Positive Commandment 208 (Digest)
Honest Measurements
"Honest balance, honest weights, an honest dry measure and an honest liquid measure, you shall have"—Leviticus 19:36.
We are commanded to have precise and "righteous" measuring implements—scales, weights, and measures.
The Midrash says: "Conditional on this I took you out of Egypt—on condition that you accept the mitzvah of [honest] measures. For one who acknowledges the mitzvah of measures, also acknowledges the Exodus from Egypt; and one who rejects the mitzvah of measures, also denies the Exodus from Egypt."
The 208th mitzvah is that we are commanded to have accurate weights, scales, and measures, and to ensure that they are exact.
The source of this commandment is G‑d's statement (exalted be He), "You must have an honest balance, honest weights, an honest eifa, and an honest hin."
In the words of the Sifra: "The phrase 'an honest balance' means that you must ensure that the balances are totally accurate. 'Honest weights' means that you must ensure that the weights are totally accurate. 'An honest eifa' means that you must ensure that all eifas are totally accurate. 'An honest hin' means that you must ensure that all hins are totally accurate." You are already aware that an eifa is a dry measure and a hin is a liquid measure.
Although the actual type of measure varies, they serve a single function, since what is weighed or measured is just a particular quantity of something. All these categories, i.e., scales, weights, and dry and liquid measures are collectively called middos. So too, the commandment to ensure that each corresponds exactly to the commonly accepted amount is called mitzvas middos.
In the words of the Sifra: "On this condition I brought you out of Egypt — on condition that you accept upon yourselves mitzvas middos; because whoever acknowledges mitzvas middos acknowledges the redemption from Egypt and whoever denies mitzvas middos denies the redemption from Egypt."
The details of this mitzvah are explained in the 5th chapter of tractate Bava Basra.
Negative Commandment 271 (Digest)
Falsifying Measurements
"You shall do no unrighteousness in judgment; in measure, in weight or in land measure"—Leviticus 19:35.
It is forbidden to be dishonest in the course of surveying land, or measuring or weighing substances. When surveying land, it must be done according to the principles of engineering—not randomly, by "guess-timate," as is so often done.
The 271st prohibition is that we are forbidden to be dishonest in measurement of land, [liquid and dry] measures, or weights.
The source of this prohibition is G‑d's statement, "Do not be dishonest in law, measure, weight or volume."
The Oral Tradition explains that the verse means "Do not be dishonest in the law of measures." Our Sages said regarding the phrase "Do not be dishonest in law," "It cannot refer to passing judgment, because that was already stated. What, then, is the meaning of the word 'law'? To teach that one who measures is called a judge."
There our Sages also explained that the word "measure" refers to the measurement of land — that the measurement and calculation should be done according to the principles of engineering and methods of exact measurement, and not through inaccurate estimates, as is done by most officials.
The word "weight" includes both the weights and the balances.
Negative Commandment 272 (Digest)
Maintaining an Unbalanced Measure
"You shall not have in your bag diverse weights, large and small"—Deuteronomy 25:13.
It is forbidden to even harbor in one's possession an unbalanced weight or measuring implement—even if there's no intention to use them. As the Talmud says, "even if it is being used as a commode!"
The 272nd prohibition is that we are forbidden to keep false weights and measures in our home, even if they are not used for business purposes.
The source of this prohibition is G‑d's statement (exalted be He), "You may not keep in your pocket two different weights, one large and one small." So too, "[You may not keep...] two different measures."
In the words of tractate Bava Basra: "A person may not keep a measure which is too small or too large, even as a urinal."
Do not conclude that the two verses "You may not keep ...two different measures" and "You may not keep...two different weights" constitute two mitzvos. This is because the two statements come only to complete the laws covered by this mitzvah; to include both weight and measure. It is as if the verse says, "You may not have two different measures, whether for weight or other measurement." This is similar to what we explained by the positive commandment.
G‑d's statement, "You may not keep in your pocket two different weights...You may not keep...two different measures" is similar to the verse, "Do not take interest from your brother, whether it is interest for money, interest for food, or interest for anything else for which interest is normally taken." The latter is a single prohibition with one law covering many categories.
As we explained in the 9th Introductory Principle, repetition of the phrase "do not..." does not constitute an additional mitzvah if it deals with the same action. We already had another instance of this in the 200th prohibition, "No chametz may be seen in your possession; no s'or may be seen in your possession" [which also counts as only one mitzvah].
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