<div dir="ltr"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; border-collapse: collapse; "><div>Joel Rich quoted the Be'er HaGolah on CHM 348 on the virtue of honesty towards all, including nochrim. People who cheated aku"m ultimately suffered for it, and those who dealt honestly, thereby creating a kiddush HaShem. were rewarded in the end. </div>
<div><br></div><div>The Torah T'mimah to Vayikra 25:14 quotes this Be'er HaGolah, and notes that this comment is particularly noteworthy in light of the personal history of the Beer HaGolah. He and his family were expelled from their homes in the upheavals around the time of the persecutions of 1648-49 (gzeirot Tach veTat), losing all their possessions and becoming utterly impoverished. The Be'er HaGolah made his way to Amsterdam, where he published his work on Choshen Mishpat, in which included his exhortation to deal with non-Jews justly and honestly, despite the grievous injustices which the hostile surrounding Christian society inflicted on him and his family.</div>
<div><br></div><div>I have always found this ability of the Be'er HaGolah to maintain a principled commitment to moral standards even in the face of personal tragedy inspiring. </div><div><br></div><div>Please see the TT's own words at </div>
<div><br></div><a href="http://www.hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?sits=1&req=14132&st=%u05D1%u05D0%u05E8%20%u05D4%u05D2%u05D5%u05DC%u05D4" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(35, 87, 195); ">http://www.hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?sits=1&req=14132&st=%u05D1%u05D0%u05E8%20%u05D4%u05D2%u05D5%u05DC%u05D4</a><div>
<br></div><font color="#888888"><div>Saul Mashbaum</div></font></span></div>