GEN651 While technology has evolved rapidly, human nature, alas, has not. The Torah tells us that after God destroyed the world in the flood, He said to Himself [this verse]. It has long been known that businesspeople in particular can be tempted to evil: hence the Torah contains, among other laws, warning against using false weights and measures. That champion of capitalism, Adam Smith, also recognized the problem: “People of the same trade seldom meet together, even for merriment and diversion, but the conversation ends in a conspiracy against the public, or in some contrivance to raise prices.” A. Smith, An Inquiry Into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1776/1952), p. 55. … The Jewish tradition agrees that business has responsibilities beyond the bottom line. … simply obeying secular law is not good enough. The Talmud … the foundation for modern Judaism, tells us that when a person passes away, the first question the soul is asked is, “Did you conduct your business affairs with integrity?” Shabbat 31a It is not, “Did you observe the rituals? “Did you eat only kosher food?” or “Did you observe the Sabbath?” The most important question is held to be “Did you conduct yourself ethically in your business dealings?” (By Barry J. Leff, "Jewish Business Ethics") OXFORD 368-9