[Avodah] Ehrlachkeit, not Frumkeit

[T613K at aol.com]

I always  thought that it is a mitzva to be ethical, honest and have
integrity.  "V'asita hatov v'hayashar" for starters. So how can it be that
being honest  and ethical is outside the definition of being "frum" if you
define frum as  "keeping the mitzvos"?

David I. Cohen

 
>>>>>
 
EVERYONE sins, but if he keeps the basics he is frum.  
 
Frum just means observant, Orthodox.  It is not a synonym for  righteous 
and perfect in all taryag mitzvos, though it would be a wonderful  world if it 
were. I am just defining the word in its common, long-time  usage.  
 
As for ehrlichkeit, it can mean adhering strictly to halachos regarding  
honesty in business and in all your dealings, but sometimes it also means 
going  above and beyond, lifnim meshuras hadin -- for example, paying someone 
who  thinks you owe him even if me'ikar hadin you don't, because you don't 
want  to leave him with hard feelings or because you are free of debt on a 
halachic  technicality but on some level you still feel that you really do owe 
him.   Ehrlech also means trustworthy, that you can trust a man's word.  An  
ehrlicher person can be relied on to do what he said he would do and  
doesn't wriggle out on technicalities.
 
 
--Toby Katz
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