The Seven Kinds of Thief and the Stealing of the Mind

"If the stolen item is actually found in his hand" (Exodus 22:3): there is no "finding" except by witnesses. "In his hand" - "in his hand" everywhere means only his domain. "From ox to donkey": Rabbi Akiva says: since Scripture need not have said "alive," it comes to include the wild beast. "Alive - he shall pay double" - and not when dead. "He shall pay double": You thus find that there are seven kinds of thief. The first among thieves is one who steals the mind of his fellow creatures: one who urges his fellow to be his guest when he has no intention in his heart to invite him; one who plies him with gifts while knowing he will not accept them; one who opens a cask [implying he opened it for the guest when he had opened it for sale]; one who falsifies measures; one who tampers with weights; and one who mixes seeds of the carob into fenugreek, or sand into beans, or vinegar into oil. Because they said: oil does not absorb misuse [its quality is not so easily hidden], therefore kings are anointed with it. And not only that, but they reckon it against such a person as though, were he able to steal the mind of the One on high, he would steal it. And so we find with Absalom, who stole three thefts: the heart of his father, the heart of the court, and the heart of the men of Jerusalem, as it is said, "And Absalom stole the heart" (2 Samuel 15:6). And who is the greater, the one who steals or the one stolen from? You must say: the one stolen from, who knows he is being robbed and stays silent. And so we find that when Israel stood before Mount Sinai to receive the Torah, they sought, as it were, to steal the mind of the One on high, as it is said, "All that the LORD has spoken we will do and we will hear" (Exodus 24:7); and the heart of the court was, as it were, stolen into their hand, as it is said, "Who would give that this heart of theirs would remain in them" (Deuteronomy 5:26). And should you say that not all is revealed before Him, has it not already been said, "And they enticed Him with their mouth and with their tongue they lied to Him, and their heart was not steadfast with Him" (Psalms 78:36-37)? Yet even so, "He, being compassionate, atones for iniquity" (Psalms 78:38). And it says, "Like silver dross overlaid upon earthenware are burning lips and an evil heart" (Proverbs 26:23). One who stole items forbidden in benefit is exempt from payment. For clothing, produce, vessels, a wild beast, or a bird, he pays the double penalty. For slaves, bonds, and land, he pays only the principal. For the firstborn of a donkey he pays double, for although it is forbidden now, it has a release at a later time. "He shall pay five for the ox and four for the sheep" (Exodus 21:37). Above these is one who steals a human being, for he is liable with his life. Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai says: A parable. To what is this compared? To one who was leaving his fellow's house laden with vessels. His fellow met him and said, "What are you doing?" He answered, "Take your share and tell no one." Later the owner of the stolen goods came and said, "I adjure you, if you saw so-and-so leaving my house laden with vessels," and he answered, "I swear I do not know what you are talking about" - such a man is liable with his life. Of him it says, "He who shares with a thief hates his own soul" (Proverbs 29:24). But one who "steals" from behind his fellow and goes off and studies words of Torah, even though he is called a thief, acquires merit for himself, and of him it says, "They do not despise a thief" (Proverbs 6:30). In the end he is found appointed over the community, and he "repays sevenfold" (Proverbs 6:31), as it says, "all the wealth of his house he gives." And "sevenfold" means nothing but words of Torah, as it is said, "The words of the LORD are pure words" (Psalms 12:7).