Rosh Hashanah 5770
Babylonian Talmud
Baba Kamma 79a
The disciples of Rabbi Yohanan ben Zakkai asked him why the Torah was more severe on a thief (ganav) who commits his crime in secret, rather than on a robber (gazlan) who commits his crime publicly.
He replied: the robber (gazlan) puts the honor of the slave on the same level as the honor of his master, whereas the thief (ganav) does not put the honor of the slave on the same level as the honor of the master.
The thief acts as if the eye of Heaven would not see and the ear of Heaven would not hear, as it says, “Woe! Those who would hide their plans deep from the Lord! Who do their work in dark places and say, ‘Who sees us, who takes note of us?’” (Isaiah 29:15)
Or as it is written: “They kill the widow and the stranger; they murder the fatherless, thinking, ‘The Lord does not see it, the God of Jacob does not pay heed.’” (Psalm 94:7) Or, again as it is written, “The iniquity of the Houses of Judah and Israel is very very great, the land is full of crime and the city is full of corruption. For they say, ‘The Lord has forsaken the land, and the Lord does not see.’” (Ezekiel 9:9)
It was taught: Rabbi Meir said: The following parable is reported in the name of Rabbi Gamliel. What do the thief and robber resemble? Two people who dwell in one town and made banquets. One invited the townspeople and did not invite the royal family, the other invited neither the townspeople nor the royal family. Which deserves the heavier punishment? Surely the one who invited the townspeople but did not invite the royal family.