things that nag at us underneath the surface. This nagging can take the form of planning out your shopping run for Black Friday, causing you to plan and stress when you should be enjoying the smoked ham … Continue reading “Simplicity and Thanksgiving”