| Title |
Abstract |
Borrower’s and Lender’s Rights
|
Question
Yankel borrowed an electric ... more
|
Overcharging and Underpaying
|
Question
Yankel wishes to market a revolutionary new product-a device to
prevent falling asleep during a shiur! It costs him $20 to manufacture and ... more
|
Stealing Just for Fun!
|
Question
Berel sees Mr. Altman walking round the neighborhood. This old man has a strange habit:
... more
|
Repenting for Past Sins
|
Question
Berel is preparing for Rosh Hashanah. He thinks back to his
childhood. He remembers that he once kicked a ball through the neighbour’s closed
window. He ran away and never ... more
|
Beis Din and Interpreters
|
Question
Gad and Asher are two recent arrivals from Russia (formerly Gregori and Anatoly!).
Unfortunately, they have got into an argument about money matters. They wish to go to Beis
Din ... more
|
Harmful Words
|
Question
Yankel wishes to sell his apartment, but does
not know what price to ask for it. He sees that Berel, who lives in a similar apartment in
... more
|
A Matter of Grave Concern
|
Question
Moshe travelled to Eastern Europe. During his
... more
|
Uprooting Fruit Trees
|
Question
Zevulun went to market to buy fruit and vegetables for Shabbos. When he arrives home,
he suddenly realizes that he forgot a bag of over-ripe tomatoes at the bus stop. Does he
... more
|
Is This Deception?
|
Question
Shmelke sells electrical appliances. He recently received a consignment of washing
machines with an unknown brand name, but manufactured in the same factory as a top-quality
brand. Can he tell ... more
|
The Truth - The Real Truth!
|
Question
Berel has just come back from a trip to America (he lives in Israel). He proudly shows
you his prize purchase – a mixer with all the attachments, bought at a bargain price!
... more
|
Who Pays The Phone Bill?
|
Question
Yissochor lives in a rented apartment. There is a clause in his rental agreement that
states that he is responsible for all utility bills and the phone bill. He ... more
|
Returning A Theft From The Public
|
Question
Benny sells silverware in his High Street shop. One day, a customer comes in to buy a
silver cup. He tells Benny that he is on his way to his hometown, some two hundred miles
... more
|
Faulty Goods - Who Gives the Refund?
|
Question
Yankel bought a beautiful wall clock in a sealed box (the clock
face was visible through the plastic wrapping). When he arrived home,
... more
|
Reserving Seats on the Bus for Others
|
Question
Zevulun is planning a bus journey to the North. His friend, Asher, intends to accompany
him but will board the bus at a later stop. The bus is likely to be full by the time ... more
|
Who is Entitled to the Remainder?
|
Question
Raphy collected money to help a sick person who had been told by the doctors that
he needed several rare operations. Fortunately, after one operation he recovered
completely. Raphy finds ... more
|
When is there a Duty to Help with Unloading and Loading?
|
Question
Chayim sees a man attempting to unload a huge wardrobe from a truck,
single-handed. As expected, the wardrobe falls! The man asks Chayim to help him to carry
this heavy ... more
|
Did You Really Give Up Your Rights?
|
Question
Danny bought a brand-new apartment from a construction company. Soon after he moved in,
he discovered major problems (the rain leaks in, if you put on more than three lights at a
... more
|
Giving The Candy On Time
|
Question
It was after ma’ariv on Motzo’ei Shabbos. The gabbai looked with exasperation
at the piles of seforim all over the shul. How was he going to get them back into their
... more
|
The Cheque Bounced- Who Pays the Bank Charges?
|
Question
Shalom deposited a cheque he had received from Micky in his bank account. A few
days later, he received a letter from the bank that the cheque had bounced. Not only would
... more
|
Good Advice - or Depriving Someone of Business?
|
Question
Reuven sees his friend, Shimon, about to buy a food mixer in Levi’s Appliances
store. He knows that the same model is available at a much cheaper price down the street.
