Question: In Israel, there was a difficult situation where a self-employed person was did some short term work. The person wanted to be paid “off the books” in Israel. The… Read more »
Category: Monetary Law and Charity
giving tzedakah
Question: Is there a chiyuv to give tzedaka to every single person who asks me? Does one have a chiyuv to give while learning? If one knows that a certain… Read more »
Sale of a home in which I lived
Question: Is the mortgage interest that I paid over the years that I owned my house deductible from the sales proceeds to calculate the profit on the sale. Please cite… Read more »
Money found in a yeshiva dormitory
Question: Do coins found underneath couch pillows belong to the one who found them? Thank you in advance! Answer: You can keep the money, and enjoy it, (just remember to… Read more »
Travel Agent Comission
Question: In this case I am clearly their ( travel) agent and have built up trust with customers that I am getting them a good deal and since not everyday… Read more »
paying back for copyright infringement
Question: I used to have illlegally downloaded music and games. I long ago realized it is wrong, and deleted them all. am I chayiv to pay for the benefit I… Read more »
falling leaves bothering a neighbor
Question: I have a date tree in my backyard. The tree is planted legally. The home and tree existed before the home next door was built. There is a renter… Read more »
international shipping
Question: Hello, Thank you for your help. My question is regarding customs declarations. I recently ordered clothing from China and the merchandise is fine. The order totaled around $450 US… Read more »
Selling property in the process of being recovered from thief
Question: Can owner of movable property that currently in possession of thief sell those items if the original owner is certain they’ll be able to recover the property in beis… Read more »
MCA BROKER
Question: Is it permissible to open a merchant cash advance brokerage – to be the “shadchan” between funders and merchants? Is it assur to send a jewish owned merchant cash… Read more »
theft?
Question: Hello, Thank you for your help. My question is regarding taking screen pictures on a computer, whether it be to remember text written or an image. For example, if… Read more »
Bride vs. orphan for tzedakah; concentrating vs. spreading donation
Question:finish sources, Rmbam… Brocho v’Shalom, B”H I am a teenage girl working at a small secretarial job with a modest income. So often, I received emails from crowdfunding platforms such… Read more »
E-Mail Subscription and Copyright
Question: We are subscribed to a weekly local Jewish news publication. We are paying a yearly fee for a printed version received by regular mail/post – plus an additional fee… Read more »
Hotel Shampoo
Question: Can I take home unused shampoos that were left in the hotel room during my stay. I used one of them but not the other? Answer: The individual shampoos… Read more »
Caused someone to get a ticket
Question: Hi, if I encouraged someone who generally wouldn’t have parked by a fire hydrant, to park by telling them I always park by this pump etc, thereby causing her… Read more »
Using Maaser money to pay for seminary
Question: Is one allowed to use maaser money to send a daughter to seminary if one lives on a small budget? Answer: Yes one can. However the amount of money… Read more »
Lost a pen
Question: I was using a cheap pen that was provided for staff members to use at the place that I work. I ended up losing the pen. Do I need… Read more »
Buying Tefillin with Masser Money
Question: BS”D Shalom dear Rabbi, Question: I give my masser every month in the Jewish community, can I take the money from the masser I give to buy a tefilin?… Read more »
May a parent dispose/use items of children under the age of bar-mitzva?
Question: Many times the mother cleans the house and would like to clear out all the junk which children are want to hoard. Another common situation is where the child… Read more »
secular names?
