sin, greed, what is it in Orthodoxy

What is foul profitability, misappropriation, covetousness?

Explanations of prayers are in explanatory prayer books; in addition, look for the book “How to learn to understand the morning, evening and Holy Communion prayers”, there you will find explanations of all the difficult passages. I give you excerpts from this book, which provides explanations of the words that interest you:

Nasty profitability - making profit, profit in a nasty, unjust way. The concept can include any measurement, body kit, deception, but also any income that brings evil to people - for example, based on satisfying or inciting sinful passions. Forgery of any documents or use of counterfeit documents (for example, travel tickets), buying stolen goods cheaply is also bad profit. This also includes parasitism, “when they receive a salary for a position or payment for a task, but do not perform the position or task, and thus steal both the salary or payment, and the benefit that they could bring to society or the one for whom they should have worked.” work" (Orthodox Catechism).

Mshelomy - greed, collecting "mshela" - self-interest. This includes all types of extortion and bribery. Note from Archpriest Sergius Pravdolyubov: One old priest explained this word from the adjective “mossy” - overgrown with moss: moldy bread in the bread bin, old milk in the refrigerator, rancid cereals that were stored “for a rainy day”, old unnecessary things - all sorts of senseless and ruinous hoarding in the spirit of Plyushkin. This is often a sin of self-interest not only of the rich, but also of the poor.

Extortion - “when, under the guise of some right, but in fact in violation of justice and philanthropy, they turn to their advantage someone else’s property or someone else’s labor, or even the very misfortunes of their neighbors, for example, when lenders burden debtors with interest, when owners exhaust those who depend on them unnecessary work if, during a famine, they sell bread at an inflated price (“Orthodox Catechism”). In a broad sense, “covetousness” generally means covetousness, greed (the passion of love of money); in this meaning the word is used in the New Testament (Rom. 1:29; 2 Cor. 9:5; Eph. 4:19 and 5:3; Col. 3:5).

Sincerely, Archpriest Alexander Ilyashenko.

Source

Covetousness, covetousness

Covetousness, covetousness – 1) excessive greed for acquiring material wealth by fleecing people; 2) an act corresponding to this form of greed; 3) sinful “passion to have more and more, from which the multiplication of acquisitions indiscriminately, through deception in transactions and trade, through unjust growth and theft” (St. Theophan the Recluse); a kind of passion of love of money.

***

The word πλεονεξία (pleonexia) in different places of the Russian text of the New Testament is translated as covetousness (1 Cor. 6:10), covetousness (Rom. 1:29) and covetousness (Col. 3:5). St. Theophan the Recluse explains the essence of this phenomenon as “addiction to possessions and placing hope in it, something you can be subject to even with a small acquisition, just as you can be free from it with a lot.”

***

“The covetous man, leaving God, listens to mammon: and thus, both the commandments of God and God who commanded him are rejected. That is why the apostle calls covetousness idolatry (Col. 3:5), and the covetous person an idolater (Eph. 5:5). How disastrous and shameless it is, for the sake of passion, to reject the Living and Immortal God, on Whom our life and all our bliss depend! Covetousness is the passion of extremely depraved people, in whom godlessness is hidden in their hearts, although they confess God with their lips; and there is a sign of a person transformed into a predatory beast, which indiscriminately attacks every animal in order to satisfy itself with its flesh and blood; or even worse than the beasts themselves, as St. John Chrysostom teaches. For animals, having had their fill, no longer rush towards animals, and they can never get enough, but always hunger and thirst for someone else’s good; and the more they collect, the more they desire and steal. And so you see what a covetous person is? He is the enemy of God, the enemy of man, and the enemy of himself. An enemy of God, for he fearlessly violates God’s law and despises the Lawgiver. For whoever wants to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God, teaches the apostle (James 4:4). The enemy is human, because he exposes and ruins people. An enemy to himself, for he betrays his soul to eternal fire and torment.

Covetousness is more dangerous than other lawlessness. A fornicator, an evil person, a drunkard and others only need to give up their sins and repent in order to be saved, and a covetous person must not only give up his covetousness, but also return what was stolen to the one from whom he stole it, or, if this is impossible to do, squander what is in evil collected, and so repent. For otherwise it is impossible for him to repent. Listen to what God says through the prophet: and when I say to the wicked: “You will surely die,” and he turns from his sin, and does justice and righteousness, and gives the pledge, and returns what was stolen, the wicked will walk in the commandments of life, so that he will not commit injustice, he will live by life and not die (Ezek. 33:14-15). Look, you must return what was stolen. And if the kidnapper falls into such poverty that he has no means at all to return what was stolen, but, having come to his senses, wants to repent, and whatever it is, wants to give away, then the merciful God accepts the desire instead of a true return. Otherwise, this is not true repentance, but feigned and false, and nothing more than seduction and softening of a gnawing conscience. The more someone extorts and steals, the more lawlessness and destruction he accumulates for himself. Because of your cruelty and unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath and the revelation of the righteous Judgment from God, who will reward everyone according to his deeds, says the apostle (Rom. 2:5-6)... This is the correct conclusion, in your opinion. , covetous, but not Christian, but lawless and godless. They will not judge you, but God will judge both them and you, their lawless follower. You will escape human execution, but you will not escape God’s, temporary, but not eternal punishment. If you don’t point to them then, that’s what they did; but as they do, so you too will accept it according to your deeds. No man will intercede for you, and nothing will help you when God judges you, and He brings your sins before your face, Whose words you rejected, and seeing a thief, followed him (Ps. 49:21, 17-18) "

St. Tikhon of Zadonsk

See COVERAGE, CURIOUSITY

The sin of extortion and bribery and the fight against it: we explain in detail

It is believed that modern life is somehow special and there are no names for modern misdeeds in the Bible. However, it is not.

One of the common sins of modern times is the good old “covetousness” and its branches.

It turns out that covetousness is an old ailment of humanity, to which the eighth commandment of Holy Scripture is dedicated.

What kind of trouble is this “extortion”?

The very meaning of the word extortion in a modern manner can be translated as a parasitic way of life due to extortion from other people.

The most direct greedy people and synonymous with greed have always been officials and people in power. Those who could influence the course of resolving the issue with their status in society have always enjoyed special “fame” among ordinary people. A striking example of covetous actions at any time was considered to be the receipt of a bribe. However, the person giving it was also considered a violator of the eighth biblical commandment, and therefore is also considered covetous. There is a simple everyday law: “If no one takes, then there is no one to give,” which can be interpreted in another manner: “if they didn’t give, then they wouldn’t take.”

