Honesty in Business

10 Adar I 5782

“They will know that I, the L‑rd, am their G‑d, Who brought them out of the land of Egypt in order that I may dwell in their midst; I am the L‑rd, their G‑d.” (Shemos 29:46)

“There are those who complain, ‘The way of Torah puts us at a disadvantage. We have to observe the Sabbath and the holidays, but we have to compete in business with people who don’t. Before going to work in the morning, we have to pray and study the Torah. Right in the middle of our workday, we have to stop and pray again. When we finally get home in the evening, there’s still one more prayer to be recited. At work, we have to be careful to stay away from dishonesty or illegal business practices. We are not even allowed to compete with someone else’s business under many circumstances. How can we survive under these circumstances?’

G‑d replies, ‘I took you out of Egypt. Until then, not a single slave had ever managed to escape from Egypt. Yet, I took several million of you out, and showered you with great wealth. So you see, I am not bound by the restrictions of nature. If you fulfill My directives, I will reward you supernaturally and ensure that you have an abundance of everything that you need.’” (Daily Wisdom, Lubavitcher Rebbe)

We see here how great is the importance of honesty in business, for if it were not so, the Rebbe wouldn’t bring it in the same line of reasoning as praying and learning.

“Now ‘a broken heart [leads to] a broken spirit,’ the ‘spirit’ being the sitra achara, which, in the case of beinonim, is the very man himself. For in his heart, the vital soul which animates the body is in its full strength as it was at birth; hence, it is indeed the very man himself.” (Lessons in Tanya, Likutei Amarim, middle of Chapter 29)

Why is it so important that we behave honestly in business, after all we serve Hashem, not other people? The answer is that, as beinonim, the primary mode of our existence is physical. By engaging in our most physical pursuits, like that of earning a livelihood, according to the directives laid out by Hashem, we uplift them, indeed to a level where they can be compared to prayer and learning.

(Note: Those who want a quick insight into the Jewish standards of honesty in business should read Kitzur Shulchan Aruch - Chapter 62: Laws Concerning Business and Commerce.)

“Be exalted above the heavens, O G‑d; let Your glory be upon all the earth.” (Tehillim 57:6)

The exaltation of Hashem in the heavens is connected to the glory of Hashem on the earth. What is the glory of Hashem on earth? The sanctifications of His Divine Name performed by His children below, through honesty in business and loving treatment of others.