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<a name="1" style="font-family:Trebuchet MS, Arial, sans-serif;font-size:18px;" href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Aspaqlaria/~3/Lln4Nu-8P_0/qsa-62-8.shtml">Qitzur Shulchan Arukh – 62:8</a>
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<span>Posted:</span> 06 Aug 2009 07:44 AM PDT</p>
<div style="margin:0;font-family:Times New Roman, Times, serif;line-height:140%;font-size:12px;color:#000000;"><div dir="rtl"><strong>ח:</strong>כתיב, לא יהיה לך בכיסך אבן ואבן גדולה וקטנה, לא-יהיה לך בביתך איפה ואיפה גדולה וקטנה, אבן שלמה וצדק יהיה-לך, איפה שלמה וצדק יהיה-לך וגו’. ותבת בכיסך וכן תבת בביתך, נראות לכאורה כמיתרות, ודרשו רבותינו זכרונם לברכה, לא-יהיה לך בכיסך, ממון. מה טעם, משום אבן ואבן. לא-יהיה לך בביתך, צרכיך. מה טעם, משום איפה ואיפה. אבל אבן שלמה וצדק אם יהיו בביתך, יהיה לך ממון. וכן איפה שלמה וצדק אם יהיו בביתך, יהיו לך צרכיך. עוד אמרו רבותינו זכרונם לברכה, מה יעשה אדם ויתעשר. ישא ויתן באמונה, ויבקש רחמים ממי שהעשר שלו, שנאמר, לי הכסף ולי הזהב – נדה דף ע</div>
<p>It is written (Devarim 25:13-15): “You shall not have in your bag weights, a large one [for measuring what you buy] and a small one [for measuring what you sell], you shall not have in your house measures, a large one and a small one, a full and just weight shall you have, a full and just measure shall you have…”.</p>
<p>The word “בכיסך” [in your bag] and also the word “בביתך” [in your house] appear apparently superfluous. Our Rabbis of blessed memory expounded (Bava Basra 89a): “‘you shall not have in your bag’ – money. Why will this be ? Because of [having] one weight and [a different] weight. ‘You will not have in your house’ — your necessities. Why will this be ? Because of [using] one measure and [another] measure. However, [if] ‘a full and just weight will be in your house’ — then you will have money. Similarly, [if] ‘a full and just measure will be in your house’ — you will have your necessities.”</p>
<p>On addition our Rabbis of blessed memory said (Niddah 70b): “What should a person do to become wealthy? He should buy and sell with integrity, and ask mercy from the One Who owns all wealth. As it is said (Chaggai, 2:8), “silver is Mine, and gold is Mine.”</p>
<hr />As I mentioned <a title="Aspaqlaria: QSA 62:7" href="http://www.aishdas.org/asp/2009/08/qsa-62-7.shtml">yesterday</a>, Rashi quotes Chazal, explaining this verse in Devarim as being about merely owning the tools for dishonesty. That had it been about actually using them, the verse would be superfluous — theft is already prohibited. And thus when the chapter later (25:16) calls it a “תֽוֹעֲבַ֛ת יְ-הוָ֥-ה אֱ-לֹהֶ֖יךָ כָּל־עֹ֣שֵׂה אֵ֑לֶּה — <em>to’eivah</em> to Hashem your G-d whomever does these things”, it is calling upon us to be so disgusted with fiscal dishonesty that we couldn’t stand be around people who just keep the means for it around the house, never mind those who use them, or our actually misweighing merchandise!</p>
<p>The words from Chazal are difficult that the Qitzur next quotes. The bigger problem is that it raises the question of theodicy (<em>tzadiq vera lo</em>; “Why bad things happen to good people” and visa versa). We all know dishonest people who do thrive, and honest merchants who never seem to be able to make ends meet.</p>
<p>The smaller problem is that Chazal say on the verse “<em>aseir ta’aseir</em>” (you shall tithe a tithing) that on tithing alone one may test G-d. Otherwise, one does not do so — and so one isn’t even permitted to be more scrupulous in business for the sake of “doing to become wealthy”, as it is quoted above from tractate Niddah.</p>
<p>Perhaps their point is about wealth defined as Ben Zoma describes it, “Who is wealthy? One who is happy with his lot.” (Avos 4:1) The person who cheats in business may actually accumulate more objects, however, “one who has one <em>maneh </em>[a coin worth 100 <em>zuz</em>] wants 200″. Why is he violating G-d’s commandment? Because he doesn’t believe that his portion is given to him by Hashem, and designed to best fit the path Hashem is leading him down. He doesn’t accept “his lot” in life. It is only the person who buys and sells with integrity and turns to Hashem for mercy who will ever be content.</p><div class="feedflare">