Modern society is so mired in the daily violation of the eighth taboo of the Holy Scripture that this already happens “automatically” and as a “self-evident”, and all layers of society, starting from the very bottom, are permeated with such ungodly acts. For example, to obtain any certificate from any government agency, in order to speed up the process, it is necessary to resort to “extortion” and bribe an official.

Story

History is impossible without a root cause. Bribery is something that has been inherent in people from the very beginning of time, but over the centuries, unfortunately, it has only gained momentum. Of course, the law strictly punished those who took bribes, but even punishment stopped few people. Most often, the punishment was too simple and insufficient to achieve the intended goal - once and for all to discourage a person from taking bribes.

The state apparatus itself dictated such conditions that it was very difficult to resolve many issues without outside help. Naturally, no one was going to provide such help “for thank you.” Moreover, we must not forget the fact that society itself considered honest people who do not take money and conduct business “in accordance with their conscience” as simpletons, fools and fools. They were used very often, and few people thought they were smart.

This example clearly shows how public opinion influences a specific person. The majority became the same as everyone else, even if this contradicted their life and moral principles. Alas, we perceive the opinion of society as more significant than our own point of view. And only a few could resist universal bribery, but every year there were fewer and fewer such people. Unfortunately, bribery is a phenomenon that, once “stained” with it, it is impossible to “wash off” later.

What is money-grabbing, foul profitability and covetousness in Orthodoxy?

Nasty profitability

Bad profit - “bad acquisition”, criminal gain, obtaining profit, profit in a bad, unjust way. This concept includes any measure, weight, deception, but also any income that brings evil to people - for example, based on satisfying or inciting sinful passions. Forgery of any documents or use of counterfeit documents (for example, travel tickets), buying stolen goods cheaply is also bad profit. This also includes parasitism, “when they receive a salary for a position or payment for a task, but do not perform the position or task, and thus steal both the salary or payment, and the benefit that they could bring to society or the one for whom they should have worked.” work" (Orthodox Catechism).

Bad profitability is a type of passion of love of money, the article about which describes the causes of its occurrence, disastrous consequences and methods of combating this passion, common to all its branches.

See also: Passion. Sobriety. Thoughts. Spiritual warfare.

St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov). Eight main passions with their divisions and branches St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov). About the virtues opposite to the eight main sinful passions Love of money. — Soulful teachings of St. Ambrose of Optina Wealth. — Soulful teachings of St. Ambrose of Optina Priest Pavel Gumerov. Eight deadly sins and the fight against them Abba Dorotheus. Soulful teachings about the love of money. - Rev. John Climacus. Ladder of the Love of Money. — Soulful teachings of St. Macarius of Optina

About the spirit of love of money. — St. John Cassian’s message to Castor, Bishop of Apt, on the rules of cenobitic monasteries

About the love of money, which is alien to our nature, and what is the difference between it and natural vices. - Reverend Father John Cassian, presbyter, to the ten fathers who were in the hermitage desert sent to Bishop Leontius and Helladius for interviews. The fifth interview of Abba Serapion. About eight main passions. Chapter 8

About the agreement of six passions and the affinity of two different from those. - Reverend Father John Cassian, presbyter, to the ten fathers who were in the hermitage desert sent to Bishop Leontius and Helladius for interviews. The fifth interview of Abba Serapion. Chapter 10

The third thought is love of money. Rev. Neil Sorsky. From the writings of the holy fathers about mental activity: why is it necessary and how should one try to do it?

Venerable Nicodemus the Holy Mountain. Invisible abuse

Holy Fathers on the love of money Holy Fathers on covetousness Holy Fathers on non-covetousness

Archpriest Seraphim Slobodskoy. God's Law. About the second commandment of the Law of God Life and miracles of our venerable and God-bearing father Sergius, the Wonderworker of Radonezh Life of Saint Boniface the Merciful, Bishop of Ferentia

When using the site materials reference to the source is required

Mshelomystvo

Bribery is a passion for collecting property, acquiring and hoarding superfluous, unnecessary things, as well as bribery, greed (from mshel - (Old Russian) - profit, thing, property; and from mshel - self-interest).

Money-grubbing is a type of passion of love of money, the article about which describes the causes of its occurrence, disastrous consequences and methods of combating this passion, common to all its branches.

Priest Pavel Gumerov:

The passion for hoarding and stinginess is a trait inherent not only to the rich. Quite often people ask the question: “What is money-grabbing?”, about which we read in the evening prayer of confession. Mshelomy is the acquisition of things that are unnecessary for us, when they become covered with moss from long storage and inactivity. Very poor people can also suffer from this sin, purchasing and hoarding dishes, clothes, and any other items, filling all the cabinets, shelves and closets with them, and often forgetting even what is where.

Archpriest Sergiy Pravdolyubov:

One old priest explained this word from the adjective “mossy” - overgrown with moss: moldy bread in the bread bin, old milk in the refrigerator, rancid cereals that were stored “for a rainy day,” old unnecessary things - all sorts of senseless and ruinous hoarding in the spirit of Plyushkin. This is often a sin of self-interest not only of the rich, but also of the poor.

Venerable Leo of Optina:

“As for the love of things and money-grubbing (that is, the excess of various things), this weakness, according to the reasoning of the holy fathers, is worse and more disastrous than the love of money.”

St. Ignatius Brianchaninov:

Novices should not have money-grabbing in their cells, that is, various items of whim and luxury. Cell money-grabbing attracts the mind and heart of the novice: thus distracts them from God. In addition, it arouses daydreaming, which counteracts spiritual success.

About the harmfulness of harvesting

Rev. Maxim the Confessor:

“Whose mind is attached to any earthly thing does not love God.”

Elder Paisiy Svyatogorets explains the harmfulness of addiction to things:

“A heartfelt wish in itself is not evil. But things, even if not sinful, captivate a piece of my heart and reduce my love for Christ. If I wish to receive something useful, for example, a book, and this useful thing captivates a piece of my heart, then such a wish is unkind. Why should a book capture a part of my heart? What is better - to desire a book or to desire Christ?

St. Tikhon of Zadonsk:

“It is great madness to love a meaningless and insensitive creature with whom we cannot be mutually loved. An insensitive, meaningless, dead thing cannot love us: and it is not fitting for us to love it, but only God, who loves us, and our neighbor, created in His image.

