Don’t Let Yourself be Deceived! – Parshat Bahar

“This world deceives us,” Rabbi Nachman said. Oh, how much does this world mislead us. Is there any advice for this? This is the subject of this week’s discussion.

This week’s Torah portion in Israel is parshat Behukotai and outside of Israel it is parshat Behar. Parshat Behar deals with various mitzvot, one of which is to not deceive (mislead) a customer when selling an item. The Torah teaches: “And when you make a sale to your fellow Jew or make a purchase from the hand of your fellow Jew, you shall not wrong one another” (Leviticus 25:14). On this verse, Rashi explains that this is referring to overcharging and instructing us not to sell an item to our fellow Jew at an exorbitant price which is above its true market value.

And what happens if the seller does deceive the customer? The answer is divided into three parts: if the amount he overcharged him was less than a “shtut” (a small amount, referring to an additional sixth) of the worth of the item, “the sale is valid, and he is forgiven over the small amount of money.” Meaning, that the customer prefers to relinquish the small amount of money and keep the item he purchased. So, the sale is valid, and the seller is not required to return money to the customer.

If the overcharge is exactly a “shtut,” then “the purchase stands, but he must return the amount he overcharged”—the sale remains valid, but the seller must return the difference by which he deceived the customer.

However, if the amount that he overcharged is more than a “shtut,” then “the purchase is voided, and he must return all the money”—the transaction is canceled, and the seller is required to return the entire amount down to the last penny. Thus far is the straightforward law (Shulchan Aruch, Choshen Mishpat, Halachot Onaah).

It is interesting to note that although this halachah (Jewish law) deals with the financial transactions between two people, and on superficial level, it is hard to find any hint or clue that it might have any ramifications regarding the spiritual connection between us and the Creator. (Rabbi Natan notes this point in the introduction to his book Likutei Halachot.) Rabbi Natan nonetheless made the effort and found a wonderful hint regarding avodat Hashem (serving G-d) that applies to all of us. Let’s see what he says. Rabbi Natan teaches:

Everyone knows that in every transaction there is a danger of an “oketz” (literally “sting,” referring to being conned or the risk of fraud in the transaction), so people are very careful about not letting themselves be cheated. There are different levels of “oketz.” There is a transaction which is completely fraudulent and dishonest, and there are transactions that are basically good but there is some level of cheating or fraud involved. As we have seen, there are different levels of fraud: “less than a shtut,” “shtut,” and “more than a shtut.”

This is the exact same way that a person should be wary not to be cheated in his fundamental dealings here in this world. The main acquisition is, as our sages have taught: “the Truth that you acquired.” (Truth, or Emet in Hebrew, obviously refers to Torah and mitzvot.) For it is clear to all of us that we came here to accumulate spiritual wealth so that we shouldn’t arrive in the Eternal world empty-handed. (As our sages said: “This world is like a corridor before the banqueting-hall [World to Come]; prepare yourself in the corridor, so that you may enter the banqueting-hall” (Pirkei Avot 4:16).) This spiritual acquisition is considered to be a purchase for all intents and purposes. Be very careful not to be misled, as Rabbi Nachman taught: “Do not let this world deceive you, because this world can deceive you completely” (Sichot HaRan 51).

Even in spirituality, there are different levels of “oketzot,” being cheated. There are those whose spiritual errors are absolute; they do not walk on the path of truth at all. There are others who are not actually wrong in their choices; they are going on the right spiritual path, but because of their sins which they have stumbled on in the past, their Torah and mitzvot are also a mixture of good and evil.

A person should be wary not to be cheated in his fundamental dealings here in this world. The main acquisition is, as our sages have taught: “the Truth that you acquired.”

Now let’s take another step: it is known in the books of Kabbalah that good is likened to fruit, while evil is likened to a klippah (peel) that surrounds it. There are klippot that are completely bad, and there are average klippot, the “Klippat Noga,” which is a mixture of good and evil. The evil in “Klippat Noga” tries to draw from the good which is in it, so that it will become completely evil, G-d forbid. Our job is to clarify and to raise up the good which is in it, so that it should be completely included in holiness and then the bad will fall away on its own (see Likutei Moharan I, 19). We have seen that when good and evil are mixed together, there is a high risk that evil, G-d forbid, will increase to the point of complete deception. What can we do to be saved from these spiritual deceptions?

Rabbi Natan teaches us, we do not really have the power of judgment to stand up to the deceptions of this world, as Rabbi Nachman taught: “Because this world completely deceives us.” It is impossible to be saved from the deceit of this world unless we draw close to the tzaddikim who have not allowed themselves to be mistaken for a moment. They therefore merited to understand this world with absolute clarity. They alone have the ability to guide us to be careful not to err and deceive ourselves.

Rabbi Natan continues: “There is no advice other than to search out and look for the true Tzaddik and to pray and beg G-d, may He be blessed, to have mercy on us that we should merit to find the Tzaddik so that we will merit through his power to see through the koach ha’dimyon, the power of imagination and deception, and to elevate the confusing admixture of good and evil to absolute good.”

It is known in the books of Kabbalah that good is likened to fruit, while evil is likened to a klippah (peel) that surrounds it.

Let us return to our discussion of the cheating others. Rabbi Natan weaves these topics together in a wonderful way:

There are those who believe in the Tzaddik and begin to draw close to him, but they do so without total devotion and self-sacrifice. On the one hand, they have come close to the Tzaddik, and they have begun to escape from the evil that is inside them, but on the other, their connection to him is not absolute. This is similar to the laws of cheating which have three different categories: less that a “shtut,” a “shtut” and more than a “shtut.” So too, the more one totally surrenders himself to the Tzaddik, the more he approaches absolute purity.

Therefore, when a person draws close to the Tzaddik but does not completely surrender himself to him, this is the equivalent of deception which is less than a “shtut.” He is in spiritual danger, but as in the laws of deception, when we speak about less than a “shtut,” “the sale is valid, and we forgive him the amount.” In our context, this hints to us that when the Tzaddik directs him each time toward the good, in the end he will merit to clarify the truth, and through the power of the Tzaddik, he will also merit to be forgiven—to atone for the mistakes he made in the past, because it is said of the Tzaddik: “And a wise man will atone [for him]” (Proverbs 16: 14).

And then there are those who do not draw close to the Tzaddik, but they also “lo cholkim alav”—they don’t disagree with him or try to oppose him or his advice. They are the aspect of Klippat Noga, an admixture of good and evil. If they do not draw close to the Tzaddik, they are certainly at risk of falling into utter evil, but as long as they aren’t “cholkim alav,” openly disagreeing with him, they parallel the aspect of deception at the level of “shtut,” where “the sale is valid but they have to return the amount overcharged.” In our context, the Torah and the mitzvot that they have acquired will endure, but they will need a great clarification from the evil that has crept into their Torah and mitzvot.

But those who are “cholkim,” and fighting against the Tzaddik in their strong disagreement with him, G-d forbid, are like one who has become completely included in evil, G-d forbid. This is equivalent to deception which is more than a “shtut,” and the “sale is void and he must return all the money.” In our context, all of the spiritual achievements that he has made in Torah and mitzvot are completely void and nullified, about which it is said: “And as he came [into this world] so shall he leave, with nothing to show for his labor.” He will have to suffer a lot until the Tzaddik will bring him back and will bring him to his complete rectification.

We should all merit to cling to the Tzaddikim completely, and then no one will be able to deceive us…

(According to Likutei Halachot, Shluchin 5:39)