After a person passes away, the very first question he is asked by the Heavenly Court is: Did you act honestly in your business dealings? Torah is not only concerned with a persons religious observance, but is equally adamant that a person conduct his business honestly and justly. No fraud, no stealing, no ponzi schemes.
But this doesn’t only apply to stealing people's money; it also applies to stealing people’s minds.
I was twenty minutes early for an appointment in Midtown this week, so I went into a store to kill off the time. I walked around the aisles without any intention of actually buying anything. When one of the sales representatives came over to me and asked me if I needed help with any of the merchandise, I realized that I had just inadvertently transgressed on the prohibition of “גניבת דעת” which means the stealing of the mind, deception.
Since I had no intention whatsoever of buying anything, I was misleading the optimistic salesman, and so it turns out I had 'stolen'. Saying 'Ill come back later and buy it', even if you just want to make the salesman happy, is also forbidden.
Likewise, if I sell someone a building, I have to tell him about any problem the building may have. If I buy a fake burberry bag and want to give it to my friend as a present, I cannot take off the sticker that says 'made in China'. I cannot paint my old car and make it look brand new in order to sell it. I cannot invite a friend for dinner knowing full well that they will not be able to make it.
Today, we are so careless about our pledges and promises that we already expect everyone to know we were only 'kidding'. But still that is not an excuse! If you tell me, 'Rabbi, I'll try to make it to shul' you have to really try!
This poses a question on a pledge that Jacob makes to Esau in this week's Torah Portion.
At their fateful reunion after twenty years of not seeing each other, Jacob promises Esau that he will meet him in Esau's homeland, Mount Seir. Yet, we don't find anywhere that Jacob ever actually fulfilled this pledge?! It seems like he is merely finding a polite way to say 'good riddance'? Wasn't this stealing Esau's mind?
But the truth is, that it is up to us to get to Seir. We are bound to fulfill Jacob's promise. When Moshiach, a descendant of Jacob, comes, the Torah tells us that he will be the one to finally ascend to Mount Seir, symbolizing the absolute transformation of evil, Esau, to goodness.
May we all reinforce our commitment to honesty and integrity in all walks of life. And especially the pledges we make to our business partners, our spouses, our children, and our rabbi.
Shabbat Shalom.
My thanks to Rabbi Avi Shlomo for writing this article.