This week, we continue with translating the Chofetz Chaim’s Sefer entitled, “Sefas Tamim.” Sefas Tamim, from which our foundation takes its name, focuses on the importance of honesty in word and in deed.
“Moreover, his prayers will not be answered before Hashem, if he is still in possession of the stolen value, because that very same Tefillah of his is called, “disgusting.” As Chazal have taught in commentary on the Passuk, “my prayers were pure” (Iyov 16:17), is there a prayer that is impure? Rather, all Tefilah that has no association with theft is called a “pure” prayer, and if it contains an aspect of theft, then it is called an “impure” prayer. To illustrate, a wine vat that is filled with the sediment and the skins of crushed grapes is disgusting if the sediment and grape skins have not been filtered out and settled to the bottom of the vat. Such wine is not even fit for a poor person and obviously not fit to present as a gift before the king, because a part of this (poor) taste is dispersed throughout each and every drop of the wine. So too is the power of theft. It is interlaced throughout each and every word of this man's prayers and will not allow those words of prayer to ascend and become accepted before Hashem until he rids himself of the theft (until he compensates his victims).”
