Negative Mitzvah 265

Heshy's younger brother, Izzy, won a calculator watch at the Rosh Chodesh assembly raffle. Izzy was very excited with his new watch and wore it proudly, showing it to everyone.

But Heshy kept thinking to himself:

"I'm older than Izzy and he doesn't even know how to tell time or use the calculator for that matter. He'll probably break it in a few days."

Heshy could not take his mind off the prize, convincing himself again and again that he would get much more use from the watch than Izzy.

Finally, he came up with an idea. "Hey, Izzy," Heshy said to his younger brother, "I'll let you ride my bike whenever you want if you give me the watch."

When Izzy refused his brother's offer, Heshy kept on trying to get the watch from his brother. Everyday he came up with a new idea.

"Listen, you can keep my new battery car, or how about exchanging the watch for my card collection?" Heshy would not give up. He had to have his brother's watch!

This is exactly what the Torah does not want us to do!

We should not be envious of someone else's possessions.

This Negative Mitzvah prohibits us from thinking of ways to obtain things which belong to another person.