human nature apparently never changes. bad or corrupt conduct has always existed and will continue. humanity’s challenge is to temper it. jethro, moses’ father in law, and midianite priest, offered some of the most valuable advice to moses and society. he is perhaps one of history’s wisest individuals.
the torah document jethro’s instruction to moses concerning the implementation of a justice administration system. jethro, with respect to qualification, indicated that one requirement was to be one who “hated monetary gain.” exodus 18:21.
often, those who do not share hatred of monetary gain are exposed. they are self-interested and seek personal gain. for example, they could be bribed to make an unjust decision.
corruption involving self-monetary gain goes beyond the justice system. thus, with practically every aspect of life, we observe individual’s behaviors and actions that simply don’t make sense. they cannot be explained with logic. some appear to be unjust.
in these circumstances, it is a worthwhile exercise to do a “follow the money” analysis of the situation. the question should be asked, “was monetary self-gain is the source of this behavior?”
in sum, the exercise to “follow the money” is something worth exploring when you observe actions that don’t make sense in your daily life or on the news. it is a tool of wisdom for both understanding actions. it is also a tool that may reveal the need to remedy an unjust action.
be well!!
if you would like to read more blog posts, click here
The Ten Commandments Project 