HaRav Yishai Natan - I run a barber shop that usually closes at 5:00. Today, someone came in close to closing time and asked for a haircut that normally takes twenty minutes. I wanted to go home already, so I told him, “I’m sorry, it is too close to closing.” He said, “I’ll give you $200 if you do it now.” I agreed and gave him the haircut. Afterward, he said he was … [Read more...]

HaRav Yishai Natan - My neighbor has an old tree on his property that looked like it was going to fall any day. I told him that he should cut it down, because it might fall and break something. He never cut it down, and yesterday it fell into my property and destroyed my deck. I told him that now he has to pay for my deck and remove his tree from my property. He thinks … [Read more...]

HaRav Yishai Natan - I hired a kallah teacher for my daughter, who is getting married soon. I asked around and heard good things about her from many people. After I had already hired her, I spoke to a close friend who told me that she used her for her daughter and did not have a good experience. She suggested that I not use her. I called the kallah teacher to cancel, … [Read more...]

HaRav Yishai Natan - I rent an apartment from a fellow Jew, and the rent is due on the first of each month. I often forget to pay on time, or for different reasons I end up paying a few days late. When I mentioned this to someone, he suggested that I may have been transgressing the issur of Bal Talin each time this happened. Is he correct? Am I over the averah of Bal … [Read more...]