daf bit: Bava Metzia 61
Jun. 25th, 2009 09:06 amThe g'mara discusses the injunction "you shall not steal", and then Rav
Yemar said to Rav Ashi: for what purpose does the torah then prohibit
false weights? He replied: to forbid soaking them in salt. But this
is pure robbery! He replied: to teach that one transgresses at the
very moment that this is done. (61b)
(That is, using the false weights would violate "you shall not steal", but even having them is a prohibition all to itself.)