By Rav Yehonatan D. Hool – Bet HaVaad, Yerushalayim The Torah discusses the garments that the Kohanim wore in their service in the Mishkan. The Gemara (Zevahim 88b) explains that each one of the garments that the Kohanim wore atoned for a different sin. The Gemara relates that the Hoshen HaMishpat, the breastplate, atoned for erroneous judgments. The Kli Yakar (28:15) … [Read more...]
The Catering Salesman: When Does He Get Paid?
Payment requirements for the private salesman By Dayan Dovid Grossman There is one Halachic classification of work which can lend itself to confusion. A Po’el – laborer – who works by the hour is called a S’chir Yom (lit. day laborer). An independent contractor, who is paid by the job, is a Kablan. Each of these categories comes with its own set of rules and … [Read more...]
Taking Work Personal: Borrowing Office Supplies
Can an employee take office supplies or borrow the company projector for personal use? By: Dayan Dovid Grossman, Shlita, Rosh Bet HaVaad Using Office Supplies In a busy office, supplies and paper items have a way of coming and going. Paper clips, pens and staplers are lost and found within the full routine of office life. While some items may go missing as a … [Read more...]
Brinks Cash Flow: Windfall or Highway Robbery?
By Rabbi Yehoshua Wolfe An armored Brinks truck accidentally scattered money across a northern New Jersey highway on a recent Thursday morning, and as drivers got out of their cars to grab cash there were crashes. A windfall or highway robbery? I’m driving on the freeway and the armored truck in front of me dropped its cash. Can I pocket the money? A question few stop … [Read more...]
Content Theft: The Halachic Status of Intellectual Property Ownership
By: Dayan Dovid Grossman, shlit”a It is easy to understand why robbing a bank is forbidden by the Torah. Stealing money, food or merchandise are also obvious crimes. The item is in the owner’s possession, and the thief removes it for himself. The question of theft becomes less clear when discussing stealing ideas or copying information. One could (mistakenly) argue that … [Read more...]