Is he permitted to go in and warn Shimon ... more
|
Payment For "Services"
|
Question
Adam is trying to sell his house to Noach. Noach wants to purchase the house, but the
two are unable to agree on the price. Adam wants $250,000, while Noach holds that the
property is not worth more than $200,000. ... more
|
Roof Repairs
|
Question
Yehudah lives on the top floor of a five-storey apartment building. He is trying to
sell his home and Efraim is interested in buying it. However, Efraim notices signs of a
water leak from the roof and he makes tarring ... more
|
Thanks For The (Free?) Roof!
|
Question
Mr. Levi lives on the first floor of an apartment building. After receiving the
appropriate permits, he built an extension to his apartment. This provided Mr. Cohen, who
lives on the floor above, with a floor – for a room ... more
|
Deposit - But No Return!
|
Question
Zevulun collected one hundred thousand dollars for a widow who was left with fifteen
orphans. He decided that maximum benefit could be gained from the funds if they were well
invested. Good friends advised him to invest with Yankel, who ... more
|
Whose Bad Investment?
|
Question
Gavriel, the local shul gabbai, notices that a certain sefer (book) has
been lying in the same spot for the last six months! He assumes that the owner of this
private sefer originally placed it in this location but must ... more
|
No Use Crying - Over Spilled Oil!
|
Question
Bluma decided to treat all her grandchildren to a supper of fried fish and chips. After
having deep-fried the food, she placed the pot on the window-ledge outside to cool off.
During the night, it rained heavily, and she forgot ... more
|
Fair Advertising
|
Question
Berel owns a hardware store. Since Purim and Pesach are approaching, he wishes to
embark on an extensive advertising campaign. He is concerned that such advertising should
be within the bounds of halachah. He has some specific questions: (a) May ... more
|
Who Gets the Free Gift?
|
Question
Noson is the administrator of a yeshiva. His duties include purchasing supplies for the
yeshiva (food, cleaning materials, etc.) as well as dealing with the authorities. The
yeshiva has lent him a car to enable him to get around. Noson ... more
|
Who Gets the Prize?
|
Question
Mordechai asked Daniel to buy a lottery ticket on his behalf. He also gave him money
with which to make the purchase. Daniel bought the ticket, but paid for it with his own
money. He also chose the numbers to ... more
|
Who is Entitled to the Pesach Bonus?
|
Question
At Menachem’s Magnificent Machine factory, the workers usually
receive a pre-Pesach bonus. Boruch worked at the factory for most of the
winter, but left before Purim. Chaim started working at the factory at the
beginning ... more
|
The Postponed Doctor's Appointment
|
Question
Yankel had made an appointment at the eye doctor
six months ago, which was scheduled for last Tuesday. On Monday morning,
Yankel received a call, informing him that the doctor had to travel
... more
|
Your Friend - Not his Voice Mail
|
Question
Asher met his friend Naftoli who just returned from a trip to Africa.
Naftoli mentioned that he had tried to call Asher while in Africa, but had
been answered by his voice mail. “When ... more
|
Who Pays for the Neighbour’s Mixer?
|
Question
Mirel borrowed a Pesach mixer from her neighbor,
Tzirel. She worked it too hard and the motor burned out. Mirel is a
housewife who has no money of her own. Is her husband liable to pay for
... more
|
Worker’s Diet – At whose Expense?
|
Question
Berel looks like a barrel! Concerned about his
constantly expanding waistline, he decides to consult the doctor. After
doing various tests, the doctor informs him that he is suffering from high
blood pressure, as well ... more
|
Buying Meat – with a Watery Bonus!
|
Question
Shmelke wishes to open a meat-processing business. From his investigations
he has learned that it is common practice to inject significant quantities
of water into meat before freezing it. In addition, phosphates and other
... more
|
The Little Monkey – Who Ate Bananas!
|
Question
A delivery of fruit and vegetables was made to the home of Family
Silberberg. Little Avremi (4) and Moishi (3) decided to sample the goods.
