(Adam) alone to teach that Scripture imputes guilt to one who destroys a single soul of Israel as though that person had destroyed a complete world, and Scripture ascribes merit to one who preserves a single soul of Israel as though that person had preserved a complete world. The Tanna Devei Eliyahu taught that if you live by the commandment prohibiting murder (in (20:13 in the NJPS) and (5:17 in the NJPS)), then (in the words of ) "the sword shall not go through your land." If, however, you transgress the commandment, then (in God's words in ) "I will draw out the sword after you." Rav Aha of Difti said to Ravina that one can transgress the commandment not to covet in (5:18 in NJPS) and (20:14 in NJSP) even in connection with something for which one is prepared to pay. The Mekhilta of Rabbi Ishmael asked whether the commandment not to covet in (20:14 in NJSP) applied so far as to prohibit merely expressing one's desire for one's neighbor's things in words. But the Mekhilta noted that says, "You shall not covet the silver or the gold that is on them, nor take it for yourself." And the Mekhilta reasoned that just as in the word "covet" applies only to prohibit the carrying out of one's desire into practice, so also (20:14 in NJSP) prohibits only the carrying out of one's desire into practice. The Mekhilta of Rabbi Simeon distinguished the prohibition of (20:14 in NJSP), "You shall not covet," from that of (5:18 in NJPS), "neither shall you desire." The Mekhilta of Rabbi Simeon taught that the differing terms mean that one can incur liability for desiring in and of itself and for coveting in and of itself. Rabbi Isaac deduced from (5:19 in NJPS) and that all the Sages who arose in every generation after the Revelation at Sinai received their wisdom from that event. Rabbi Isaac read to teach that the prophets received from the Revelation at Sinai all the messages that they were to prophesy to subsequent generations. For does not say, "who are not here standing with us this day," but just "who are not with us this day." Rabbi Isaac taught that thus refers to the souls that were to be created thereafter; because these souls did not yet have any substance in them, they could not yet be "standing" at Sinai.