...If anyone says that all creatures were created for the sake of man, I answer him:

First. Thus, creatures must serve and work for man, and not man for creatures; The one who cleaves to them with heart and love serves them.

Second. One must use them, and not abuse them - use them in moderation, and not excessively, for the sake of need, and not for the sake of sensuality.

Third. These creatures are like certain traces and evidence by which we recognize the Creator and come to Him: from creation we recognize the Creator and we learn and are convinced of Him to love and honor that He has created such a wondrous thing for us.

Fourth. Created to serve us, so that we may serve God; and when we do not serve God, then their service to us is useless, and this results in great ingratitude to God. Man, as rational and created in the image of God, is God’s closest servant, and as a mediator between God and creatures, using their service, he must thank God and serve Him. So, for example, slaves serve their master so that he serves the monarch and society; and if he does not serve, then their service, due to his negligence, is in vain: so the creatures serve man, so that he serves God as a reasonable person, and thanks and praises God for all of them. And when a person does not do this, then he uses creatures in vain, and therefore is ungrateful to his Creator...”

Hieromonk Seraphim (Kalugin):

“We must remember that the prayer books were compiled in relation to monastic life. Then this word meant the collection by a monk in his cell of beautiful, valuable objects unnecessary to him in everyday life, hoarding. One of the monastic rules says: “Monastics should not bring unnecessary things into their cells and fall into the sin of money-gathering. The best decoration of a monastic cell are holy icons and books of Holy Scripture, as well as the works of the Holy Fathers. A monk's cell contains the bare minimum of everything that cannot be done without. The cell should be red not by things, but by the spirit of faith and prayer of the monk living in it.

The love of things and money-grubbing are worse than the love of money

“As for the love of things and money-grabbing

(i.e. excesses of various things),

then this weakness, according to the reasoning of the holy fathers,

more bitter and more disastrous than the love of money"

(Lev Optinsky )

Mshelomystvo

– sinful illness (passion) of acquiring and/or accumulating unnecessary things. They are acquired, whether they are collected not for the sake of needs and/or their service to a person, but simply to have it. The word “mshel” means profit or bribe, self-interest.

There are several types of passion for money-grabbing: bribes with valuable things, love of gifts, collecting and simply collecting all sorts of rubbish. Neither rich nor poor people are immune from this passion. Many older people are susceptible to the passion of money-grabbing. The things they store have not been used for their intended purpose for a long time and are not needed by anyone. But it’s a pity to throw them away, so the house turns into a warehouse of various rubbish from old and unnecessary dishes, clothes, shoes.

Interesting factAccording to Orthodox psychologist Irina Yakovlevna Medvedeva, molestation is not only a spiritual problem, but also a mental one, akin to one of the forms of psychopathology such as schizophrenia.

Modern shopaholism is also the above-mentioned disease. People have a passion for acquiring more and more new things, many of which will not be used for their intended purpose. Things will hang in the closet unnecessarily.

Archpriest Dimitri Bezhenar also mentions the existence of intellectual mischief. When unnecessary memories are stored in a person’s mind: who, where, with whom, when, why. And they are not just stored, but are constantly mentally moved, disrupting peace and sleep, causing a lot of trouble and loss of nerve cells. And if the garbage from things can be cleared away without the help of the sick person, then intellectual moss-picking can only be cured by him, with God’s help.

According to Elder Paisius the Holy Mountain:

An interesting comparison of St. Tikhon of Zadonsk’s immeasurable love for things; he compares it with great madness. How can you love a dead, meaningless and emotionless creature who cannot love in return? Therefore, a person does not need to love a thing, but only the Lord and his neighbor. And if someone objects: “After all, everything was created for man.” Yes, so that a thing serves a person, and not vice versa.

With the advent of various technologies, the purpose of which is to help people, the opposite effect has occurred. People have become dependent on televisions, computers, iPhones, microwave ovens, coffee makers and much more. Indulging their whims, they became hostages of objects that are not needed in eternal life.

To get rid of any addiction, including clothing addiction, you need to call on God for help. “But You, Lord, do not depart from me; my strength! hasten to help me” (Psalm 21:20).

After all, only He alone knows which intentions are for good and which are for evil.

“And you will call upon Me, and go and pray to Me, and I will hear you; and you will seek Me and find Me, if you seek Me with all your heart” (Jer. 29:11-13).

This is interesting: Acquisitiveness: what kind of sin is it

What kind of sin is this, foul profitability?

Secular and worldly things and accessories should not be in the cell” (From the charter of the Holy Trinity Monastery).

... But what about being a simple Orthodox? We must always remember that the path of salvation for a layman is essentially no different from that of a monk. Monks retire into the desert only in order to more conveniently walk this path, which for everyone, both monks and laity, consists of fulfilling Christ’s commandments. Of course, we are still far from giving away both our outer clothing and our last shirt, according to the word of Christ. However, our Christian conscience must tell each of us whether anyone needs something more than me that I don’t need at all, and if he does, then with a light heart go and give it away.”

See also: Passion. Sobriety. Thoughts. Spiritual warfare.

St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov). Eight main passions with their divisions and branches St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov). About the virtues opposite to the eight main sinful passions Love of money. — Soulful teachings of St. Ambrose of Optina Wealth. — Soulful teachings of St. Ambrose of Optina Love of money. — Priest Pavel Gumerov. Eight deadly sins and the fight against them Abba Dorotheus. Soulful teachings about the love of money. - Rev. John Climacus. Ladder of the Love of Money. — Soulful teachings of St. Macarius of Optina

About the spirit of love of money. — St. John Cassian’s message to Castor, Bishop of Apt, on the rules of cenobitic monasteries

The third thought is love of money. Rev. Neil Sorsky. From the writings of the holy fathers about mental activity: why is it necessary and how should one try to do it?

Venerable Nicodemus the Holy Mountain. Invisible abuse

Holy Fathers on the love of money Holy Fathers on covetousness Holy Fathers on non-covetousness

When using the site materials reference to the source is required

Scripture speaks of the multitude of sins that are common to man. The Fathers of the Church, in turn, divided them into sins leading to death and those not leading to death, but in fact, every bad act leads to a deterioration in the spiritual health of a Christian. And, if he does not correct his path, it will ultimately lead to death (physical or spiritual).

For any wrongdoing, a person will be punished if he does not repent of it, and it is very important to understand and distinguish between these unrighteous acts. For example, is it a sin to gain financial gain in the wrong way? Orthodoxy calls this extortion and calls on people to repent, but is everything so bad?

