This lecture explores the distinction between authentic and false interiority in Jewish ethics, arguing that true inner virtue must always be directed toward external action rather than being self-focused. Using the commandment of Lo Tachmod (don’t covet) as a case study, the instructor demonstrates how this final commandment of the Ten Commandments represents the internal dimension of all the preceding prohibitions—not a separate rule about controlling desires, but the character foundation that prevents theft, murder, and adultery. The discussion challenges common misconceptions about moral self-evidence, using the analogy of the wheel’s invention to show how even “obvious” ethical principles required revelation to become clear.
Lo Sachmod is the Midda for Lo Tignov Tirtzach Tinaf Taane