8th Commandment: Do not steal

Have you ever been manipulated by anyone? In this episode, we look at the 8th Commandment, “lo tignov,” “do not steal.” But the kind of theft we choose to explore isn’t your typical petty theft. We learn there’s actually more to this commandment than meets the eye.

Big Ideas

1. Theft of another's possessions, which includes manipulation, or stealing someone’s thoughts (geneivat da’at) happens when we see others as objects and not people equally created in the image of God. 
2. Approaching relationships through an “I-Thou” paradigm acknowledges that we are all created in the image of God and can lead to deeper relationships.
3. Misleading someone (geneivat da’at) can at times be as serious as physically stealing from someone.

Essential Questions

1. How might we create meaningful “I-Thou” relationships in our lives?
2. Why is it important for people to become more conscious about not stealing other people’s time, impressions, and choices?
3. How might we create a society where people see each other as equals and not  as objects to manipulate?

video Transcript