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<a name="2" style="font-family:Trebuchet MS, Arial, sans-serif;font-size:18px;" href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Aspaqlaria/~3/z1UfE9Frqlk/qsa-62-7.shtml">Qitzur Shulchan Arukh – 62:7</a>
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<span>Posted:</span> 06 Aug 2009 07:42 AM PDT</p>
<div style="margin:0;font-family:Times New Roman, Times, serif;line-height:140%;font-size:12px;color:#000000;"><div dir="rtl"><strong>ז:</strong> המודד או שוקל חסר לחברו או אפילו לנכרי, עובר בלאו, שנאמר, לא תעשו עול במדה במשקל ובמשורה – ועין לקמן סימן קפ”ב סעיף א’ וסעיף ד’. וענש המדות והמשקלות קשה מאד, שאי אפשר למודד או לשוקל שקר לשוב בתשובה הגונה, שאינו יודע מה ולמי ישיב. ואף שיעשה צרכי רבים, אין זאת תשובה הגונה. – רל”א</div>
<p>One who measures or weighs less [than the agreed amount to be sold] to any one, even to a non-Jew, transgresses a negative commandment, as it is said (Leviticus 19:35): ”Don’t do unrighteousness… in measurement of weight or volume.” (See also Ch. 182:1 and 182:4, [below]) The punishment for [deficient] measures or weights is very severe, for it is impossible for the lying measurer or weigher to return in proper repentance, because he does not know how much and to whom to return [the money]. Even if he performs public works [with this money],this is not considered as full repentance.</p>
<hr /><strong>Cited sections (in case we don’t reach <em>siman</em> 182):</strong></p>
<div dir="rtl"><strong>קפב:א</strong> אסור לגזול או לגנוב אפלו כל-שהוא, בין מישראל בין מגוי. איתא בתנא דבי אליהו, מעשה באחד שספר לי, שעשה עולה לגוי במדידת התמרים שמכר לו, ואחר כך קנה בכל המעות שמן, ונשבר הכד ונשפך השמן. ואמרתי, ברוך המקום שאין לפניו משוא פנים. הכתוב אומר, לא תעשק את רעך ולא תגזל. וגזל הנכרי, גזל</div>
<p>It is prohibited to surreptitiously steal or to rob, even any amount, whether from a Jew or a non-Jew. It is brought in the Tana deVei Eliyahu: A story involving one person who told me that he committed a trespass against a non-Jew when assessing the value of the figs that he sold him. Afterward he took all the money and bought oil, but the jug broke and the oil spilled. I said, “Blessed is the Omnipresent before Whom there is no favoritism. The verse says “do not defraud your neighbor and do not steal.</p>
<p>And stealing from a non-Jew is stealing.</p>
<div dir="rtl"><strong>קפב:ד</strong> אסור לעשק את חברו אפלו כל-שהוא, שנאמר, לא תעשק את-רעך. ואיזהו עושק. זה שבא ממון חברו לידו ברצון חברו, כגון שיש לו בידו הלואה או שכירות, ואינו רוצה לשלם לו, או שדוחהו בלך ושוב, לך ושוב. וכיון דכתיב רעך, אינו אסור בגוי. והוא שאין חלול השם בדבר, כגון שלוה מגוי ומת, רשאי לכחש לבנו, שאינו יודע בברור שהוא משקר. אבל כשהגוי יודע שהוא משקר, אסור, מפני חלול-השם. ואף במקום שאינו יודע, אינו רשאי אלא להפקיע הלואתו או שאר חוב שהוא חיב לו. אבל חפץ שהוא בעין, אסור לכפר, שהרי זה הוי גזל ממש. ולא עוד, אלא אפלו קנה ממנו חפץ, אסור להטעות אותו בחשבון בנתינת המעות, כמו שנאמר, וחשב עם קונהו, דמירי בגוי, שהרי אינו מקנה לו החפץ אלא בעד הסכום שהשתוו. והמטעהו בחשבון המעות, הרי זה כגונב את החפץ ולא כמפקיע חובו. ואפלו גנבת דעת שאין בה חסרון מעות, אסור במשא ומתן, כמו שכתבתי בסימן סג. ומכל מקום אם הגוי טעה בעצמו, מתר אם לא יהיה חלול-השם בדבר, שלא יודע לו. ונכון שיאמר לו הישראל, ראה שעל חשבונך אני סומך</div>
<p>One may not defraud his peer even the smallest amount. As is says “do not defraud your neighbor”.</p>
<p>What is fraud? One person obtains his peer’s money with his peer’s consent, such as he has a loan or rental payment, but he doesn’t want to repay him, or pushes him aside with a come-and-go come-and-go (repeatedly making him come back to collect but never actually repaying).</p>
<p>Since it says “<em>rei’ekha</em> — your neighbor”, it is not prohibited when [the victim is] a non-Jew and there is no risk of <em>chilul hasheim</em> (desecrating G-d’s reputation) in it. Such as where he borrowed from a non-Jew who then dies, one is allowed to trick his son, who does not know for certain that he is lying. However, where the non-Jew knows that he is lying, it is prohibited, because of <em>chilul hasheim</em>.</p>
