Justice is a prominent theme in the Torah. There is emphasis not only on justice as an abstract concept but on its implementation. In one instance where the Torah charges us not to distort justice and judgement, we are commanded to operate with even weights and measures.

ויקרא יט

(לה) לֹא־תַעֲשׂ֥וּ עָ֖וֶל בַּמִּשְׁפָּ֑ט בַּמִּדָּ֕ה בַּמִּשְׁקָ֖ל וּבַמְּשׂוּרָֽה׃ (לו) מֹ֧אזְנֵי צֶ֣דֶק אַבְנֵי־צֶ֗דֶק אֵ֥יפַת צֶ֛דֶק וְהִ֥ין צֶ֖דֶק יִהְיֶ֣ה לָכֶ֑ם אֲנִי֙ יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֔ם אֲשֶׁר־הוֹצֵ֥אתִי אֶתְכֶ֖ם מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃ (לז) וּשְׁמַרְתֶּ֤ם אֶת־כׇּל־חֻקֹּתַי֙ וְאֶת־כׇּל־מִשְׁפָּטַ֔י וַעֲשִׂיתֶ֖ם אֹתָ֑ם אֲנִ֖י יְהֹוָֽה׃

Vayikra 19

(35) You shall not commit a perversion of justice with measures, weights, or liquid measures.(36) You shall have true scales, true weights, a true ephah, and a true hin. I am the Lord, your God, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt. (37) You shall observe all My statutes and all My ordinances, and fulfill them. I am the Lord.

Whether we are measuring land, quantifying liquid or solid substances by weight, we are required to utilize precise measurements. Interestingly the string of verses also references the exodus from Egypt, without an immediately obvious connection. It then transitions to a statement about keep mitzvot in general.

רמב"ם גניבה ז:יב

(יב) קשה ענשן של מידות יתר מענשן של עריות, שזה בינו לבין המקום וזה בינו לבין חבירו. וכל הכופר במצות מידות ככופר ביציאת מצרים, שהיא תחילת הציווי, וכל המקבל עליו מצות מידות הרי זה מודה ביציאת מצרים, שהיא גרמה לכל הציוויין:

Rambam – Laws of Stealing 7:12

(12) The punishment for the person who uses false measures is greater than the punishment for licentious sexual behavior, for this is a sin between a person and his colleague, and this is a sin between a person and God. Whoever denies the mitzvah of just measures is considered as if he denied the exodus from Egypt, which is the first of God's commandments. Conversely, one who accepts the mitzvah of just measures is considered as if he acknowledges the exodus from Egypt, which brought about all of God's commandments.

The Rambam makes an astonishing comment about the prohibition of using false measures. He states that the punishment for using uneven weights, such as one set for selling and one for buying, is even more severe than the punishment for forbidden relationships. He further continues that denying this mitzvah is tantamount to denying the exodus from Egypt, the foundation of our obligation, and accepting this mitzvah acknowledges the exodus, and the foundation of all our obligations. What the connection between false weights, the exodus, and its relationship to the rest of the Torah system?

Rabbi Nachum Eliezer Rabinovitch, in his monumental commentary on the Rambam, attempts to identify the primary sources for the Rambam’s codifications. In this instance, he quotes two statements of the Sages.

ספרא קדושים – שתקבלו עליכם מצות מידות; שכל המודה במצות מידות מודה ביציאת מצרים, וכל הכופר במצות מידות כופר ביציאת מצרים.

Sifra on Kedoshim – For anyone who acknowledges the mitzvah of measurements, acknowledges the exodus of Egypt, and anyone who denies the mitzvah of measurements, denies the exodus from Egypt.

The first statement makes a definitive connection between the mitzvah of measurements and the exodus. The Sages are clearly picking up on the juxtaposition in a single verse, “You shall have true scales, true weights, a true ephah, and a true hin. I am the Lord, your God, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt” (19:36). However, the concept requires some further elucidation.