Covetousness and idolatry

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Holy Scripture says that we are all born in sin. This is our nature, which is very difficult to get rid of. But saints, angels and archangels are given to help man. If a sinner realizes his nature, corrupted by sin, and wants to improve, God will always come to the rescue. It’s another matter if a person is not going to correct himself, if he is comfortable living a sinful life. In this case, no one will come to his aid, because he does not need it.

The word covetousness corresponds to the Greek word πλεονεξία, however, this Greek word is translated not only as extortion. There are two more translations: covetousness, greed. It is clear that this has to do with illegal enrichment and outright robbery in broad daylight.

The covetous man worships one god - the demon Mammon, who seduces people with quick enrichment. This is a demon of gluttony that afflicts people's hearts and turns them away from God's commandments. Many people think that no demons exist because they are not visible. What's wrong with getting rich quick, what's wrong with abundance and wealth? In fact, there is nothing wrong with abundance and wealth, and even King Solomon owned countless treasures. The question is: how was this wealth obtained?

If wealth is obtained with God's help, then it serves to glorify the Creator and Creator of life. But if Mammon seduces with wealth, then his goal is extremely clear - to corrupt the soul:

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Not every soul can withstand such pressure from the energy of material goods; many people are ready to exchange an eternal soul for fleeting earthly goods. You can still find rituals of selling your soul for the sake of temporary earthly goods on the Internet, as if you could take them with you to the grave. A person does not understand that he is only a guest on this earth, and that his stay in the material world has its own time limits - 100 years. But people are so blinded by the chance to get rich quick that they simply forget that this is all temporary.

On a note! The Covetous are servants of the demon Mammon, even if they do not know it.

It is believed that the 9th circle of hell is under the control of Mammon. There he lives in a palace made of pure gold, inlaid with gems and precious stones. Only children become victims of this unjust wealth. Mammon takes unborn and newborn children as a tribute to his patronage. Moreover, he takes away not only those children whose parents gave their souls to him: he will take them away from all generations. Abortions, miscarriages, stillbirths - these are all victims of a terrible demon called Mammon.

Definition of concepts

There are several similar definitions that relate to obtaining any profit in the wrong way, by deception. Although synonymous, there are several different definitions for this:

Bad profit - acquiring profit or finances in a bad, unjust way. This should include any body kit or measurement that is done incorrectly and is a fraud. This definition is also suitable for earning money, which was carried out by inciting human passions.

This may include:

Money-grubbing is an excessive love of money, obtaining “mshela” or self-interest. Those. the process by which a person extorts money or other benefits from himself.

This concept may include:

The Orthodox Church condemns bribery

Extortion is the process of violating human rights and freedoms, as a result of which physical benefits are obtained. This concept includes:

Covetousness also has a broader concept - it is covetousness or greed, i.e. excessive love of finances, which pushes a person to do bad things. The Apostle Paul often writes about this passion in his letters to the Colossians and Jews.

More about sins in Orthodoxy:

Important! Regardless of what definition an act falls under, it is a sin, according to the Orthodox Church.

Orthodox understanding of extortion

In Orthodox terminology, profiteering from the predicament of other people is called covetousness or covetousness. A person who likes to appropriate someone else’s property without earning it honestly, through diligence and applying effort to the result is a violator of the eighth biblical commandment.

The Apostle Paul also said that you should not sit down at the same table to “eat” with covetous people. It is noteworthy that if a drunkard or a dissolute person had his sins absolved when he sincerely repented, then the person suffering from a sinful passion for receiving something that belonged to others, in order to completely cleanse his soul, had to not only repent and undergo the rite of communion, but also completely return what he had received during his life fraudulently. way. This sin is considered one of the most serious violations of God’s covenant, because profiting from the sorrows and poverty of other people has always been immoral and alien to the Christian faith.

In the church dictionary there are several synonyms for the word extortion. These include:

It is generally accepted that people who do not believe in God and his mercy are susceptible to this sin. It is known that in the heart of a true Christian believer there is no place for passions and harmful attractions and habits. Only greedy, envious and greedy people take the shaky path of covetousness. Actions that fall under the category of violation of the eighth biblical commandment include:

It is noteworthy that even one of the virtual dictionaries on the Internet contains explanations of the word “extortion.” The virtual space of Wikipedia is characterized by such actions as a soft (non-aggressive), but persistent process of collecting and extorting someone else's property, money or other material things for which a person worked. Several variations of words can be named as synonyms:

How can a covetous man be saved?

Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk in his work “On True Christianity” says that the covetous is an enemy of God, people, and himself. God - because he violates His commandments. To people - because it ruins them. To himself - because he betrays his soul to eternal torment. But while the sinner is alive, he can still fix everything.

Saint Tikhon points out that in order to repent, a covetous person must not only renounce sin. It is imperative to return everything stolen. An active, practical way to combat extortion is to give alms. Thus, the covetous person goes against his passion and does not allow it to further take root in his heart. There is an example of such an act in the Gospel. The tax collector and covetous Zacchaeus repented and promised Christ: “I will give half of my property to the poor, and if I have offended anyone, I will repay him fourfold” (Luke 19:8).

The holy righteous John of Kronstadt in his essay “The Living Ear” says that God will accept any repentant sinner, including the covetous:

“How many former fornicators, murderers, covetous people and repentants have entered heaven and are enjoying bliss! How great is God’s love for mankind!”

Vice "money-grabbing"

Along with extortion, there is also the concept of extortion.

This sin means an addiction to buying more and more new things or certain goods that a person does not need, but acquires them out of greed.

If we break down the word “moss-taking” into its components, we get from the Old Russian language “mshel”, which means a thing and “mshelo”, which means to be covered with moss.

From here it is literally understood that the sin of moss-taking is the accumulation of things that are already “covered with moss,” but they are all kept and not thrown away. It is noteworthy that one can trace a peculiar connection between extortion and extortion: a person, receiving more and more money, buys more and more things that he does not need, to demonstrate his status.

However, there is a cure for this “illness” . To get rid of unnecessary “mshel”, it is necessary to carry out monthly audits in places of residence and simply throw away things that are not needed or give them to someone who really needs them.

