Parshat Ki Teitzei
The Book of Deuteronomy
August 16th-17th, 2002
9 Elul, 5762

The Associated Press reported yesterday that almost half of the mainland United States is now being affected by a "persistent and worsening drought." Rainfall was well below average in July for 27 states, with record lows in at least a half dozen of them.

Explanations of the cause of this crisis generally focus on global warming, or on the widespread effects of El Nino [nin-yo] (which translates as, "the little child")--an anomalous oceanic/atmospheric condition in the Pacific that has received much press in recent years.

Okay. We Jews are certainly interested in the investigations of science, and the knowledge of "natural" processes it offers. But we don’t stop there. We are always looking to trace things back to their ultimate (spiritual) cause and source. Therefore, although we are glad to learn about El Nino, we don’t stop there. We want to dig deeper…because we know that it is El Padre (which translates as, "the Father") Who is really running the show!

What exactly is on El Padre’s mind at the moment?

I make no claim to prophecy, and will offer no money-back guarantee on speculations of Divine causality. But as a Jew learning the Torah portion this past week, and reading the news of the world concurrently, I can’t help but see connections. Amidst a panoply of inspiring mitzvos (commandments) in the parsha--most of which are designed to foster social harmony and stability--, one particular prohibition stands out for the severity of the Torah’s language.

"You shall not have in your pouch a weight and a weight—a large one and a small one. And you shall not have in your house a measure and a measure—a large one and a small one. A perfect and honest weight shall you have, a perfect and honest measure shall you have, so that your days shall be lengthened on the land that Hashem, your G-d, gives you. For an abomination of Hashem, your G-d, are all who do this [i.e., have dishonest weights and measures], all who act corruptly." (25, 13-16. Artscroll translation; my emphasis)

Returning to a topic dealt with earlier (in Leviticus, Chapter 19), the Torah forbids the use of false weights and measures in commerce: e.g, employing a slightly heavier one pound weight for buying goods ("a large one"), and a slightly lighter one pound weight for selling goods ("a small one"), distorting scales, mismarking measuring utensils, and so forth.

In fact, the Torah here is actually doing more than just reiterating the repulsiveness of ripping people off. As several commentators explain, even the possession of dishonest weights and measures in one’s house (apart from any actual use) is forbidden by the Torah. We are to keep ourselves so far away from sheker ("dishonesty," "falsity") that merely to have at hand the potential means of perpetrating injustice or deception against our fellow man is a transgression.

Notice that although the Torah in many places warns us against theft (in all of its many permutations), the severe term of "abomination" is used here for having false weights and measures. The Maharal explains quite reasonably that while it is a terrible sin to defraud or deceive another person in any case, it is even more atrocious to deceptively alter the very instruments that are meant to set the standard, or measure, of commercial truth and accuracy themselves. Such systemic sheker (if you will) can lead to the breakdown of society itself, as the Torah warns by implication in the above passage: "A perfect and honest weight shall you have…so that your days shall be lengthened on the land that Hashem, your G-d, gives you."

As the medieval commentator, Ibn Ezra, simply (but powerfully) writes: "For it is known that all just kingdoms [nations] endure, for justice is like a [sturdy] building, while deception is a destructive ruin; in a moment, the wall will collapse." (my translation)

Empires built on deception will topple…and hurt many innocent people in the process as well. Ring any bells? Seen any walls (or Wall Streets) collapsing lately?

Look at the recent avalanche of corporate and accounting scandals that have so shaken up the financial markets, broken investors’ confidence, and unnerved our (corporate-friendly) President. It is by no means a stretch to suggest that accounting firms are the "weights and measures" of corporate integrity in our modern society…and some of them appear not to be so scrupulously upright after all. The same can be said about those who, with supposed objectivity, evaluate and analyze stocks, and whose assessments are also looked to by investors as "weights and measures" of corporate strength and company value…and some of them appear not to be so objective or disinterested as well. (CEO’s are also guilty on this count, but what sensible person could ever have imagined them to be forthright and objective about the state of their companies?!)

Dishonest weights and measures are an "abomination." Let’s not beat around the semantic bush. That means G-d hates those who practice this ultimate form of corruption. You don’t believe me? Check out Rashi’s comment on Leviticus 19, 35 (the earlier passage dealing with weights and measures), where he cites a Midrash on the subject:

"…one who measures [to be sold] is called a judge. The Torah teaches us that if he lied in measurement, behold he is like one who perverts judgment and is called ‘a wrongdoer,’ ‘hateful,’ and ‘repulsive,’ ‘[worthy of being] banned,’ and an ‘abomination’….he profanes the name of G-d, and causes the Shekhina [G-d’s Presence] to depart…and causes them [the Jewish people] to be exiled from their Land."

El Padre hates His ninos (the Jewish people, and all mankind) when they steal and deceive. El Padre thinks it’s an abomination.

In fact, the Talmud tells us that the punishment for false weights and measures is even greater than that for sexual immorality, in part because it is much harder to do complete teshuva in such a case where one’s actions have defrauded untold (and unidentified) multitudes of people. (Of course, any person who does repent with a sincere heart, regrets and confesses his actions and makes an honest resolve to change, is forgiven by G-d, and restored to His closeness. That is the whole meaning of Yom Kippur, and indeed, of this whole month (Elul) of repentance prior to the High Holidays.)

What does deception in the marketplace (of an arguably unprecedented extent) have to do with drought on the mainland (the point from which we started)?

The ethical classic, Path of the Just (Mesilas Yesharim), quotes a number of statements of the Sages on the severity of theft. The first one (from the Talmudic tractate, Taanis) grabbed my attention, in light of all I had been reading on the news: "The rains are held back only because of the sin of theft…"

Deception and drought seem to be connected…

It doesn’t really matter so much whether you accept that connection. The point is that any disaster or suffering that comes to the world is meant to spur us to moral reflection and self-examination. G-d has many reasons for doing every single thing, no doubt, but it is our responsibility to respond by looking for where we have fallen short, and where we need to improve…as well as trying to find "natural" remedies for the situation. (As mentioned before, we don’t discount "natural" processes, but we assert that it is the free and unbound G-d Who makes use of those processes in this realm of nature which we humans inhabit.)

G-d wants us to be honest and truthful--all mankind, and certainly, the people who accepted the task of upholding His Torah. The prophet, Zephaniah, eloquently described the ideal picture of the Jewish people at the end of Exile: "The remnant of Israel will not do iniquity and they will not speak falsehood, and a deceiving tongue will not be found in their mouths." (3, 13)

May we resolve to always be an example to the nations (and to the nation in which we reside) of this absolute integrity that G-d (El Padre) desires--in our homes, and in our (Wall Street) offices. And in that merit, may G-d bring all mankind the blessings of the messianic era…and, also (we pray), bring this country the life-giving rains it needs.

GOOD SHABBOS!

My new e-mail address is yosefe@comcast.net

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Rabbi Yosef Edelstein, Savannah Kollel. Phone: 912-351-0469; fax: 354-9923