“זָ כוֹר אֵ ת אֲ שֶ ר־עָ שָ ה לְ ךָ עֲ מָ לֵ ק”
“Remember that which Amalek did to you” (Devarim 25:17)
This Mitzvah to remember the attack of Amalek follows immediately after the prohibition of utilizing inaccurate weights and measurements to cheat a customer. Rashi explains that this teaches us that being dishonest in business results in the punishment of being attacked by enemies. Rashi in Parashas Beha’aloscha however, implies that the cause of Amalek's attack was a lack of Emunah in Hashem. How does this align with Rashi's explanation in our Parasha?
Rav Moshe Feinstein zt”l explains that one who succumbs to the sin of theft once or twice has allowed his desires to get a hold of him. However, a person who operates his entire business using inaccurate scales and measurements is far worse. Aside from the thievery, he is displaying a complete lack of faith in Hashem’s ability to provide for him through honest means. The use of dishonest weights is thus a symptom of the root problem of an absence of Emunah, which is the reason for Amalek’s attack as stated by Rashi in Parashas Beha’aloscha.
