Bava Batra 89 – Honest Measures

The punishment for false measures is more severe than that for illicit relationships. Regarding "..all these..." illicit relationships, a shorter form of "these" - "el" is used, but regarding false measures, "...all who do these..." a more extended form, "eleh" is used. Why? One cannot remember all those he has cheated and return money to them.

"You shall not have false measures in your house..." - why in your house? It is forbidden everywhere! This teaches that "you shall not have in your house" because of false measures.

In some places, sellers customarily add a little extra to the scale on which the produce is weighted, while in others, they add a little after weighing. Deviating from the prevailing custom is not recommended because it may lead an onlooker to make a mistake in the future.

Art: The Courtship by Thomas Cowperthwait Eakins