12
votes
Accepted
Does everybody steal?
In Baba Batra 165a :
אמר רב יהודה אמר רב רוב בגזל ומיעוט בעריות והכל בלשון הרע
Rav Yehuda says that Rav says: The majority of people succumb to sin with regard to robbery, and a minority of people ...
- 1,156
9
votes
Accepted
Stealing cigarettes
The Peirush "Shiurei Bracha" on Yoreh Deah 241 (brings a Zohar) that asks why our mother Rachel did not merit to enjoy many stages of parenthood? The answer is that she caused her father pain by ...
- 10.7k
9
votes
A female thief is not sold to make restitution -- so what happens instead?
It would seem from the Rambam (Hil. Geneivah 3:12) that she bears the debt until she can afford to pay it off:
הָאִישׁ נִמְכָּר בִּגְנֵבָתוֹ אֲבָל לֹא הָאִשָּׁה. וְדָבָר זֶה מִפִּי הַקַּבָּלָה. ...
- 34.1k
9
votes
Accepted
Does 'thou shalt not steal' refer to general theft or specifically to kidnapping?
"Don't steal" includes don't steal someone's soda.
The "don't steal" commandment appears in both Exodus and Leviticus. Leviticus refers to property, as the next phrase is -- and don't lie or deny ...
- 131k
8
votes
Is murder allowed for someone who is stealing?
Mishna Sanhedrin 8.6
[A thief] who comes through a tunnel [into one's house] is judged on the basis of his end. If he came through a tunnel and broke a jug: if he has blood-guilt, he is liable; if ...
- 22.7k
7
votes
Accepted
Is there a formal prohibition of stealing time from someone?
I have personally heard from Harav Chaim Kanievsky shlit"a that the term "גזל זמן" (stealing time) [and גזל שינה - stealing sleep] is a halachic misnomer, because stealing time [or sleep] is not ...
- 6,919
6
votes
Pirating software
I cannot provide the name of a posek allowing the use of pirated software. Most Internet references to rabbanim allowing this are anonymous and along the lines of "a friend has told me", "I heard from"...
- 48k
6
votes
Accepted
"Karka Einah Nigzeles" (land can't be stolen) - really?
The gemara in Bava Kamma 117b brings a machlokes between R' Elazar and the Sages.
If someone steals (gozel) a field, what happens if the field is then flooded? R' Elazar holds that the thief must ...
- 10.7k
6
votes
How Could Adam Harishon Have "Stolen" from Anyone?
Beautiful question! In fact, Rav Schwab asks it in his sefer in Chumash! As Yisroel Reisman writes, "Rav Schwab (in Mayan Beis Hashoeva page # 242) explains, when we say not to bring a Korban that is ...
- 13.8k
6
votes
Accepted
What type of theft does Lo Signov refer to?
Rashi and Ramban hold (citing Rabbi Yoshiyah in Sanhedrin 86a) that "lo tignov" in Shemot 20:13 means that one should not kidnap another person. Rashi's reasoning is that those who break the ...
- 18.5k
6
votes
Stealing in the House of your parents?
The concept of stealing from one's parents does exist.
We see it by Ben-Sorer, who only qualifies once he steals from his parents. (Sanhedrin Mishna 8:3 - אֵינוֹ נַעֲשֶׂה בֵן סוֹרֵר וּמוֹרֶה, עַד ...
- 42.8k
6
votes
Questions on a story about Hillel
The second question is posed by the Ein Yakov, who writes the following:
דאף שהיה ערב שבת, ועל פי רוב מתגבר הקרירות בערב שבת, ונתנו העולם סימן
'וקרקר כל בני שת'
וגם תקופת טבת דרכו להיות גובר הקרירות, ...
- 7,925
5
votes
Going to a Shiur without paying tuition
If the entrance is not free, it seems from the Gemara that you cannot enter. A similar case is cited in Gemara Yoma 35b.
Yoma 35b:
אמרו עליו על הלל הזקן שבכל יום ויום היה עושה ומשתכר בטרעפיק חציו ...
- 22.7k
5
votes
Stealing cigarettes
The Chida (Birchei Yosef on Yoreh Deah 240:15) writes, in the name of Rav Yaakov Molcho, that if your father is ill and he demands that you feed him something that would be dangerous for him (סכנה), ...
- 5,565
5
votes
What type of theft does Lo Signov refer to?
