Questions tagged [gezel-stealing]
stealing, theft, robbery, you name it
202 questions
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Can you destroy property to save your life?
The Talmud [Bava Kamma 60b] discusses destroying property to save your life:
There were stacks of barley belonging to Jews in which the Philistines were hiding, and [King David wanted to burn down ...
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Wrongly cancelling a service - which issur, if any?
When someone cancels a transaction and in order to save on any associated fees, they lie about the reason
Which issur (if any) is being transgressed?
Does it matter if the merchant is Jewish or not?
...
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Is Taking Books from a Synagogue Theft? [closed]
If someone works in a Talmud Torah in a shul, would a person be able to take and make use of any of the sefarim (books) or would that be considered stealing?
Imagine if the scenario is without prior ...
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Copying content from a news website
On one of the frum news websites there is a disclaimer at the end of every article that includes the following wording -
Copying or reproducing our content is both against the law and Halacha
Is it ...
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Is there a biblical or rabbinical prohibition to commit mortgage fraud?
To simplify the question, assume a situation where the lender is a Jew.
If mortgage fraud doesn't fall under the rules of Geneiva, is it possible it's Oshek?
And in the case of a non-Jewish lender, ...
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Is it allowed to copy seforim pdfs? [closed]
I want to copy seforim (for example the Artscroll Shas) and I know people with PDFs of those seforim. Am I allowed to copy them?
Is it genaiva?
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Can you do an Aveira when someone is taking away all of your money, and what do poskim say on the matter
The Pasuk says that we should live by the Mitzvos, which teaches us that we can do an Aveira to save our, or someone else's life. The Midrash says that people who have nothing are like dead people, so ...
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Selling a used article
If I am selling my 2009 Camry am I allowed to have it detailed to give the appearance that it is “ like new”. See Rambam hilchos mechira 18:2, Choshon Mishpat 228:9, and B”M 60b
With the understanding ...
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Mesira on a pauper [closed]
Let's say I was in a kosher store and I noticed a Jewish homeless man who is halachically an "ani" and i notice him pickpocketing some food.
Would i be allowed to tell the store owner or ...
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According to Rambam, does rape fall within the Noahide prohibition against theft or not?
I am an Italian Noahide.
In Mishneh Torah-Hilchot Melachim 9:9, Rambam says (English translation by Tav Eliyahu Touger):
"A Noahide is liable for violating the prohibition against theft whether ...
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Is it forbidden דרבנן to withhold the wages of a gentile labourer?
The Gemora in Sanhedrin 57a states:
אלא אמר רב אחא בריה דרב איקא לא נצרכה אלא לכובש שכר שכיר כותי בכותי וכותי בישראל אסור ישראל בכותי מותר
Rather, Rav Aḥa, son of Rav Ika, says that there is a ...
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Is it stealing to eavesdrop? [duplicate]
According to bYoma 35b Hillel was denied entrance to a Beit Midrash which required students to pay for admission. Hillel instead climbed to the skylight and listened to the discussion for free. I ...
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One act of theft, from multiple victims
If someone commits some sort of theft of e.g. tax money, such as lying in order to get benefits they don't qualify for, or a government worker stealing from the office, or embezzlement... is that one ...
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If one steals but can’t give it back or to the heirs who should be give it?
If one steals but can’t give it back to the original owner or to their heirs who should be given the money?
Rambam writes to give it to tbe court but there is no court anymore. So where would we ...
user24193
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Why on daf 56b in Bavah Kamah, tosafos mymid, is the thief chayiv for whatever mazik that animal does if it is not their animal
Good sources, good clear answers,and very thought through. I already tried with the English but I didn't get it.
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Is a parent allowed to take items from children over bar/bat mitzvah age but under their jurisdiction
According to Halacha, is a parent allowed to confiscate property from their children if that child is over bar/bat mitzvah age but the age they would be under the parent’s jurisdiction? So is it ...
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Colonialism and Halacha
In halacha, is it considered “stealing” for a nation to colonize another piece of land if that piece of land doesn’t have a system of property rights. For example, the Americans colonizing the ...
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Do the halakhot relating to stealing apply to people’s chokhmah / daas too?
Shalom.
I have been wondering if it is considered theft / stealing / robbery if one tries to acquire another’s chokhmah / daas without being honest about what one is doing. E.g. Asking questions with ...
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Ethics in video games: stealing
I'd like to ask a few questions on ethics in video games, starting with:
Is it allowed to steal from other players in an online video game?
To keep it simple, stick to games that specifically enable ...
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Scanning pages of an out of print sefer for a friend [closed]
If someone is finding it hard to get hold of an out of print sefer, and it is prohibitively expensive to get it on a special order, would their friend, who owns the sefer, be allowed to scan the pages/...
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Can one be exempt from paying for a harm that turned out to be a gain?
Let’s say Reuven’s ox gets injured by Shimon’s ox three times, and altogether the damage caused the ox to go down in value by 100 dollars, and then it injured it a forth time, causing it to go down in ...
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Repair man lied for you to his company to help you with warranty
Imagine a washing machine (etc) repair man comes round to fix it on a warranty claim. When they find out what it is, it turns out to be something that's not covered on warranty. Later you find out ...
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Clarification on quotation sources around Sanhedrin 57a
Much like in the case of these questions, I've run into some troublesome reading in Talmudic and other Jewish literature:
Missionary gave me these Talmudic quotes; Does it prove that Goyim are viewed ...
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Is it gezel to watch a copyrighted video for free? [duplicate]
Would it halachically be considered geneivah if I watch a copyrighted video for free, for example, on YouTube?
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How can Chachamim put price tags on mitzvot?