Narration of the ordeal

Ordeals are something like outposts or customs houses that meet the souls of dead people on their way, ascending to the throne of the Heavenly Judge. At each of these ordeals, an account of special sins will be required... Each passion, every sin will have its own tax collectors and torturers... Thus, the ordeals are nothing more than a private court, at which the soul is reminded and impartially evaluated all its deeds, and after which it is determined fate. This judgment is called private, in contrast to the universal one, which will be carried out on all people at the end of the world, when the Son of Man comes to earth again in His Glory... 1st ordeal: Idle talk and ridicule. 2nd ordeal: Lies and oaths. 3rd ordeal: Condemnations and slander. 4th ordeal: Gluttony and drunkenness. 5th ordeal: Laziness. 6th ordeal: Tatby. 7th ordeal: Love of money and stinginess. 8th ordeal: Extortion. 9th ordeal: Lies. 10th ordeal: Envy. 11th ordeal: Pride. 12th ordeal: Wrath. 13th ordeal: Grudges. 14th ordeal: Murders. 15th ordeal: Sorcery. 16th ordeal: Fornication. 17th ordeal: Adultery. 18th ordeal: Sodom ordeal. 19th ordeal: Heresies and schisms. 20th ordeal: No Mercy.

Differences between bribery and extortion

What is the difference between the concepts of extortion and bribery? These concepts are synonymous, but serious differences can be found between them. In order to detect it, just look at the beginning of each word:

The fundamental difference between these concepts is human moral behavior. If in the first case payment is given for performing certain services, then this is simple greed. But the second concept implies that a person lacks any love and compassion for the unfortunate person, there is only a desire to profit from his misfortune. There are no Christian or moral qualities here.

If the first act violates the 10 commandments of the Old Testament, then the second neutralizes the main commandments that Christ gave: to love the Lord and neighbor. Despite the fact that covetousness seems to be a more serious offense, one should not allow or accept bribes, as this only inflames greed.

Hieromonk Seraphim (Kalugin), Astrakhan, answers readers' questions.

In the prayer book in “Confession of Everyday Sins,” sins are named - molestation, filthiness. Please describe what is meant by this? Lyudmila

Both of these sins are associated with enrichment and accumulation of material values.
Bad gain
, (bad acquisition) is the use for enrichment of official position, authority, or even holy dignity.
Warning about this, the Apostle Paul writes in his letter to Titus: “For there are many who are disobedient, talkers of vanity and deceitful in their minds, especially those who have been circumcised, whose mouths it is proper to stop: those who corrupt all houses, even more often than not, do what is unclean for the sake of gain... reprove them mercilessly, may they be healthy in the faith” (Tit. 1, 10 - 13). I specifically cite the Slavic text so that this word sounds the same as in the prayer book (it is translated into Russian: “for the sake of shameful self-interest”). In this case, the apostle is talking about teachers who, for selfish purposes, pervert church teaching to please their listeners. Money-gathering
is a type of sin, or more precisely, a sinful way of life, when a person has something that he himself does not need, but this something he does not need, he nevertheless puts under himself and does not give to others. Here the famous Gogol character immediately comes to mind, to whom “they weren’t even advised to know the way.” The word “msheloimstvo” comes from the ancient root “mshel” - profit (V. Dahl’s Explanatory Dictionary). We must remember that prayer books were compiled in relation to monastic life.

Source

Mshelomystvo

Money-buying is a sinful passion consisting in the desire to acquire more and more new things, without their visible benefit to oneself, collecting unnecessary things, a morbid love of things. A type of passion: love of money.

Of the literary heroes, the landowner Plyushkin from Gogol’s “Dead Souls” was infected with this passion. In modern language, people suffering from this disease are called shopaholics (oniomaniacs).

Money-hunting is a form of love of things, when things are acquired for the sake of the things themselves. “As for the love of things and money-grubbing (that is, the excesses of various things), this weakness, according to the reasoning of the holy fathers, is worse and more disastrous than the love of money,” teaches St. Rev. Leo of Optina.

Mischief, according to the word of St. Ignatius Brianchaninova is an establishment of various items of whim and luxury. The types of money-grabbing are varied - from bribes with things, addiction to gifts, useless collecting to collecting rubbish.

In any case, a person subject to passion is enslaved to things (from the Old Russian mshel - thing, property; in Church Slavonic - bribe, self-interest, profit), that is, temporary and transitory, to the detriment of concern for his fate in eternity. A person must remember that “whose mind is attached to any earthly thing does not love God” (St. Maximus the Confessor). All things are transitory, and only blissful union with God is eternal.

Archpriest Sergius Pravdolyubov: One old priest explained this word from the adjective “mossy” - overgrown with moss: moldy bread in the bread bin, old milk in the refrigerator, rancid cereals that were stored “for a rainy day”, old unnecessary things - all senseless and ruinous hoarding in in the spirit of Plyushkin. This is often a sin of self-interest not only of the rich, but also of the poor.

priest Pavel Gumerov: Passion for hoarding, stinginess is a trait inherent not only to the rich. Quite often people ask the question: “What is money-grabbing?”, about which we read in the evening prayer of confession. Mshelomy is the acquisition of things that are unnecessary for us, when they become covered with moss from long storage and inactivity. Very poor people can also suffer from this sin, purchasing and hoarding dishes, clothes, and any other items, filling all the cabinets, shelves and closets with them, and often forgetting even what is where.

St. Tikhon of Zadonsky (Flesh and Spirit, 27): “It is great madness to love a meaningless and insensitive creature with whom we cannot be mutually loved. An insensitive, meaningless, dead thing cannot love us: and it is not fitting for us to love it, but only God, who loves us, and our neighbor, created in His image. ...If anyone says that all creatures were created for the sake of man, I answer him: First. Thus, creatures must serve and work for man, and not man for creatures; The one who cleaves to them with heart and love serves them. Second. One must use them, and not abuse them - use them in moderation, and not excessively, for the sake of need, and not for the sake of sensuality. Third. These creatures are like certain traces and evidence by which we recognize the Creator and come to Him: from creation we recognize the Creator and we learn and are convinced of Him to love and honor that He has created such a wondrous thing for us. Fourth. Created to serve us, so that we may serve God; and when we do not serve God, then their service to us is useless, and this results in great ingratitude to God. Man, as rational and created in the image of God, is God’s closest servant, and as a mediator between God and creatures, using their service, he must thank God and serve Him. So, for example, slaves serve their master so that he serves the monarch and society; and if he does not serve, then their service, due to his negligence, is in vain: so the creatures serve man, so that he serves God as a reasonable person, and thanks and praises God for all of them. And when a person does not do this, then he uses creatures in vain, and therefore is ungrateful to his Creator...”