Avremi is a real monkey; he ate three bananas! ... more
|
A Chapter Of Accidents
|
Question
A delivery of fruit and vegetables was made to the home of Family
Silberberg. Little Avremi (4) and Moishi (3) decided to sample the goods.
Avremi is a real monkey; he ate three bananas! ... more
|
Paying Parents' Debts
|
Question
Reb Shimon proudly returned to his former school,
this time as a teacher. However, when he received his first paycheck, he
noticed that a substantial sum had been deducted from his wages. A note
... more
|
Listening Devices, Computer Hackers And Bigamy
|
Question
Berel’s cousin came on a visit from abroad. He proudly presented
Berel with the latest in American technology – a listening device, the
size of a matchbox. “Have fun!” said the cousin. But Berel ... more
|
Whose Winning Bottle-Cap?
|
Question
Simcha made his son’s bar mitzvah
celebration at home. He served liberal quantities of Supasoda, which was
on special offer at the local supermarket. Berel was a guest at this
function. He poured out a ... more
|
Freezing Fleeing Assets
|
Question
Asher lent a large sum of money to his friend,
Moshe, who was having difficulties with his business. Soon after, he
observed that Moshe seemed to be squandering the money. First he made a
lavish ... more
|
Neighbor’s Buying Rights
|
Question
Tzvi wishes to sell his apartment, which is located on the ground floor of
an apartment block. Asher, who lives on the fourth floor, hears about his
intentions. He claims that he has right ... more
|
Financial Disputes – Only In Beis Din!
|
Question
The apartment owners were fed up. The building contractor used every excuse in
the book to avoid fulfilling his obligations. There was no choice but to take
him to court. As he was also a Jew, they should really take him to Beis Din.
However, many of the apartment owners argued that since ... more
|
Shared Profits – And Losses?
|
Question
Reuven and Shimon decided to invest with Sureprofit
Brokers, a well-known and reliable firm. They gave them the $50k minimum
sum to be invested equally in two blue-chip companies. Reuven contributed
$20k of the sum, ... more
|
Friend - Or (Non-Professional) Agent?
|
Question
Chayim, a recently engaged choson, was looking for an apartment
near the yeshiva. He asked Menachem, who lived in the same
district, whether he knew of any suitable apartments for sale. “There is
... more
|
Active Agents Get Paid
|
Question
Palace Properties placed an advertisement for a second floor, three-room
apartment in Menucha St. in the local paper. Menachem saw the ad, and decided to
do his own detective work. He spent two hours making phone calls and knocking on
doors until he located the advertised apartment, which he bought. Does he have
to ... more
|
How Many Matchmakers?
|
Question
Yankel, aged 22, received a phone call from Reb Simcha,
the well-known shadchan (matchmaker). He suggested a suitable
match, describing the qualities of the girl and her family in glowing
... more
|
“Theft” In The Synagogue?
|
Question
As Feivish reflects on the past year, he
shudders at the memory of the incident. On the seventh day of Pesach, the aliyos
(to be called up to the reading of the Torah) were ... more
|
Is This Decision Final?
|
Question
The residents’ meeting was called for 8.30 on Tuesday
evening. Only eleven out of the twenty-four apartment owners showed up.
Nevertheless, Sender, the present house committee chairman, proceeded with
... more
|
Releasing A Wife’s Vows
|
Question
Chedva had taken upon herself to visit residents of the
local senior citizens’ home every afternoon between 5 and 6 p.m. Now
that she was about to give birth, she felt she could no ... more
|
Responsibility For Stolen Deposits
|
Question
Yissochor, the treasurer of the local gemach (free-loan fund) received a visit from
Zevulun late on Friday afternoon. Zevulun wished to deposit $5000 in the fund.
Yissochor gratefully accepted the money and locked it away in his safe. When
Yissochor returned from visiting his parents after Shabbos, he met with
an unpleasant surprise. His ... more
|
Who is the Real Borrower?
|
Question
Chayim recently got married. He wishes to buy an apartment,
but needs a substantial mortgage to complete the purchase. His father is a
well-established businessman, who has good connections with the bank.
