Have you ever caught yourself really pining after something that belonged to someone else? What does all of that wanting do inside us? What might it lead us to do to other people? And how can we deal with it?
This week we learned the 10th and final commandment, “Don’t covet your neighbor’s belongings. Don’t want their things so badly that you start to plot and scheme about how to get them.” Here are some of the questions we grappled with while learning this text, and your kiddos’ brilliant answers:
If you want something really badly, what might you be willing to do about it?
- Ask to borrow it and then just act like you forgot about it, because maybe they won’t remember about it either and you get to keep it.
- Do something to trick them into giving it to you.
- Make friends with the person who has the thing so they’ll share with you.
- Tiptoe into their house while they’re sleeping and steal it!
- Ask where they got it and get it for yourself.
How does it hurt you to want something you can’t have?
- I feel jealous.
- It makes me upset and thinking of all the things I don’t or can’t have.
- I would be angry at the person who has the thing I want or at the person who gave it to them.
If you notice yourself wanting something that belongs to someone else, what can you do about it?
- Do something else like go to the playground.
- Forget about it and do your own thing.
- Ask if you can use/borrow what someone else has.
- Try to just be happy that they have it.
- Try to be happy with what I have.
- Focus on one thing you’ve always loved and thought was beautiful that you have.
We concluded the conversation by brainstorming what we could take away from this commandment to put on our Makom Community brit. We came up with this rule: “Remember that everyone has everything they need and things that are good.” What a profound idea for us to focus on when we catch ourselves thinking about what we don’t have! We’re so excited to see what excellent ideas your kids come up with for the rest of our brit. Stay tuned!