Mistreatment and Fraud

The Torah has two verses in Chapter 25 of Vayikra in regards to the words, “לא תונו,” do not mistreat your fellow Jew.

In verse 25:14, it is written, ולא תונו איש את אחיו, that one must not mistreat his brother. And in 25:17 it says, ולא תונו איש את עמיתו, one must not mistreat his counterpart.

Both verses speak of mistreatment of some kind. The only difference is that אחיו is used in the first instance, and עמיתו, in the second verse.

It is interesting to note that the word “אונאה” is used in spoken Hebrew. It can mean “fraud” or “embezzlement. The police department in Israel has a מחלקת אונאה, where matters of fraud are examined.

The explanation as to why there are two separate verses is to teach two different sets of laws. The first Pasuk speaks of אונאת ממון, improper behavior in money matters. There are very strict rules related to taking advantage of consumers. There are limits as to how much profit is allowed to make. If he passes that limit, he has transgressed. One must not take advantage of his brother.

The second verse speaks of אונאת דברים, mistreatment with words. One must not belittle his counterpart with words. He might only be an acquaintance that you do not see as your brother. But you must not insult any Jew. You must not remind a convert of his origin, acting as though you are better than him. Similarly, you must not make a Baal Teshuva feel that is he inferior to you, because he was not always observant.

The Torah uses different examples to remind us that we must act ethically, with kindness and compassion, in our treatment of our fellow Jew. We must never forget the need to “be a Mentch” in all of our interactions with others.