Chayim’s father is ... more
|
Interest in Borrowed Clothing
|
Question
Chavi was looking forward to her brother’s wedding, but had no
suitable dress to wear. Since she could not afford to buy a new dress, she
decided to ask her good friend, Baila, if ... more
|
Is This Forbidden Interest?
|
Question
Boruch rented an apartment from Kalman. As is
customary, Kalman asked Boruch for a security check equal to one month’s
rent, to be returned at the end of the rental period. Boruch wishes to
... more
|
Interest-Free Sleep
|
Question
Benny, of Benny’s Best Bedding Store, wishes to try
to boost sales with a special promotional offer: Try any bed or mattress
for two weeks. If your slumber is not sweet enough, you can ... more
|
Interest In Favors
|
Question
Zevulun lent Yissochor $10,000. He now wishes to borrow some books
from Yissochor. Does receiving such a favour from the borrower raise a
problem of ribbis (forbidden interest)?
Zevulun has often borrowed
... more
|
Discounted Fuel
|
Question
Hershy, of Hershy’s Heimishe Heating Fuel, gives his
clients thirty days to pay their bills, as is the custom in the trade.
Hershy has a cash-flow problem and would like the bank manager to ... more
|
Cross-Currency Loans
|
Question
Yankel, from Boro Park, is in Eretz
Yisroel for his niece’s wedding. He sees that silver candlesticks,
etc. are available at very good prices. Since he did not budget for such
... more
|
No Sale - Return Without Liability!
|
Question
Baila would like to help the family
budget by selling clothes from home. She finds an importer of children’s
dresses who is prepared to give her goods to sell. He makes the following
... more
|
Buying An Apartment - On Paper
|
Question
Dovid and his wife recently got married. They would
like to buy an apartment in a new development for young couples. However,
at present the contractor can only show them an empty plot of ... more
|
Borrowing A Car – And The Fuel?
|
Question
Yissochor’s sister is getting married
and he needs a car to get about. His friend, Zevulun, is going on a trip
that week and offers to lend him his car. Yissochor receives the car ... more
|
Favors For Loans And Loans For Favors
|
Question
Yerucham
is an expert carpenter with a heart of gold. He has done many favours for
his neighbour, Dov. He is now in urgent need of a loan and turns to Dov
... more
|
Borrow Alone - Return Together?
|
Question
Efraim
and Menashe are business partners. Efraim borrows a large amount of money
from the State Bank of Outer Mongolia at a low rate of interest, on his
own ... more
|
Pay In The Cold - Paint In The Warm!
|
Question
Pini
the Painter specialises in exterior decorating. During the winter,
business is slack. In order to improve his cashflow, Pini wishes to offer
a substantial discount to those who ... more
|
Cash And Cans
|
Question
Reuven was sitting in the waiting room of the
maternity ward, eagerly expecting good tidings. As time wore on, he became
a little thirsty. He inserted some coins into the vending machine in order
... more
|
Permitted Loan Charges
|
Question
Binyomin
wishes to lend Yechiel a substantial sum of money. However, his money is
tied-up in a long-term savings account and he has to pay a penalty for
premature ... more
|
Legalising Loans
|
Question
Sean lent Ira $20,000 when Sean’s business was booming
and Ira was just starting out. Since neither of them were then religious,
Ira thought Sean was doing him a great favor by charging him only 4%
interest,
... more
|
At The Drop of a Hat!
|
Question
Sruly entered the hat shop and chose a hat. He went over
to the counter to have it shaped to his liking and to pay. While he was
waiting, he noticed that a young ... more
|
Proper Paper Payment
|
Question
Yossi mentions to his friend, Motti, that he would like to
take out a subscription to a certain Torah magazine. Motti suggests to Yossi
that, since he is already a subscriber, he will take out a second subscription
for Yossi and pay it through his existing bank order. Yossi should then repay
him in ... more
|
Indirect Earnings
|
Question
Simcha
has $10,000 saved up for his daughter’s wedding, which is scheduled to
take place in four months time. He knows that if he keeps the money at
home, he will be tempted to spend ... more
|
Thanks For The Parking Lot!
