יחזקאל, פרק מ״ה, פסוק י׳

A thriving society rests on the foundation of honest trade, and the responsibility for maintaining this fairness falls directly on the shoulders of its leadership. The primary approach among commentators is that a strong warning is issued to the nation to abandon the fraudulent practices and distorted weights and measures of the past. However, this call for justice is directed specifically at the princes and kings. When the masses engage in dishonest business, the guilt ultimately rests with the leaders who fail to stop them. In many cases, these rulers were even partners in the corruption themselves [רד״ק]. Because of this, the leadership has an active duty to monitor the markets and appoint inspectors who will guarantee that all trade is conducted with perfect honesty [מלבי״ם].

To ensure total fairness, strict accuracy is required across three specific types of measuring tools. First, the scales must be perfectly calibrated and exact [מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. These balances are especially critical for accurately weighing the coins used in daily commerce [מלבי״ם]. Second, strict honesty is demanded for dry volume measurements [רש״י, מלבי״ם]. This standard unit for dry goods must be exact, holding a volume equal to three seahs [מצודת ציון], which amounts to just over twenty-one liters [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Finally, the exact same standard of integrity applies to liquid volume measurements [רש״י, מלבי״ם], which must also strictly hold the equivalent volume of three seahs [מצודת ציון].