Why the specific references to weights and measures? the importance of honest business, of moving in the world as a beacon of integrity in everything we do. Integrity literally is honesty from the inside out, and will therefore show itself -- or its lack -- at every level in our lives.
Inner integrity is the inner expression of what is seen on the outside as the honest weights and measures -- they are the standard we are measuring ourselves and others by, and they are our own -- we carry them around with us.
What is my measuring stick? The size of a house? How expensive someone's clothes are? I'm using it to measure myself, and using it to size up others -- and where my scale is dishonest, it will come out in every part of my life and in every relationship.
We begin with a series of verses that address the core of integrity and honesty -- which is inner honesty, self-knowledge, purity of heart:
(ה) מַ֣יִם עֲ֭מֻקִּים עֵצָ֣ה בְלֶב־אִ֑ישׁ וְאִ֖ישׁ תְּבוּנָ֣ה יִדְלֶֽנָּה׃
(5) Wise counsel is like deep waters in a person's heart; the man of understanding draws it forth.
Each of us is granted insight and wisdom in our hearts, and no one can know our inner workings as well as we can know ourselves, but it requires courage to look honestly within; patience to allow that insight to swell up; and commitment to self-knowledge.
Horeb, Ch. 14 "Self-Sanctification":
"Son and daughter of Israel, recognize your mission I what the Lord your God requires of you, and render yourselves fit to fulfill it properly. This fitness lies not in the possession of material means, nor of knowledge, nor of skill, but first and foremost in purity of heart, in sincerity of disposition, and in holiness of endeavor.
It lies, above all, in keeping your heart and disposition free from anything which can come between yourself and your mission, and filling them with that whole-hearted devotion which your mission requires. See, my friends, it is not sufficient to take up life's task casually and to bring to it ... the mere desire to live the good life. You must first bring yourselves into a state in which you will be able to LIVE the good life, otherwise your wish will remain just a wish...
The first requisite... is self-knowledge. You must know yourselves, your heart and disposition, and find out without any self-deception how much [lust] and pride are lodged in it, and where and how they chiefly show themselves; NO CORNER of your self should remain strange to you.
Then resolve unshakeable to free yourselves from these deadly enemies. ...
Be your own clear-sighted, strict and incorruptible judges; do not pardon or excuse yourselves anything, and renew each day the resolve that tomorrow will find you advanced.
(ו) רׇב־אָדָ֗ם יִ֭קְרָא אִ֣ישׁ חַסְדּ֑וֹ וְאִ֥ישׁ אֱ֝מוּנִ֗ים מִ֣י יִמְצָֽא׃
(ז) מִתְהַלֵּ֣ךְ בְּתֻמּ֣וֹ צַדִּ֑יק אַשְׁרֵ֖י בָנָ֣יו אַחֲרָֽיו׃
(ח) מֶ֗לֶךְ יוֹשֵׁ֥ב עַל־כִּסֵּא־דִ֑ין מְזָרֶ֖ה בְעֵינָ֣יו כׇּל־רָֽע׃
(ט) מִֽי־יֹ֭אמַר זִכִּ֣יתִי לִבִּ֑י טָ֝הַ֗רְתִּי מֵחַטָּאתִֽי׃
(6) Many people proclaim that they are good and kind, But a really trustworthy person is hard to find.
(7) One who walks in innocence is a righteous person; Fortunate are his children who follow after him!
(8) When the king sits in judgement, he scatters all who are evil in his eyes.
(9) Who can say, “I have purified my heart, I am pure of sin”?!
Being judged is uncomfortable and even scary.
We'll do better if we are our own strictest judges -- then we have nothing to fear from any other judgement.
(י) אֶ֣בֶן וָ֭אֶבֶן אֵיפָ֣ה וְאֵיפָ֑ה תּוֹעֲבַ֥ת ה' גַּם־שְׁנֵיהֶֽם׃
(10) A weight and a weight; a measure and a measure -- Both are offensive to God.
(כג) תּוֹעֲבַ֣ת ה' אֶ֣בֶן וָאָ֑בֶן וּמֹאזְנֵ֖י מִרְמָ֣ה לֹא־טֽוֹב׃
(23) Having one weight and another weight is offensive to God; Dishonest scales are not good.
The Talmud teaches in Tractate Shabbos 31a:
אָמַר רָבָא: בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁמַּכְנִיסִין אָדָם לְדִין, אוֹמְרִים לוֹ: נָשָׂאתָ וְנָתַתָּ בָּאֱמוּנָה?
קָבַעְתָּ עִתִּים לַתּוֹרָה? עָסַקְתָּ בִּפְרִיָּה וּרְבִיָּה? צָפִיתָ לִישׁוּעָה? פִּלְפַּלְתָּ בְּחׇכְמָה? הֵבַנְתָּ דָּבָר מִתּוֹךְ דָּבָר? וַאֲפִילּוּ הָכִי, אִי יִרְאַת ה׳ הִיא אוֹצָרוֹ — אִין, אִי לָא — לָא. מָשָׁל לְאָדָם שֶׁאָמַר לִשְׁלוּחוֹ: הַעֲלֵה לִי כּוֹר חִיטִּין לָעֲלִיָּיה. הָלַךְ וְהֶעֱלָה לוֹ. אָמַר לוֹ: עֵירַבְתָּ לִי בָּהֶן קַב חוֹמְטוֹן? אָמַר לוֹ: לָאו. אָמַר לוֹ: מוּטָב אִם לֹא הֶעֱלֵיתָה.
Rava teaches: When a person is brought to judgment for his life, they ask him: Did you conduct your business trade faithfully, in a trustworthy way?
Before anything else -- before your obviously spiritual endeavors -- the first question is: were you honest in business, how did you deal with others?
Without that honesty, everything else you have achieved will be flawed, God-forbid. With that integrity, everything else you achieve has value and stability.
(כז) נֵ֣ר ה' נִשְׁמַ֣ת אָדָ֑ם חֹ֝פֵ֗שׂ כׇּל־חַדְרֵי־בָֽטֶן׃
(27) A person's soul is the lamp of God, Searching/illuminating all his innermost chambers.
Live with yourself; you don't need to hide from your self. Let your soul, shining God's light, shine within you, illuminating your heart and mind, and so you can see who you are, who you can become, and think about how to get there.
God is rooting for your success, holding the door open, reaching His hand for yours.