An Israelite Is Forbidden to Steal from a Fellow Human Being

A question: that it is forbidden for the house of Israel to rob or to snatch anything from one's fellow, for you have nothing more severe among all the prohibitions in the Torah than the punishment for robbery. For Rabbi Eleazar said: The generation of the Flood transgressed all the sins in the Torah, yet their sentence was not sealed to blot out their memory in the waters of the Flood until they stretched out their hands in robbery, as it is said, "For the earth is filled with violence" (Genesis 6:13). And it is written, "Violence has risen up into a rod of wickedness..." (Ezekiel 7:11). Rabbi Eleazar said: This teaches that Violence stood erect and rose like a staff before the Holy One, blessed be He, and said: Master of the universe, "none of them, nor of their multitude, nor of their tumult, and there is no eminence among them" (Ezekiel 7:11). Rabbi Abbahu said: Before three the curtain is not closed: oppressive deceit, robbery, and idolatry. Oppressive deceit, as it is written concerning it, "Thus He showed me: behold, the Lord was standing on a wall built with a plumb line, with a plumb line in His hand" (Amos 7:7). Robbery, as it is written, "Violence and destruction are heard in her; before Me continually are sickness and wounds" (Jeremiah 6:7). Idolatry, as it is written, "A people who provoke Me to My face continually, sacrificing in gardens..." (Isaiah 65:3). And Rabbi Yochanan said: Anyone who robs from his fellow the value of a perutah, it is as though he takes his soul from him, as it is said, "Such are the ways of everyone greedy for gain; it takes away the life of its possessors" (Proverbs 1:19). And one who robbed and repented and returned the robbed object to its owner, it is atoned for him. And if the robbed person has died, he returns it to his heirs and it is atoned for him. And when he returns it to the robbed person, the latter ought to forgo it on his behalf, so that he not be prevented from repenting; for our Rabbis taught: Robbers and those who lend at interest who returned, one does not accept from them, and whoever accepts from them, the spirit of the Sages is not pleased with him. This applies where the robbed object does not exist in its original form; but where it exists in its original form, one does accept. For Rabbi Yochanan said: In the days of Rabbi this Mishnah was taught. There was an incident with a certain man who sought to repent. His wife said to him: Empty one, if you repent, even the belt that you gird is not yours. And he held back and did not repent. At that hour they said: Robbers and those who lend at interest who returned, one does not accept from them, and whoever accepts from them, the spirit of the Sages is not pleased with him. His disciples asked Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai: Why did the Torah deal more strictly with a thief than with a robber, in that the thief pays double payment and fourfold and fivefold payment, while of the robber it is written, "And it shall be, when he sins and is guilty, that he shall restore what he robbed..." (Leviticus 5:23)? He said to them: This one equated the honor of the servant with the honor of his Master, and that one did not equate the honor of the servant with the honor of his Master. As it were, he made the eye above as though it does not see, and the ear as though it does not hear, as it is said, "Woe to those who go deep to hide their counsel from the LORD, and whose deeds are in the dark..." (Isaiah 29:15). And it is written, "And they said, the LORD does not see..." (Psalms 94:7). And it is written, "The LORD has forsaken the land, and the LORD does not see" (Ezekiel 8:12). It was taught: Rabbi Meir said: They told a parable in the name of Rabban Gamliel. To what is the matter comparable? To two men who were in a city and made a feast. One invited all the people of the city and did not invite the king's sons, and one invited neither the people of the city nor the king's sons. Which of them deserves greater punishment? You must say: the one who invited the people of the city and did not invite the king's sons. Rabbi Meir said: Come and see how great is the power of labor. An ox, which one took away from its work, five; a sheep, which one did not take away from its work, four. But Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai says: Come and see that the Holy One, blessed be He, had concern for the honor of creatures even over a thief. An ox, which went on its own feet, five; and a sheep, which he had to carry on his shoulder, four. And where one robbed and said, I will take it now since I need it, and afterward I will repay, he is called wicked, as it is written, "The wicked man restores the pledge, repays what he has robbed" (Ezekiel 33:15) -- even though he restores, he is wicked. However, you must learn: this applies where he robs with the intention of taking it for himself; but where he wishes to give a gift to that robbed person and the latter does not wish to accept, and he says, I will steal from him so as to benefit him and I will repay him double payment; or where he left vessels in a place that is not guarded, or coins, and he was negligent, and another person found them, and he says, I will provoke him until he reclaims them and is careful with his vessels another time and is not negligent -- what is the law? Since he intends for the other's benefit, is it permitted? Or perhaps, since until he returns it to him the other has distress, what is the law? Come and hear, for it was taught: "You shall not steal" -- with intent to provoke; "You shall not steal" -- with intent to repay double payment. What is the reason? It is a superfluous verse, since it is written, "You shall not rob." And so is the law.