Another matter, “if you sell a sale item” – that is what is written: “Aviya and his people smote them a great blow” (II Chronicles 13:17).13Aviya, King of Judah, led his soldiers in battle against the forces of Yerovam, King of Israel. The Judean forces overwhelmed the Israelite forces. What is “a great blow”? Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: It is that he marred the facial features of Israel.
That is what is written: “The features of their faces speak against them” (Isaiah 3:9). Shmuel bar Ami said: It is that he deployed guards for three days until their form deteriorated, as we learned there: One may testify only about the countenance of the face with the nose, even though there are distinguishing marks on his body and his personal belongings…and one may testify only up to three days.14Mishna Yevamot 16:3.
The mishna addresses one’s ability to recognize a corpse in order to be able to testify that a man has died, thus allowing his wife to remarry. By marring the facial features of the corpses, or by deploying guards so that no one could approach them for three days, Aviya ensured that the wives of the dead Israelite soldiers would remain unable to remarry. That is what is written: “Yerovam did not gain strength again in the days of Aviya; and the Lord afflicted him” (II Chronicles 13:20).
Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani said: Do you think that Yerovam was afflicted? It was none other than Aviya who was afflicted. Why was he afflicted? Rabbi Yoḥanan, Reish Lakish, and the Rabbis, Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Because he humiliated them in public.
That is what is written: “You are a great multitude, and with you are the golden calves that Yerovam made for you for gods” (II Chronicles 13:8). Reish Lakish said: Because he demeaned Aḥiya the Shilonite by calling him wicked. That is what is written: “Idle and wicked men gathered around him” (II Chronicles 13:7). The Rabbis said: Because he happened upon idol worship and he did not eradicate it.
That is what is written: “Aviya pursued Yerovam and he conquered cities from him, Beit El…” (II Chronicles 13:19), and it is written: “He placed one in Beit El” (I Kings 12:29).15Yerovam had fashioned two golden calves for the Israelites to worship, one of which was stationed in Beit El; see I Kings 12:28–29. The matters can be inferred a fortiori: If the verse indicates a punishment of a king for having insulted a fellow king; one who insults his counterpart, all the more so.
Therefore, Moses cautioned Israel: “If you sell a sale item to your counterpart, or acquire from the hand of your counterpart, [you shall not wrong one another].”