The Gemera in Chullin 87a (and see Shulchan Aruch Choshen Mishpat 382:1) that one who steals another persons mitzvah must give the person from who he stole 10 zehuvim. My question is, how can Chachmim ...
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Using a shtender without permission?
In many shuls people bring their private shtenders to use during davening or learning. Is it permissible to use someone's shtender in their absence without asking permission first?
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What can a husband do halachically if his wife steals money from him?
Suppose a wife takes a significant amount of money from her husband without his knowledge. Or perhaps, she transfers an asset into her name, without him knowing.
Or in another case, she misleads him ...
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HALACHICALY Is it ok to download YouTube videos? [duplicate]
This question has confounded me for some time. On the one hand, from the research I've done, it's definitely against the terms of service which you agree to. On the other, everything I've read on the ...
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Questions on a story about Hillel
It is always possible to pick on even the most inspirational stories, but hopefully in doing so we end up learning something. The Talmud relates this story:
Hillel the Elder worked every day to earn ...
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What halachic issues are involved in using a recruiter to poach a currently employed employee?
What halachic issues are involved in permitting or forbidding the use of a recruiter that will approach currently employed employees to attempt to poach them for a rival business?
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Downloading a Currently Public Resource
Is it permissible to download a resource that is currently available publicly and freely from the internet without permission from the one who posted it and/or the one who hosts the website?
For ...
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Am I allowed to print individual sheets or full Seforim from copyright Seforim found online? [duplicate]
"if someone posted a copyrighted book accessible online, what does halacha say about printing it? I'm worried about Gezeilah on the one hand, but perhaps since there is no loss to the owner it ...
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Digital piracy of difficult to acquire products
The following discusses copying an item that is being sold by its creator (https://torah.org/learning/honesty-class64/)
Rabbi Moshe Feinstein ztl said that it’s not permitted to copy any item that is ...
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Is cheating on High School tests גניבת ממון?
It's very well known today, especially from R' Moshe's ruling, that cheating on college tests is גניבת ממון. However he says High School cheating, although forbidden, is not גניבת ממון. How does this ...
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Tevila in Keilim Mikva without permission
Recently was at a Keilim Mikva which had a sign "No Tevila allowed for outside utensils. Only utensils purchased at this store may be Toiveled here". I was wondering if one goes ahead and ...
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Should we accept donations of tainted money?
A lot has been written on whether donations of tainted money should be accepted. The money is tainted either because it is ill-gotten or because the donor is ethically challenged (e.g., sexual ...
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How to understand "If a thief steals from a friend and modifies the object..."
In an episode of "Shtisel" there is a scene where a Rabbi quizzes a Yeshiva applicant about the halacha (I think he says it is in Eruvin) "If a thief steals from a friend and modifies (...
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Taking advantage of cultural customs: Stealing or not?
In Persian culture, there is a principle named taarof in which if something is being offered to you, you must decline it, even if you want it. The giver will ask again if you would like the object but ...
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Does everybody steal?
I remember reading a quote, attributed to the Talmud, that essentially says "everybody steals". I doubt it's genuine, and if it is, it's probably heavily qualified, but I thought I'd ask: ...
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Which Rav was this?
I heard a rabbi tell a famous true story of a certain other rabbi. A black man broke into his house in the middle of the night and demanded at gunpoint all of the rabbi’s money/valuables. The rabbi ...
user24573
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Is viewing pirated media permitted?
Partially inspired by this question, though substantively different (I hope).
There are many sites on the internet which contain pirated media (eg tv shows, movies) those sites allow anyone to view ...
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Is using a Youtube adblocker allowed? [duplicate]
I always avoid looking at ads on youtube, so when I see a countdown for an ad, I mute the video and scroll away so I avoid looking at or listening to something forbidden.
So I learned that one can ...
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On making restitution for stolen objects
A person steals a beam to build a house. The Torah says: Dismantle the house and give the beam back to its owner:
When one has sinned, he realizes his guilt and restores what he got through robbery ...
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According to Ramban, why is גזל part of the ז מצות בני נח?
One of the ז מצות בני נח is דינים. According to the Ramban on parshat vayishlach (34:13)
the laws that were counted [as one] of the seven commandments that the Children of Noach were commanded is ...
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The Heinz Dilemma in Halacha [duplicate]
A famous Kohlberg dilemma goes something like this:
Heinz’s wife is dying and there’s a drug that may be able to save her. Jack cannot afford the drug.
Can Heinz steal the drug to treat his wife?
...
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Is it forbidden to buy bad merchandise in order to get a refund?
The background:
I bought neodymium magnets from China off of ebay.
The magnets were NOT neodymium and the item was not as good as I expected.
This is a common Chinese practice on ebay. The Chinese ...
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is it theft to enter shul with contraband?
In this answer, the image below appears. Ignoring the issue of the propriety of "non-kosher" phones, is the sign correct that it can ban entry with something not used in the shul, and that entry with ...
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Secular law vs. Halacha: is this theft?
In a case where secular law is at odds with Halacha, and one goes to a secular court to claim that which he is entitled to in secular law but not by Halacha, I know that he is transgressing chilul ...
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Confusing Gzeilah and Gneivah in the Gemara (Bava Qama 96b)
I wonder if someone can help me with a gemara question? I’m revising the ninth perek of Bava Qama and on 96b the gemara explains a passage in the mishna in a way that strikes me as totally incongruous....
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Does 'thou shalt not steal' refer to general theft or specifically to kidnapping?
I admit that I sometimes just can't keep my fingers to myself. I felt thirsty so I took a refreshing ginger ale from my neighbour's freezer.
I typed into Google 'thou shall not steal' after realizing ...
user16556