In the prayer book in “Confession of Everyday Sins,” sins are named – molestation, filthiness. Please describe what is meant by this? Hieromonk Seraphim (Kalugin):

Both of these sins are associated with enrichment and accumulation of material values.

Bad profit (bad acquisition) is the use for enriching official position, authority, or even holy dignity. Warning about this, the Apostle Paul writes in his letter to Titus: “For there are many who are disobedient, talkers of vanity and deceitful in their minds, especially those who have been circumcised, whose mouths it is proper to stop: those who corrupt all houses, even more often than not, do what is unclean for the sake of gain... reprove them mercilessly, may they be healthy in the faith” (Titus 1:10–13). I specifically cite the Slavic text so that this word sounds the same as in the prayer book (it is translated into Russian: “for the sake of shameful self-interest”). In this case, the apostle is talking about teachers who, for selfish purposes, pervert church teaching to please their listeners.

Money-gathering is a type of sin, or more precisely, a sinful way of life, when a person has something that he himself does not need, but this something he does not need, he nevertheless puts under himself and does not give to others. Here the famous Gogol character immediately comes to mind, to whom “they weren’t even advised to know the way.”

The word “msheloimstvo” comes from the ancient root “mshel” - profit (dictionary of Archpriest G. Dyachenko). In the Explanatory Dictionary of V.I. Dalia “mshel” - bribe, self-interest.

We must remember that prayer books were compiled in relation to monastic life. Then this word meant the collection by a monk in his cell of beautiful, valuable objects unnecessary to him in everyday life, hoarding.

One of the monastic rules says: “Monastics should not bring unnecessary things into their cells and fall into the sin of money-gathering. The best decoration of a monastic cell are holy icons and books of Holy Scripture, as well as the works of the Holy Fathers. A monk's cell contains the bare minimum of everything that cannot be done without. The cell should be red not by things, but by the spirit of faith and prayer of the monk living in it. Secular and worldly things and accessories should not be in the cell” (From the charter of the Holy Trinity Monastery).

The holy ascetic fathers speak quite strictly about this sinful state. The Venerable Leo of Optina (1768–1841) says: “As for the love of things and money-grubbing (that is, the excess of various things), this weakness, according to the reasoning of the holy fathers, is worse and more disastrous than the love of money.” And the Venerable Elder Paisius the Svyatogorets (1924–1994) explains the harmfulness of addiction to things: “A heartfelt desire in itself is not evil. But things, even if not sinful, captivate a piece of my heart and reduce my love for Christ. If I wish to receive something useful, for example, a book, and this useful thing captivates a piece of my heart, then such a wish is unkind. Why should a book capture a part of my heart? What is better - to desire a book or to desire Christ?

This is what the monks say. But what about being a simple Orthodox? We must always remember that the path of salvation for a layman is essentially no different from that of a monk. Monks retire into the desert only in order to more conveniently walk this path, which for everyone - both monks and laity - consists of fulfilling Christ’s commandments. Of course, we are still far from giving away both our outer clothing and our last shirt, according to the word of Christ. However, each of us, our Christian conscience must tell us whether anyone needs something more than me that I do not need at all, and if he does, then with a light heart, go and give it away.

Source

Mischief: what kind of sin is it?

Interpretation

The meaning of this word can be interpreted in two ways. In the first version, it goes back to the ancient Russian word “mshel”, meaning “self-interest”, in another interpretation - “thing”, “property”, and in the church context of modern language it can be translated as “greed”. Extortion and bribery are in the same category. The love of greed is classified by the Orthodox Church as a passion, and a vicious, sinful one, akin to the love of money.

The second option is more down-to-earth. It is often associated with mossy, i.e. because it was overgrown with moss and mossy. This may mean collecting (usually senseless) old, no longer needed - mossy - things , putting aside food supplies just in case (as they say, for a rainy day).

A striking example of a msheloimtsa is Gogol’s Plyushkin, who was engaged in accumulating all sorts of rubbish for the sake of this process itself.

In the “Orthodox Prayer Book”, in the prayers of the evening rule there is a confession of everyday sins, among which money-grubbing is mentioned.

Plyushkin is a good example. In former times, prayer books were compiled for monastics, and this sin was condemned when a monk surrounded himself with beautiful or valuable things, collecting and accumulating them, although he had absolutely no need for them in everyday life. Even a layman does not need them on such a scale.

What is sin? Well, a man collects his clothes and doesn’t offend anyone! And this is sinful, from the point of view of the church, for several reasons.

To accumulate, store, cherish, collect - is this what household items are created for? They must “work”, otherwise a person will become dependent on them and, without noticing it, become stingy and greedy.

A type of the sin of bribery is bribery . What kind of sin is this? The ancient word “bribe” with a completely neutral original meaning is increasingly used with a negative connotation, speaking of corruption and bribery.

Bribery - receiving gifts, offerings for the purpose of bribery, outright bribes.

Over time, this type of money-grabbing also turns into collecting similar gifts, admiring them and boasting to friends, and often direct begging, if not extortion, for one or another object of desire.

The passion of collecting, by and large, is the same thing as msheloying. A man pays a lot of money for some “exhibit” that no one except him will see.

Msheloimstvo is materialism.

In the same way, Msheloim residents also include avid shopaholics , for whom shopping is literally the meaning and purpose of life. Such people can buy so many new clothes that they will not be able to even wear them once. And the main thing is that you can do without them.

This is a kind of idolatry. As, indeed, is the habit of old, tried and tested things (clothes, shoes).

To summarize what has been said, this sin can be defined by a completely modern word - materialism . Its meaning is extremely transparent - pathological love for things, enslavement by them. In this case, the temporary and transitory harms a person’s concern for his fate in Eternity.

Is it possible to get rid of it?

If you sincerely desire, you can get rid of any sin by repenting of it in confession. It is necessary to fight money-grabbing by developing the opposite virtues:

This concerns the spiritual component. The “household” part includes the ability to part with unused things, giving them to someone who needs it.

It wouldn't hurt to carry out frequent systematic inspections of the house and the bins, where deposits of unnecessary things or products may be found.

Before you decide to make your next purchase, carefully consider whether you really need it.

A good step would be, instead of a controversial purchase, which, it is possible, will then simply be shifted from place to place, to actually help someone, perhaps in the store itself, by buying something vital for them.

I would like to cite the point of view of Hieromonk Seraphim (Kalugin), according to which the laity, ideally, can get rid of this sin by literally giving their last shirt to the needy. But since not everyone is mentally prepared for this, it is enough to share at least something that is lying on your shelf as dead weight , but someone really needs it.

