"When you sell property to your neighbor, or buy from the hand of your neighbor, you shall not wrong one another." (Vayikra 25:14)
The Ramban (Nachmanides) explains that when the Torah says not to “wrong one another,” it is referring to the prohibition of "Ona'ah" – overcharging one another – which is typically overcharging someone for a sixth or greater than the going market price. However, this prohibition applies specifically to the buying and selling of movable objects (Metaltilin). It does not apply to the purchase and sale of real estate such as fields or houses (Karkahos).
However, regardless of whether we are discussing the purchase or sale of Metaltilin or Karkahos, the Torah commands us to conduct our business with complete honesty. The next verse after the above referenced, discusses Karkahos and that the price of Karkoas must be calculated based on the number of harvest years remaining until the Jubilee year when the land returns to its original owner.
One may say that the seller is entitled to say to himself, my purchaser knows that the land I sell to him today will return to me at the Jubilee year. Therefore, I can charge him what I want and he can decide for himself whether it is worth it for him to pay my price. Not so, says the Torah. The number of harvest years that are left until the Jubilee must be disclosed and the price to be paid must be commensurate with how many harvests are yet to be produced before the land reverts to its original owner.
The above Ramban emphasizes the importance of full and fair disclosure and pricing during a business transaction – the purchaser likely knows about the upcoming Jubillee year and its reversion back to the owner, nevertheless this still must be disclosed during the sale and the pricing of the field must be set commensurate to how many harvests are left until then.
The message for us today is clear: Honesty in business is not just about avoiding a lie. It is also about fully disclosing the information a buyer needs to make an informed decision.
Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv ZT”L’s father, Rav Avrohom, originally had a different last name. It was “Orener” and Rav Avrohom had it changed shortly after he arrived in Israel.
After many years, the Chiddushim (Torah insights) of Rav Avrohom's father, Rav Moshe Orener were prepared for publication. The family had researched his illustrious family background and had prepared the Haskama (approbation) for the publication which his grandson, Rav Elyashiv was to sign. Included in the Haskama were remarkable descriptions of Rav Moshe’s righteousness and erudition. To the family’s shock, before Rav Elyashiv signed the approbation, Rav Elyashiv crossed out the majority of the remarkable descriptions of his grandfather.
When asked why did so, Rav Elyashiv responded, "It is not Chas V'Shalom (Heaven forbid) that the descriptions are false, however, since I do not have first-hand knowledge of these descriptions, I am concerned that they may not be completely true.”
