LEV804 Do not cheat people by using inaccurate weights and measures. Whether the item you sell is a liquid or a solid, movable property or land, do not deceive buyers even slightly by means of dishonest weights or measures. The Torah uses the term “judgment” regarding this matter because when someone counts, measures or weighs an item for sale, and on that basis declares its price, he is pronouncing judgment as to what is fair and right. If he deceives his customer through dishonest weights and measures, he is no different from a court judge who intentionally perverted justice. He shows himself to be corrupt, abominable, disgusting and deserving to be ostracized from society. Like a judge who corrupts justice, he causes five woes: he brings spiritual impurity upon the land; profanes the Name of Hashem; causes the Shechinah to withdraw; Israel falls to the sword and is exiled from its homeland. Also to emphasize the seriousness of transgression of this mitzvah, our Sages said: “The punishment for false weights and measures is worse than the punishment for forbidden relations, for the latter is between man and his Maker, while the former is between man and his fellow.”

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LEV805 Let the ethics and decency of Torah not stop at the doors of the beth midrash, the House of Study. Conduct your business in the spirit of the Torah. Remain honest, honorable, fair. The Torah commands, "You shall do no wrong in judgment, in measures of length, weight, quantity" [this verse] Rabbi Isaac Scher, the head of the Slobodka Yeshiva, quoted Midrash Sifra that "judgment," which usually refers to the judicial process in a court of law, is used here about the business of weights and measures mentioned after it. The Torah speaks to a merchant who is measuring a yard of material: At this moment you are a judge and your action is tantamount to a legal decision. This is a case involving you and the customer. A certain amount of merchandise goes to your customer; the balance remains for you; and a sum of money changes hands. Give him thirty-five inches instead of the full yard, and you have robbed him. Charge him less than the fair price and you are cheating yourself.

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LEV806 To whom is this directed? If to a judge, it is already written (see Bava Metzia 15). It is to teach us, rather, that a merchant is called a "judge," and if he falsifies in measurement, he is called: "wrong," "hated," "revolting," "rejected," "abominable" (Torath Cohanim).

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LEV807 It is a negative commandment to do no wrong with any measures or weights for Scripture says, You shall do no wrong in mishpat, in size, in weight, or in m'surah [this verse]; and the Sages of blessed memory interpreted (Sifra, ibid.: mishpat means the system of standards; "in size, in weight" -- that nothing should be lacking from the [standard] size or weight as the people of the country have agreed upon it; and so likewise not to mislead one's fellow-man in the measurement of land. "Or in m'surah" -- the Torah was particular even about a small quantity like a m'surah, which is a thirty-sixth part of a log. If someone transgresses this, he disobeys a positive commandment (Just balances… and a just hin shall you have-- Va-yikra 19:36), and he violates this prohibition. Even if he gives a heathen a short measure or weight, he violates this, and is duty-found to return [the amount lacking]. It is forbidden to mislead a heathen in an accounting; this is included in the scope of the verse, For all ... that do wrong are an abomination to Hashem your God (D'varim 25:16). The court has a duty to appoint officials to make the rounds among the stores and shops to correct the scales, weights and measures, and to establish market prices. If someone's measures, weights or scales are not accurate, they are to take them away from him and to penalize him with a fine. If someone charges above the going prices, they are to compel him to sell at the market prices. The punishment [by Heaven] over weights and measures is more severe than a punishment for immorality; he [the guilty person] is as one who denies the exodus from Egypt.

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LEV808 [The Sages] also said (Bava Metzia 49a): "And an accurate liquid-measure' [והין צדק] means that your no [לאו] should be accurate and your yes [הן] should be accurate.'

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LEV809 Rava said: Why does Scripture mention the exodus from Egypt in connection with weights? The Holy One Blessed be He is saying [as it were]: "I am He who distinguished in Egypt between the drop of the first-born and the drop which was not of the first-born; I am He who is destined to exact payment from him who dips his weights in salt" [to make them heavier] (Bava Metzia 61b).

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LEV810 The Talmud takes up the question of the morality of a breach of a verbal promise. It bases its conclusion on [this verse]. Why did the text mention the measure called "hin" in addition to the measure called "ephah"? Hin, according to Rabbi Judah, is a double-entendre. It is the name of a measure, and it also means "yes" in Aramaic. "It is to teach you that your yes should be just, and your no should be just" (Baba Metzia 40a). Man's words must be as honest as his scales.

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LEV811 See [[LEV402]] Leviticus 19:14 stumbling AMEMEI 4

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LEV812 See [[LEV161]] Leviticus14:35 something AMJV 222-3

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LEV813 See [[NUM390]] Numbers 33:35 Etzion-geber AMJV 343

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