Fighting Sin

Money-gathering - what is this sin and how to fight it? First you need to admit to yourself the sinfulness of your actions and the need to get rid of such passion . The fight against sin is as follows:

it is necessary to carry out general cleaning in places where accumulated items are stored;
It is better to throw away really unnecessary things that are stored indoors only as accessories;
items that can still be used must be given to those in need - taken to orphanages or donated to the disabled, the elderly, or donated to the church.

It is possible to atone for sin only with full awareness and repentance of what you have done. The sinner must make a vow to himself that he will subsequently acquire any item only in case of extreme need. Every evening to atone for your guilt you need to read a prayer:

“I confess to my God and Creator, the Holy Trinity - Father, Son and Holy Spirit, my sins committed throughout my life in deeds, thoughts, dreams. Drunkenness, despondency, idleness, jealousy, anger, envy, greed, slander, condemnation, negligence, gluttony, money-seeking, rancor, foul language, hatred, covetousness and other sins with which I have angered You, which I regret, forgive me, Lord God my! Help me, Lord, I pray to You with tears, forgive my sins , deliver me from them. Amen".

The Church requires its parishioners not to create idols for themselves, to acquire and use each thing only according to need, not to violate the biblical commandments and to keep their souls pure and sinless.

The Power of Humility

Why is showing meekness considered weakness? The answer is simple - people believe that defeating another is important and is a show of strength. In fact, there is no more experienced and dangerous enemy for a person than himself

Therefore, victory over oneself should be valued higher than victory over one’s neighbor.

Humility is always filled with spiritual power, transforming a person and everything around. Sins in Orthodoxy: 5 categories

To show humility, a person requires remarkable courage, because there is always a fear that because of concessions he will be considered weak. But if you look closely at the essence of humility, it becomes clear that only a person strong and strong in the Lord can do this. Forgiving and giving in is always more difficult than fighting and belittling another. Also in relationships with the Lord, accepting His will is always more difficult than it seems.

Important! A person must completely trust God, because the path that He has prepared is not always pleasant. More often, the opposite happens, instead of blessings come trials, and the series of temptations does not stop - the Creator works on the heart of a Christian, making it softer and purer, but this is not always a pleasant process

Also, people are accustomed to solving all problems on their own, agreeing, finding ways and means, and the more difficult it is to trust and give everything into the hands of God.

Christ as an example of humility

The main example for a Christian is, of course, Jesus Christ. He represents the ideal of a humble man, but no one can call Jesus weak. If you study the descriptions in the Gospels of the moment of his arrest and interrogation by the Pharisees, you can understand that Christ was submissive both in his relations with people and in his relations with God.

When he appeared before the Sanhedrin, he did not argue with the clergy, did not shout or prove that he was right. He was the same before the king and before Pontius Pilate. The questions that Christ asked were simple and did not sound arrogant or contemptuous. His words were submissive and not defiance; He did not show disrespect or desire to aggravate the conflict.

Christ's submission to God's will even though He wanted to avoid it can be seen by reading His prayers in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matt. 6:39)

Understanding the importance and necessity of his death, He felt fear like any person and would like God to deliver Him from it. Nevertheless, he humbly acknowledges God's authority above His own and says: “But Thy will be done.”

Jesus Christ had amazing humility and meekness

Even knowing what awaits Him, Christ is submissive to God. However, there is no weakness in His words or actions. That is why there is no better example of meekness for believers. “Learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:29).

How to Confess Sin

It should be noted that repentance for sins must be performed daily. And the prayer itself can help a believing Orthodox Christian consider all the daily sins he has committed and retains memories of previously committed ones for all the days he has lived.

It is important to know that those sins that are confessed in the Sacrament of Repentance sincerely and with all the heart receive the Lord's forgiveness, but this does not mean that believers can forget about them. All those sinful acts that were committed during life will be stored in memory for restraint and regret for what they have done.

As when confessing in the Sacrament of Repentance, as in daily confession to the Almighty, one must confess one’s sinful acts not only consciously, but also separately. Therefore, when saying a prayer, one should dwell on the named sins and indicate what specific deeds or deeds may be meant by them, words spoken, or even thoughts, but one should not forget about the instructions of the ascetics of the Orthodox Christian Church.

In order to receive forgiveness from the sin of obscenity in Orthodoxy, you need to say the following prayer appeal:

I confess to You, Lord my God and Creator, in the One Holy Trinity, glorified and worshiped Father, and Son, and Holy Spirit, all my sins, which I have committed all the days of my life, and for every hour, both now and in the past. days and nights, by deed, by word, by thought, by gluttony, drunkenness, secret eating, idle talk, despondency, laziness, bickering, disobedience, slander, condemnation, neglect, pride, avarice, theft, unspeaking, filthiness, molestation, jealousy, envy, anger, memory of malice, hatred, covetousness and all my feelings: sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch, and my other sins, both mental and physical, in the image of my God and Creator I have angered You, and my neighbor has not been truthful; Regretting these things, I present my guilt to You, my God, and have the will to repent; Indeed, Lord my God, help me, with tears I humbly pray to Thee: forgive me my sins by Thy mercy, and forgive me from all these things that I have said before Thee, as I am Good and Lover of mankind.

May the Lord protect you!

You will also be interested in watching a video about the sin of filthiness:

The best article for you, go to: Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross

Nasty profitability

What does this sin mean? The first half of the word is quite telling: bad means something unworthy, “a bad acquisition.” So it is, profit can be obtained in an unworthy way, in a dishonest and unjust way. These include:

Cheating the buyer is a bad profit.

This also includes earnings received from, say, playing cards in a casino , i.e. based on the use of human weaknesses and passions, on their incitement or satisfaction.

Enrichment through the use of one’s authority, official position, and if this concerns the church, then even the priesthood will also be a bad acquisition.

If a person forges or uses counterfeit documents, including a travel pass, or buys stolen goods, this can also be called foul behavior.

It may seem strange, but parasitism is also part of the same tribe. Why? According to the “Orthodox Catechism,” if a person receives payment for something that he does not perform or does not perform properly and does not bring benefit, then he seems to be stealing both payment and benefit.

Difference from foul profit and misappropriation

Nasty profitability can be called dressing up buyers at the market or in a store. Only when the seller does it consciously: adjusts the scales to the body kit. If the seller is given the wrong scales and he does not know about it, the sin is not counted.

