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EXODUS | 20:13 testimony — EXOD471 Now we discuss the class of liars. The s...

EXOD471 Now we discuss the class of liars. The subject of this class is divided into nine categories: the first category--a man of falsehood, who has forsaken the Torah, verbally causing evil and destruction, such as one who makes a false denial to his fellowman regarding something deposited by him for safekeeping, or money entrusted to him, or the wages due a laborer [See Vayikra 5:21], as the pasuk says (Vayikra 19:11), "Nor may any man [among] you may make a false denial, or lie [by oath] against his fellowman." Included in this category is general fraud and cheating in one's business dealings with one's partners, as the pesukim say (Vayikra 25:14), "You must not cheat one another," and (Tehillim 55:12), "Cunning and fraud depart not from its main square." He is also referred to as a man of iniquity and one without constraints--this is of greater severity than those sins found within the other classes of evildoers, as we have prefaced in The Gates of Fear of Sin [See the First Gate, note 97]. This man of iniquity is characterized by his winking eyes and pointing fingers, as the pasuk says (Mishlei 6:12-13), "An unconstrained man, a man of iniquity... He winks with his eyes, [scrapes with his feet, points with his fingers.]"[i.e., he uses all his faculties to hint deceitfully (Zeh Hasha'ar)].

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Source KeyGATES
Verse20:13
Keyword(s)testimony
Source Page(s)361
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