Aside from the Seporno mentioned by Ezra, there a few other rishonim who also include monetary theft in Lo Signov.
R. Saadia Gaon writes:
לא תגנב לא תסרק
R. Avraham Ben Harambam writes:
פשטיה ...
- 49.1k
5
votes
Accepted
Gezel in Rabbinical regulations
There are many rabbinic enactments/prohibitions related to monetary matters. Here is a sampling from the Rambam (translations from Chabad.org):
Gezelah 6:7
דברים הרבה אסרו חכמים משום גזל; והעובר ...
- 97.4k
5
votes
Is not returning equipment to non-Jews considered theft?
In your case of a non-Jew giving someone equipment for a job, that equipment was always the property of the non-Jew. It was never lost. Keeping it against the owner's will is theft.
The fact that the ...
- 48k
4
votes
"Cheating" on a test
When I was in Yeshiva, a world renowned Posek* had a Q&A session with us, and the question came up regarding if you know that a teacher takes test questions from some online question bank if you'...
- 6,753
4
votes
Source for a story about stealing and teaching of Torah
I think you are referring to the following from Sanhedrin 91b (translation artscroll)
אמר רב יהודה אמר רב כל המונע הלכה מפי תלמיד כאילו גוזלו מנחלת אבותיו
שנאמר (דברים לג, ד) תורה צוה לנו משה ...
- 48k
4
votes
Accepted
Taking old hardware from a corporation
Rambam Hilchot Gneivah 1:2
אָסוּר לִגְנֹב כָּל שֶׁהוּא דִּין תּוֹרָה. וְאָסוּר לִגְנֹב דֶּרֶךְ שְׂחוֹק אוֹ לִגְנֹב עַל מְנָת לְהַחְזִיר אוֹ עַל מְנָת לְשַׁלֵּם הַכּל אָסוּר שֶׁלֹּא יַרְגִּיל עַצְמוֹ ...
- 3,849
4
votes
Stealing an idol-worshipper's only food to save yourself
Absolutely not. The Halacha is that one may not throw a non-Jew, even an idolater, into a pit, where he will eventually die (Avodah Zarah 26a, Shulchan Aruch YD 158:1, Tur YD 158, Rambam, Hilchos ...
- 34.1k
4
votes
On making restitution for stolen objects
As Rashi explains (Gittin 55a), this halacha only applies in a specific case of great financial loss to the thief, where returning the actual item would require him to destroy an entire structure, so ...
4
votes
Should we accept donations of tainted money?
R Shimon Taub in The laws of tzedakah and maaser addresses your first question
If a Jew who deliberately transgresses major mitzvot (e.g., Shabbos)
wants to give tzedakah to poor people, one may ...
- 48k
4
votes
Accepted
What halachic issues are involved in using a recruiter to poach a currently employed employee?
It seems to be allowed, under circumstances. The following information can be found in great detail in the Sefer: Headlines Halachic Debates Of Current Events: Poaching Employees from Rival Companies ...
- 8,852
3
votes
Trespassers from a Halachic Perspective
I took a class earlier this year that addressed your question and related topics. Here's what I learned. The following sources are from a class at Kulam Pittsburgh taught by R' Will Friedman from ...
- 56.4k
3
votes
Property border trees and Peah
Peah has to be designated by the owner. It also doesn't have to be in the corner of the field, but it does have to be at the end of the owner's harvest. (Peah 1:3)
Also, even if it is designated, ...
- 9,116
3
votes
Accepted
Can a stolen sefer Torah be used?
Rav Uri Dasberg says that l'Chatchila one can not make a Bracha on a stolen object. Therefore no Bracha may be said over a stolen Torah. He brings in the name of Sh"ut Bais Yitzchak Yore Deah 2:109 ...
- 139k
3
votes
Daled v'Hei: Repeating a sin?
The Steinsaltz translates "מפני ששנה בחטא" differently:
מפני ששנה בחטא, שלא רק שחטא בכך שגנב, אלא הוסיף חטא אחר על כך למוכרו.
Not only did he sin in that he stole, rather he added an ...
- 12k
3
votes
Is it halachically permissible to click on contextual ads with no intention of buying?
It is similar to a door-to-door salesmen knocking on your private property. He will knock and attempt to entice you to buy a magazine subscription, but you have no intention of buying. He however came ...
- 31
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