Also, foul profitability includes everything that is profit from inciting human passions. This includes the sex industry, gambling, sale of alcohol/tobacco products, sale of counterfeit documents, buying stolen goods, parasitism, making counterfeit money. This is all based on deliberate deception for the sake of profit and enrichment. But it differs from extortion in the absence of exploitation of labor: a person, as it were, voluntarily allows himself to be deceived and even feels happy.

Why is this sinful?

Spiritual fathers give several reasons why such a vice is considered a sin. The main one is the non-use of things for their intended purpose. After all, money-grabbing is simply the storage of collected, purchased or donated items that were created for the purpose of serving people. Violation of purpose is neglect of the Lord's instructions. Further: things should be acquired when necessary, and not for the sake of satisfying a morbid inclination. And most importantly, a person becomes attached to objects, begins to serve them and his passion, although he should serve God. Here it is appropriate to remember about “do not create an idol for yourself,” and such unbridled accumulation is already quite similar to the worship of an artificially created idol.

Extortion

A bribe is also extortion. This concept implies sinful passion, which consists in obtaining one’s benefit by depriving another person, taking advantage of his difficult or hopeless life situation.

Covetous people are able to acquire benefits by using other people's labor or property, the plight of their neighbor:

In a broader sense, covetousness represents elementary greed, love of money, thirst for enrichment. St. Theophan the Recluse classified covetousness as a passion for getting more and more , associated with unscrupulousness when concluding trade transactions, usury, theft, and taking bribes.

To cleanse yourself of this sin and be saved, you must not only realize and stop doing it, but also return what you received through unrighteous means to the offended person, and if this is impossible for some reason, simply perform acts of mercy.

Larceny as a variant of ordinary theft

For many, the concepts of bribery and extortion are combined in one list of unseemly deeds, but their meaning is very different.

“Gribe” refers to those types of payment that are collected using a special provision or certain effort. This is a kind of payment for your work, but beyond measure.
A covetous person is a person who strives to get rich without any effort or expense on his own part. He looks a lot like a selfish lazy person who profits from other people’s labor or property. It turns out to be an extremely unpleasant person, a drone, an opportunist, a thief, a self-seeker, all these words perfectly fit the concept of “covetous.”

We can safely say that both of these concepts are simply different versions of theft, but with a greater or lesser degree of dishonesty. A sinner who lives at the expense of others is practically no different from a thief, swindler, or bandit. The shell is different, but the meaning is the same.

At the same time, it is necessary to understand each of the concepts; each of these sins has its own distinctive details. Condemning a person is as easy as shelling pears, but understanding the motives and details of sin is a must. You cannot “scratch” everyone with the same brush, whereas the manifestation of sensitivity and at the same time severity will contribute to the eradication of sins. The Lord teaches us patience, attention to detail, delicacy; condemning or branding us cannot violate the commandments.

Orthodox understanding

The Orthodox Church has strong convictions that covetousness is a sin, regardless of a person’s motives. If a person takes someone else’s property or appropriates the property of a loved one, he sins before the church and the Lord, and is covetous. The Bible characterizes this sin and speaks unequivocally about it.

The Bible condemns the sin of covetousness

The set of laws of Scripture (10 commandments) categorically say: “Thou shalt not steal,” and extortion, in its broad concept, can be classified as theft. There are many texts regarding this in Ecclesiastes and Proverbs.

Commandment “Do not steal” “Do not make yourself an idol” Commandment “Do not remember the Lord in vanity”

Orthodox preachers completely agree with the Old Testament authors and talk about the sinfulness of bribes, making money from human passions and other unrighteous profits. Today, bribes and extortion surround a person from all sides (study, medicine, work, etc.), but this does not mean that these phenomena are normal or acceptable.

Important! According to church canons, a covetous person is a person who gives a bribe and who takes it. Thus, both parties are guilty of sin

Both people violate the law of the Lord, and the Apostle Paul does not even recommend eating at the same table with this person.

Why is the sin of covetousness dangerous?

Any sin poisons a person’s spirit, and even a seemingly small offense, for example, a small weight gain when trading, can lead to serious consequences.

What motivates a person to deceive others in order to make money? Love of money. And like any passion, when it is satisfied, a person only further inflames this sinful desire in himself. Along the way, he suppresses his conscience, violates God's commandments and forgets about love for his neighbors. All this only leads to a deeper fall.

There are only 8 deadly sins listed in Scripture, but greed is one of them. And covetousness usually leads to passionate greed, because there is more and more money. In any case, there will be punishment, even if the person once deceived someone.

A covetous person breaks God's commandments and forgets about love for others

Likewise, money-grabbing has a corrupting effect on the human soul. This is rather a sin of poor people, because they begin to consciously accumulate many different things around themselves, which later turns into a serious passion. Any passion other than passion for the Lord and His word is considered sinful. So you should check yourself in acquiring objects, and not just in deceiving others. You should not make idols out of money or objects.

Meaning of the word

Initially, this term goes back to ayhka (ayhka) or usury, that is, the collection of interest on a loan, bribe, extortion.
The meaning of the word “extortion” is the desire to obtain wealth by not entirely plausible methods, for example, seeking to extort bribes or earning money through labor other than one’s own. Perhaps, this sin should mainly be understood as earning money not through one’s own labor, and the remaining examples are simply particular variants of this general vector.

Interesting! What is considered a mortal sin in Orthodoxy: list

Many people often combine bribery and extortion, but these terms are slightly different. The first comes from the word "bribe", that is, receiving payment, a bribe for one's own work or position. He who takes bribes, profits from his own position, demands beyond measure for his work or position.

In contrast, a covetous person seeks to obtain financial resources without doing anything at all. Such a person does not consider it necessary to work and, in fact, wants to appropriate other people’s work and property.

Important! The most powerful Orthodox prayers for all occasions

If we consider both of these terms in more detail and reflect on them, it becomes clear that each is actually a particular version of theft, that is, a violation of the commandment. However, the word “bribery” should not be taken as a synonym.

In fact, these concepts are different; they simply belong to a large category of sin, being particular variants of it.

Note! Extortion, bribery and some other sins are theft, and such a sinner is not particularly different from a swindler or a thief. It’s just that the shell of these sins is a little different, but the essence is the same.

Of course, understanding these differences is somewhat subtle, but it is useful to understand it, because eradicating sins and keeping the commandments requires sensitivity and some rigor, you need to pay attention to details.