Monday, March 20 You must not steal.​—Lev. 19:11.

[Ella Mentry]

Monday, March 20

You must not steal.—Lev. 19:11.

 

Someone might conclude that as long as he was careful not to take anything that did not belong to him, he would be obeying that command. Yet, he might be stealing in other ways. For example, a merchant who used inaccurate scales or measurements in order to deceive his customers would in a sense be stealing from them. Leviticus 19:13 connects stealing with dishonest business practices, saying: “You must not defraud your fellow man.” So fraudulent business practices are linked with stealing and robbery. While the eighth commandment set out the law on stealing, the details found in Leviticus help us understand how to apply the spirit of that law. We can benefit from reflecting on Jehovah’s view of dishonesty and stealing. We might ask ourselves: ‘In the light of Leviticus 19:11-13, is there something in my life that merits attention? Do I need to make adjustments in my business dealings or work habits?’ w21.12 9-10 ¶6-8