Derasha 2 on Behar 25:17

Parashas Behar · Aliyah 2 · Passuk 25:17

The Complete Passuk

וְלֹ֤א תוֹנוּ֙ אִ֣ישׁ אֶת־עֲמִית֔וֹ וְיָרֵ֖אתָ מֵֽאֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ כִּ֛י אֲנִ֥י יְהֹוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם׃

Chabad.org — English translation + Rashi

Source Citation

Torah Temimah cites Bava Metzia 58b.

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text — Bava Metzia 58b
לֹא תוֹנוּ אִישׁ אֶת עֲמִיתוֹ. אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוּדָה, לֹא יֹאמַר אָדָם לַחֲבֵרוֹ בְּכַמָּה חֵפֶץ זֶה, וְהוּא אֵינוֹ רוֹצֶה לִקַּח.

English: “You shall not wrong one another.” Rabbi Yehudah said: A person should not say to his fellow “How much is this article?” when he has no intention of buying it.

Type of Learning

Classical derasha (Bavli Bava Metzia) — example of verbal ona’ah.

What Is Learned

Verbal ona’ah includes inquiring about the price of an item with no genuine intention of purchasing it, thereby raising false hopes or wasting the seller’s time.