In the previous Halacha, we have begun discussing the prohibition of verbal oppression between man and his fellow and between husband and wife. We shall now discuss some of the laws of verbal oppression based on the rulings of Maran Ha’Shulchan Aruch (Choshen Mishpat, Chapter 228).

The Gemara (Baba Metzia 58b) states: “Our Sages taught: ‘One shall not oppress his fellow,’ this refers to verbal oppression although it is not monetary cheating. What is verbal oppression? One should not affix his eyes to a sale when one has no money.” This means that one should not inquire about the price of a given item if one has no intention of purchasing it. Similarly, one may not enter a store where a given item is sold and ask how much it costs if one has no intention of buying it at the present time and only wishes to know the price…