ר' ברכיה בשם ר' אבא בר כהנא פתח. האזכה במאזני רשע וגו' (מיכה ו יא), אפשר כן דור שמדותיו של שקר שהוא זכה, אלא ובכיס אבני מרמה (שם). אמר ר' לוי אף משה רמזה להם בתורה, לא יהיה לך בכיסך אבן ואבן, ולא יהיה לך בביתך איפה ואיפה וגו' (דברים כה יג יד), אם עשית כן המלכות באה ומתגרה בך, ומה טעם כי תועבת ה' [אלהיך] כל עושה אלה וגו' (שם שם טז), מה כתיב אחריו, זכור את אשר עשה לך עמלק.
R. Berekhyah opened <his discourse> in the name of Abba bar Kahana (with Micah 6:11): SHALL I BE RIGHTEOUS <AND SUCCESSFUL>35The verb here is ha’ezkeh, which means “shall I be successful” as well as “shall I be righteous,” and the midrash understands the verb in both senses. WITH FALSE SCALES? Is it really possible for a generation with false measures to be successful? Actually (ibid., cont.): AND WITH A BAG OF FRAUDULENT WEIGHTS?36Avne. So most translations. However, since Avne can mean “gemstones” as well as “weights,” Braude, and I.J. Kapstein, Pesikta de Rab Kahana (Philadelphia: JPSA, 1975), p. 47, n. 37, may be correct using this meaning. They would understand Micah 6:11 in a sense like the following: IF GEMSTONES GOTTEN THROUGH FRAUD, [BY FALSE BALANCES], ARE IN ONE’S BAG (i.e IN ONE’S PURSE), HE WILL FIND HIMSELF DEFRAUDED. R. Levi said: Moses also alluded to it <about honest weights> for them in the Torah (in Deut. 25:13–14): YOU SHALL NOT HAVE ALTERNATIVE WEIGHTS IN YOUR BAG, <A LARGER AND A SMALLER>. YOU SHALL NOT HAVE ALTERNATIVE EPHAH MEASURES IN YOUR HOUSE…. If you do so, the empire will come and engage you in battle. And what evidence is there? (Deut.: 25:16:) FOR EVERYONE WHO DOES THESE THINGS, WHO ACTS DISHONESTLY, IS AN ABOMINATION TO THE LORD [YOUR GOD]. What is written after that (in vs. 17)? REMEMBER WHAT AMALEK DID TO YOU.
ר' ברכיה בשם ר' אבא בר כהנא פתח. האזכה במאזני רשע וגו' (מיכה ו יא), אפשר כן דור שמדותיו של שקר שהוא זכה, אלא ובכיס אבני מרמה (שם). אמר ר' לוי אף משה רמזה להם בתורה, לא יהיה לך בכיסך אבן ואבן, ולא יהיה לך בביתך איפה ואיפה וגו' (דברים כה יג יד), אם עשית כן המלכות באה ומתגרה בך, ומה טעם כי תועבת ה' [אלהיך] כל עושה אלה וגו' (שם שם טז), מה כתיב אחריו, זכור את אשר עשה לך עמלק.
R. Berekhyah opened <his discourse> in the name of Abba bar Kahana (with Micah 6:11): SHALL I BE RIGHTEOUS <AND SUCCESSFUL>35The verb here is ha’ezkeh, which means “shall I be successful” as well as “shall I be righteous,” and the midrash understands the verb in both senses. WITH FALSE SCALES? Is it really possible for a generation with false measures to be successful? Actually (ibid., cont.): AND WITH A BAG OF FRAUDULENT WEIGHTS?36Avne. So most translations. However, since Avne can mean “gemstones” as well as “weights,” Braude, and I.J. Kapstein, Pesikta de Rab Kahana (Philadelphia: JPSA, 1975), p. 47, n. 37, may be correct using this meaning. They would understand Micah 6:11 in a sense like the following: IF GEMSTONES GOTTEN THROUGH FRAUD, [BY FALSE BALANCES], ARE IN ONE’S BAG (i.e IN ONE’S PURSE), HE WILL FIND HIMSELF DEFRAUDED. R. Levi said: Moses also alluded to it <about honest weights> for them in the Torah (in Deut. 25:13–14): YOU SHALL NOT HAVE ALTERNATIVE WEIGHTS IN YOUR BAG, <A LARGER AND A SMALLER>. YOU SHALL NOT HAVE ALTERNATIVE EPHAH MEASURES IN YOUR HOUSE…. If you do so, the empire will come and engage you in battle. And what evidence is there? (Deut.: 25:16:) FOR EVERYONE WHO DOES THESE THINGS, WHO ACTS DISHONESTLY, IS AN ABOMINATION TO THE LORD [YOUR GOD]. What is written after that (in vs. 17)? REMEMBER WHAT AMALEK DID TO YOU.