Question: if one has hebrew names but also have secular names are both sets of names recognized in halacha? meaning could one theoretically even sign halachic contracts with the secular… Read more »
Gezel
Question: My name is Jeff and I’m not a jew but my G-d is Elokei Israel, and I have a halacic question concerning gnavah(theft). I have listened to music video’s… Read more »
Vaad Bayit monthly fees
Question: I am a tenant in a building in Ramat Bet Shemesh, and the vaad bayit informed me and the other tenants that two building tenants, not disclosing who they… Read more »
Hasagas Gevul and Chevra Kadisha
Question: A for-profit “chevra kadisha” operates and charges $170 per 8 hours of shmira. The business owner collects $50 per shift for himself. (The “going rate” in our market is… Read more »
using a copy righted cd
Question: hi my friend managed to break the encryption on the bar-ilan program that he brought, would it be permissible for me to get it from him and does it… Read more »
Can one give evidence of the wrongdoing of another jew
Question: I witnessed a car accident with one driver very clearly at fault to everyone. A car drove right into the side of another car that was stopped at a… Read more »
Caterer under-cooked green beans and claims that this is the norm
Question: I ordered trays of ready green beans to serve at a simcha, they just had to be heated up. When served, they were perfectly edible but slightly under-cooked and… Read more »
Ma’aser on money given to cover “general” expenses
Question: I traveled to visit my non-observant parents over the bein hazmanim. I was given a certain amount of money to cover expenses that would arise during my visit without… Read more »
paying
Question: One who is getting $300 a month as a kollel check but there were certain days that he missed due to oversleeping (I am not sure exactly how many… Read more »
Ribis
Question: A Board Member of a not-for profit is going to mortgage his personal property to enable the not for profit to make substantial capital improvements in their facilities. He… Read more »
Medical Billing
Question: Several years back when I first begun working in the healthcare industry I had a situation where I billed an insurance company and the insurance company overpaid our company…. Read more »
Maaser for work
Question: I have ma’aser that I owe but I don’t have extra cash now to give. I’m doing volunteer work for a Kollel. Can I calculate the money I would… Read more »
Broken hand due to negligence
Question: An individual feel and broke his hand in a kosher supermarket whilst shopping due to wet floor. There was no sign to warn customers about the wet floor. Is… Read more »
Annual Expenses Included in 200 zuz (tzedakah recepients)
Question: What expenses are included in the calculation to determine if a person has sufficient funds or ability to generate funds, to cover expenses for the year? Is it minimum… Read more »
The correct way to ask Choshen Mishpat question
Question: Thank you for this great website! I noticed that in a lot of Choshen Mishpat questions Rabbi Fleischman writes that his answer is not binding as he didn’t hear… Read more »
cashing found check
Question: I found a NY State treasury refund check made out to a non-Jew what is the din may I cash it send back to NY state with letter that… Read more »
Am I allowed to reinvest interest/dividend income?
Question: Hi. I understand that in giving tzdaka in the form of ma’aser any profits I have from investments held are subject to ma’aser. I have investments in funds that… Read more »
Maaser for money given to buy a specific thing and maaser to one’s children
Question: I was given money by someone to buy a specific thing for my child, do I need to give maaser from this money? I’ve given maaser for years from… Read more »
Hafkaas halvah
Question: In the classic case of hafkaas halvaah the borrower tells the children of the malveh who passed away that the chov was paid up when actually it wasn’t. Isn’t… Read more »
dishonest with employer
Question: Shalom kvod harav. Several years ago, I was planning to start University. In the interim before the start of university, I was put under a lot of pressure from… Read more »
Busker tzedakah
Question: Should one treat a busker (a street musician) like any other request for tzedakah, or is it a pay what you feel performance? Answer: No one is obligated to… Read more »
zdaka on Shabbos
Question: Can a person give zdaka on Shabbos? or at least touch the money Answer: Your question doesn’t sound right, because money is muktza on Shabbos. If you would like,… Read more »
Maaser for torah vaad
Question: I am attending a Mussar Vaad which costs $560 for the year (I’m a female) I’d like to take a course on Emunah which costs $100 for one time… Read more »
Receiving the right information from a shop’s owner
Question: Shalom! I asked a owner of mobile phone’s store (a religious Jew) about opening a new telephone line. The owner answered me by telling me that company “X” is… Read more »
Faulty Auto Repair
Question: A Jewish mechanic repaired my car with a new brake part. it was faulty, and as a result, the vehicle went through several repairs. Do I have a right… Read more »
Tzedekah;
Question: My father’s yurzheit is coming up on a yom tov (and there is competitive bidding) and I reserve money to possibly purchase an aliyah. But someone called me in… Read more »
Ma’aser
Question: My daughter got engaged and I said to her that I would pay for her Chatan’s guests at the wedding because his parents are in financial difficulty. Can I… Read more »
Tzedekah;
Question: A poor person needs tzedekah. Can I donate an amount to him knowing that the money given to him will be through some tzedekah agency, from which i will… Read more »
My rights after a injury
Question: I was at a indoor fun zone with my daughter which is owned by a frum Jew. Mt daughters finger got caught in a door at the entrance to… Read more »
Beginning to give ma’aser- Do I have to give retroactively?
Question: At the recommendation of others and a few years after having become frum, I’ve decided that I would like to give tzdaka in the format of ma’aser. My question… Read more »
suing another Jew in secular court- lose olam abah?
Question: Hello, Thank you for your help. I learned that it is prohibited to sue another Jew in secular court. (would this be informing?) My question is if a company… Read more »