there are those who believe that it justified to “steal” wealth from others. for this discussion, we will call it, “steal the wealth.” these individuals are advocates of looting, confiscation of property, etc.
as expressed in the torah, the god of the ten commandments mandates charity and the taking care of those in need. essentially, the torah advocates “share the wealth.” this is the topic of discussion.
while the ten commandments provides for the prohibition of theft, the torah requires that those of means “share their wealth.”
one example of the torah’s mandate is with respect to the corners of fields. leviticus 23:22 provides, “when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not completely remove the corner of your field during your harvesting, and you shall not gather up the gleanings of your harvest. [rather,] you shall leave these for the poor person and for the stranger. i am the lord, your god.” this obligation to “share the wealth” works in hand with the prohibition against theft. the system allows for the distribution of property to those in need to be done in a positive manner. to the contrary, those who advocate that it is justifiable to steal from those who have wealth or property. they have been known to call it redistribution of wealth.
theft has serious consequences. our modern society tends to neglect the victim. victims of theft should not be ignored. they suffer in many ways as a result of the theft.
victims of theft can lose their faith in the god. victims of theft can lose their faith in their government. victims of theft can lose their faith in mankind. victims of theft can develop harsh feelings towards their fellow human. victims of theft can die if the item was life saving. victims of theft can be deprived their sense of security for the rest of there life. victims of theft can be deprived of something that helps them get to work or be productive. in sum, victims of crime can have countless feelings and problems as a result of the theft.
the problem we have is that our society fails to take the gravity of theft into consideration. there is a movement to normalize theft. the ten commandments says that this is wrong and unacceptable. considering the harm to the victim, it is clear that our society is broken. why is society concerned with things such as micro-aggression and insults and disregard those who are truly harmed? it is because our society is broken and needs to go back to what works.
The Ten Commandments Project 