Honest weights TB Baba Batra 89

 Honest weights TB Baba Batra 89Some butchers have a bad reputation when weighing their meat. Some are accused of placing a hidden heavy thumb on the scale and others hide useless bones under the meat to cheat the customer. These butchers need to review today’s daf TB Baba Batra 89 because it emphasizes the importance of honest weights.

“The Sages taught: One may not prepare weights of tin [ba’atz], nor of lead, nor of a metal alloy [gisteron], nor of any other types of metal, because all of these deteriorate over time and the buyer will ultimately pay for more merchandise than he receives. But one may prepare weights of hard rock and of glass…

“The Sages taught: “You shall do no unrighteousness in judgment, in measure [bammidda], in weight, or in measure [uvamesura]” (Leviticus 19:35)… “In weight” means that one may not cover his weights in salt, as salt erodes the weights, causing a loss for the buyer. “Or in measure [bamesura]” means that one may not cause liquid he is measuring to foam by pouring it speedily, as this results in a loss for the buyer, who receives less of the liquid than the amount for which he paid…

“Rav Yehuda says that Rav says: It is prohibited for a person to keep in his house a measure that is too small or too large than its supposed volume or weight, and this is the case even if he does not measure with it but simply uses it as a chamber pot for urine… The Gemara comments: one is never permitted to keep incorrect measures in his house, as sometimes it happens that one measures at twilight, when people are hurried, and consequently it happens that the buyer takes the merchandise despite the fact that it was measured with an incorrect measure. This is also taught in a baraita: A person may not keep in his house a measure that is too small or too large, even if it is used as a chamber pot for urine.” (Sefaria.org translation)

After studying yesterday’s and today’s dappim on Jewish business ethics, we shouldn’t be surprised in the confessional, Al Khat (על חטא) that at least three Al Khats confess sins concerning our business dealings.

 

We have sinned against You by defrauding others.

We have sinned against You through denial and deceit.

We have sinned against You by the way we do business.

 

Remember there are only 20 more days to do teshuvah, repentance, before Yom Kippur! Our tradition teaches us not to wait until the last minute or the opportunity may pass you by.