More Discussions for this daf
1. Keeping Accurate Measures 2. Eileh 3. Hachra'os
4. בלח אבל ביבש אינו צריך 5. קשה עונשן של מדות יותר מעונשן של עריות 6. הסבר וציורים לסוגיית הכרע טפח
DAF DISCUSSIONS - BAVA BASRA 88

Binayahu Chayim Allswang asked:

I have a bathroom scale in my house that isn't very exact, based on our gemara is there any heter to be allowed to keep it?

Binayahu Chayim, O.P. USA

The Kollel replies:

It appears that it is permitted to keep and use an inaccurate bathroom scale, for several reasons.

The commentaries explain that the Torah prohibition against maintaining inaccurate weights and measures is in order that these implements will never be used to, even unwittingly, cheat another person. Thus, the only type of scale which is forbidden is one which may conceivably be used for business purposes, which a bathroom scale is not.

Additionally, the Shulchan Aruch 231 (based on the Rambam Hilchos Geneivah 7:4) rules that in a city where accurate scales must be marked with a sticker or other indication of government supervision, as is the case in the United States, Israel, and other Western countries, an inaccurate scale which does not have the government sticker on it may be kept in one's house or store; it is not possible that this scale will be used in a business environment. (The Aruch HaShulchan explains that since a scale needs a sticker, a weighing implement without a sticker is simply not viewed as a scale.) This approach, which states that the intent in the Torah prohibition which states that inaccurate measures may not be kept is to ensure that they are not inadvertently used, is discussed in a shiur which was recently given in the Kollel (insert link here).

Reuven Butler