<p>Even in a sirutaiton where he does not know, it is not permitted except to avoid a loan or some other debt that he owes him. However, an object which is visible, one may not use trickery, for this is actual theft. Not only that, but even if he bought an object from him, he can’t trick him in the calculations when paying him the money, as it says “and he shall reckon with him who bought him” [the verse in question is originally about a slave]. Which applies to a non-Jew, because he only gave over the ownership of the object for a payment which is equal. Therefore, someone who tricks him in the calculation of the money, it is like he stole the object, and not like he avoided his debt.</p>
<p>Even <em>geneivas da’as</em> (stealing knowledge; i.e. lying or intentionally giving a false impression) that does not cause a loss of money, is prohibited in commerce as I wrote in chapter 63. In any case, if the non-Jew errs himself, it is permissible — if there is no <em>chilul hasheim</em> — not to inform him. Although it is appropriate for the Jew to tell him, “I am relying on your calculations.”</p>
<hr />This quote is a little frustrating to me, since the goal of this series of posts was to reinforce the need for ethics in the workplace, and here Rabbi Ganzfried discusses situations in which a lack of monetary ethics is technically permitted (<em>halakhah</em>), even if still of questionable ethics (<em>mussar</em>, <em>lifnim mishuras hadin </em>[the obligation to go beyond the letter of the law, where appropriate and one is capable]).</p>
<p>However, let’s look at the total picture:</p>
<ul>
<li> One may not steal, even through mis-measurement, from a Jew or a non-Jew. Actually, it’s worse than the Qitzur spells out. As we will see tomorrow, Rashi (citing Chazal) explains that there is a prohibition not to even own the dishonest measures — even if one does not use them! After all, using them would be included in the prohibition against theft. Merely owning the tools for such subterfuge without attempting to use itself what Hashem is calling a <em>toeivah </em>(disgusting).</li>
<li>One may not lie, or even actively mislead, a Jew or a non-Jew.</li>
<li>What the Qitzur does permit is passively allowing a non-Jew to lose money on a rental or loan (so that no object is involved) for his own mistake, in an instance where there is no chance of <em>chilul hasheim </em>(such as one is dealing with the borrower’s estate on a loan that has no evidence or documentation, or a math error that is unlikely to get caught). Because of the above about lying, one can’t actively say anything to imply the money is really yours. And it’s better to state clearly that you are paying according to his words, not alleging to agree that the amount is correct.</li>
</ul>
<p>But even with all these limitations, why is <em>ta’us akum</em>, the error of a non-Jew, grounds for simply not correcting him and walking away with the profit?</p>
<p>With respect to returning lost property, which is not only non-obligatory, it’s outright prohibited, the Rambam and the Shulchan Arukh (CM 266:1) write that this is specifically with respect to an <em>aku”m</em>, literally a “star worshipper”, ie a pagan whose own morals are suspect and who is our adversary. It would seem to be based on the notion that one isn’t obligated to lose being more honest than the norms of the industry, particularly when dealing with adversaries.</p>
<p>However, the restrictions that this does not apply where there is any chance of <em>chilul hasheim</em> nor where the person may be an ethical monotheist, makes this leniency effectively moot. The topic is bound to only be theoretical with respect to our lives, even if one sticks to the precise line of the law.</p>
<p>PS: You might have noticed I wrote “<em>chilul hasheim</em> (desecrating G-d’s reputation)”, rather than “<em>chilul Hashem</em>“. This is because G-d Himself is unchanging, and certainly can’t be desecrated. The latter, “Hashem”, is used as a reference to G-d Himself. What one desecrates isn’t Hashem, but His reputation, i.e. “the name”.</p><div class="feedflare">
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