Honesty At All Costs

The Rambam explain various incidents in Masechet Bava Metzia, that describe certain business transactions.

Specifically, these are cases involving a buyer and seller where it is clear that there is intent by both parties to complete the sale of the object.

The problem comes in when the buyer or seller cancels the deal, after the transaction has begun. There might be one final act of acquisition that is missing in order to finalize the deal. Therefore, even though technically, either side can back out, and there are no legal grounds to enforce the deal, the Rabbis enacted a remedy called, מי שפרע, literally, “the one who paid.”

The Rabbis wanted it to be clear to all, that it is a terrible thing for a person not to keep his word. If this happens, the guilty party is invited to court and is given what amounts to the curse of מי שפרע, “Mi Sheparah.”

He stands before the judges and they say to him, “The One who punished the generation of the flood, and the generation of the Towet of Bavel, and the Egyptians that enslaved our people, should punish you for not keeping your word.”

Apparently, the threat of having to go through this ordeal, would encourage people to think twice before acting in a dishonest or deceitful manner.

We must return to those days when honesty and integrity was important. People needed to know that their word was their word.

I was once told by a certain businessman, “Contracts are for honest people.” Sadly, there is so much truth to this statement. We must act like King Solomon who said that he would sacrifice all of the riches of the world, rather than speak any falsehood. Honesty is the best policy.