But it's Not Really Stealing!

Let's just run down the list of the Seven Laws, and then I want to talk about one of them. There are six prohibitive laws, and one positive law.

1. Prohibition against idolotry.
2. Prohibition against blasphemy.
3. Prohibition against murder.
4. Prohibition against sexual immorality.
5. Prohibition against theft.
6. Prohibition against eating meat taken from a living animal.
7. Positive directive to set up courts of justice.

You probably expect me to discuss these in the order listed, but frankly I don't think it's a good idea to address idolatry as an introduction to this blog. Many readers may be new to this and I would like to establish some common ground before I start making readers uncomfortable.

It's easier to hear difficult words from a friend that you trust, than from a stranger. So let's get acquainted, so that you will know that I am coming from a place of support and encouragement. Then we can stray from our comfort zones. Let me warn you in advance, that Torah is for the open minded, and for the intellectually curious. If you are expecting familiar dogma, you may be on the wrong blog.

And for a housekeeping note, I want to let you know that I prefer to use the name "Hashem" when referring to God. This literally means "the name", and Jews often use the term as a measure against accidently taking one of God's names in vain. So, from now on, Hashem. Okay?

Now that we've set the tone for discussion, I want to talk about the prohibition against theft. Why? Because theft was one of the acts of immorality that angered Hashem to the point of sending the flood.

There is a teaching from our oral tradition that describes people in the days of Noah as having no respect for the property of others. Just as some people think it is okay to sample a grape at the grocery store before checking out at the register, people were doing something similar in the times of Noah. They were taking it to a new level by stealing a grape here, pilfering a berry there, until their bellies were full and they didn't need to buy anything. It's hard to figure out why this small time petty theft would even attract Hashem's notice, let alone bring down His wrath.

These individual acts of stealing were so small that they did not even qualify as shoplifting. Would a store owner today actually call the police for someone stealing a grape? Not likely. A $25 roast, or a bottle of shampoo, of course.

Before the flood, people understood the law and knew that they could legally get away with this small time pilfering. This wouldn't be considered a legal loophole, just a case of people knowing that they were stealing from others, even though it was technically legal. And as a widespread practice, vendors were certainly being injured financially.

I remember when I was a child, it was not uncommon for people who were travelling, to call home "collect" and ask for themselves. Of course they were not home, they were travelling, but this way, they let their families know that they had safely arrived at their destination, with a "free" long distance telephone call.

The call was only free for the caller, but not for the telephone company. It was easy to justify, thinking it's only one little call, but as a common practice, it is hard to estimate the lost revenue to the phone companies and their shareholders. (If you're not sure what a collect call is, ask your grandparents!)

So the point is, that Hashem takes it seriously when people don't respect each other. Theft is about more than stealing property. It is stealing the fruits of someone's labor, diminishing someone's ability to provide for their family.

A common criticism of Torah is that it is legalistic and indifferent to the realities of being human. The more we learn about the law, the more we can see not only Hashem's wisdom, but the love that He has for each and every person.