ספרא שמיני פרשה – 'כי אני ה' המעלה אתכם מארץ מצרים' (ויקרא יא,מה) – על כן העליתי אתכם מארץ מצרים על תנאי שתקבלו עליכם עול מצות. שכל המודה בעול מצות מודה ביציאת מצרים, וכל הכופר בעול מצות כופר ביציאת מצרים.

Sifra on Shemini - Section 10 – On account of this did I take you out of Egypt: On condition that you accept the yoke of Mitzvot. For anyone who acknowledges the yoke of mitzvot, acknowledges the exodus of Egypt. And anyone who denies the responsibility of mitzvot, denies the exodus from Egypt.

The Sifra in Shemini describes an element of the transaction between God and the Jewish people. The Jewish people were not taken out to freedom as an end in and of itself. Rather, it was based on our commitment to accept the responsibility of mitzvot. A yoke helps direct an animal’s energy toward a particular and productive end. So too the “yoke” of mitzvot directs the energies of the Jewish toward ultimate ideals. Accepting the “yoke” of mitzvot is not only accepting the responsibility of mitzvot, but accepting the orientation and objectives toward which mitzvot and the Torah aim. When we accept mitzvot, we also accept that God took us out of Egypt to pursue this direction and end.

We find the Rambam’s discussion of proper measurements in his Laws of Stealing, Geneivah. He codifies a separate category of Gezeilah, or armed robbery. Stealing is done secretly, while robbery is done openly.

תלמוד בבלי – בבא קמא עט:

שָׁאֲלוּ תַּלְמִידָיו אֶת רַבָּן יוֹחָנָן בֶּן זַכַּאי מִפְּנֵי מָה הֶחְמִירָה תּוֹרָה בְּגַנָּב יוֹתֵר מִגַּזְלָן אָמַר לָהֶן זֶה הִשְׁוָה כְּבוֹד עֶבֶד לִכְבוֹד קוֹנוֹ וְזֶה לֹא הִשְׁוָה כְּבוֹד עֶבֶד לִכְבוֹד קוֹנוֹ.

The Gemara concludes its discussion of theft with several aggadic statements. His students asked Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakkai: For what reason was the Torah stricter with a thief than with a robber? Only a thief is required to pay the double, fourfold, or fivefold payment, not a robber. Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakkai said to them in response: This one, the robber, equated the honor of the servant to the honor of his Master, and that one, the thief, did not equate the honor of the servant to the honor of his Master. The robber fears neither God nor people, as he is not afraid to rob in public. The thief does not fear God but he does fear other people, which demonstrates that he is more concerned about humans than God.

Rabbi Yohanan ben Zakai explains that stealing is worse than robbery. Robbery indicates a person is indifferent to any restriction on his behavior. His desires come first. But when someone steals secretly, he denies Divine restriction while simultaneously acknowledging constraints imposed by man.

How a person relates to weights and measures is demonstrative of their attitude toward mitzvot in general. If a person engages in this subtle form of stealing, shaving off a little of their weights for a small gain, it shows they are indifferent to the Divine imperative. They are not only denying this particular mitzvah, but denying God’s authority in an area of their life. However, if a person conducts business justly, using only precise weights and measures, he achieves the opposite effect. Even in this area unnoticeable to anyone else, he accepts Divine authority. It is in these small transactions, details imperceptible to anyone else, that he shows his acceptance of the Divine mandate, acknowledges its foundation in the exodus from Egypt, and orients toward the objectives set out by the Torah.

References

Maimonides, M., Touger, E., Kaplan, B., Abramson, Z., & Silverstein, S. (2007). Mishneh Torah. New York: Moznaim Pub. Retrieved from: https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/682956/jewish/Mishneh-Torah.htm

Rosenberg, A. (1980). A new English translation of the Hebrew Bible text and Rashi, with a commentary digest. New York: Judaica Press. Retrieved from: https://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/

Steinsaltz, A., In Weinreb, T. H., In Schreier, J., & Hotsaat Koren (Jerusalem),. (2017). Koren Talmud Bavli, the Noe edition: Talmud Bavli. Retrieved from: https://shas.alhatorah.org/

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