There is a type of robbery that is not considered robbery in human courts but is robbery in the Heavenly court. For instance, in one person takes his fellow to a Jewish court for some damage the other fellow had accidently caused him, and it had not been done maliciously and was not premeditated—the Sages are not pleased with such a person, and he transgresses “Love your fellow as yourself.” This is true even if by law the other man was technically liable. About this our Sages said, “a person’s character can be seen through his purse.”
Given the severity of robbery and the difficulty of repenting over it (for our Sages have said that if a person steals even one perutah from someone, it is as though he has stolen his soul from him; and as long as the stolen item is in his possession he can never receive atonement, especially if the stolen item has been consumed), a God-fearing Jew will be exceedingly cautious to avoid even the slightest aspect of robbery, and his business dealings will be conducted honestly. And even if his financial plight is extremely difficult, and all sorts of creditors are pressing him, that would not be reason for him to steal anything. For those who seek Hashem will never lack any good, and Hashem will not withhold good from those who walk with innocence.