|
Question
The customers at Manny's Makolet, the local grocery store, always
parked their cars on the adjoining empty lot. One day, Yankel
... more
|
Verbal Interest
|
Question
Rav
Yisroel finally published his new book, assisted by generous loans from
supporters. May he express his thanks to these supporters in writing, on
the title page of his ... more
|
Careful Typing
|
Question
Esti is a secretary for a lawyer's office. She sometimes has to type out loan
agreements which contain a clause obligating the borrower to pay interest. If
the loan is made between Jews, is there any problem in typing out the document?
... more
|
Borrower At Work
|
Question
Zevulun lent Yissochor $1000. He gave him a cheque, but asked him to make
repayment in cash. Does this involve a problem of ribbis?
... more
|
Sweet Debts
|
Question
Little Shuki went to the local grocery shop, bought two bars of chocolate
- and ate them up! From where did he get the money? From Mommy's purse -
... more
|
Keep The Change
|
Question
Motti asked Yossi to buy a case of wine for him at
... more
|
Late Payment Losses
|
Question
Benny borrowed $1000 from Yossi and gave him a post-dated cheque for
repayment of the loan. When the repayment date arrived, ... more
|
Permitted Guarantees
|
Question
Gershon wishes to borrow a large sum of money from a
non-Jewish bank. He asks Eliezer to act as guarantor in order to enable
him to receive the ... more
|
Thieves And Headlights
|
Question
Sruly is on his way to the bus stop. He notices that
one of his neighbours has left the headlights of his car on. Should he
bother walking ... more
|
The Unsigned Check
|
Question
Berel paid the grocery bill with a check. A few days
later, he receives a call from the owner informing him that the bank
returned the check since ... more
|
This is Not Interest
|
Question
Ezriel wishes to borrow a large sum of money from his
elderly uncle Shmelke. The uncle agrees, but since the money will come out
of his pension fund, ... more
|
Penalty Without Interest
|
Question
Shlomi wishes to purchase a large quantity of
merchandise from Yitzi. Yitzi agrees to the sale, but wishes to
“encourage” Shlomi to pay on time at the end ... more
|
Good Neighbours
|
Question
The Greenbergs have very good neighbors. They are
always dropping in for short visits and always leave with a souvenir!
Sometimes it's a carrot, sometimes a cup of ... more
|
Investing In Jewish Companies
|
Question
Zevulun would like to buy shares in the Goldberg
Cabinet Co., a furniture manufacturing company wholly owned by Jews. He
expects good returns on his investment, since this ... more
|
Pruzbul (1) - Who Needs To Write A Pruzbul?
|
Question
The Greenbergs still have many bottles of oil, packets
of sugar and flour, etc. owed to them (see "Good Neighbors" - Parshas
Shoftim). Since the end of the ... more
|
Pruzbul (2) Potential Problems
|
Question
Yechiel lives in a town where there are hardly any Torah-observant
Jews, apart from his father and two brothers. Can they form a Beis Din
in order for ... more
|
Lost Funds
|
Question
Gavriel is the treasurer of the local synagogue. Funds
were collected from the members in order to buy new furniture and
deposited with him. Gavriel now wishes to ... more
|
The Lost Library Book
|
Question
Ten year old Yoni borrowed a book from the local Jewish
lending library. Yoni's mother also found the book interesting. Indeed,
she read it from cover to cover! ... more
|
Throw Out The Clock?
|
Question
Shaindy has a cleaner who works for her every Thursday
morning from 8 until noon. One Thursday morning, as the clock on the wall
showed 11.55, the cleaner ... more
|
Sheltered Junk
|
Question
The residents of 26, Seltzer Blvd. were
given notice that their bomb shelter was to be inspected in ten days'
time. The va'ad habayit (house committee) put up ... more
|
Compulsory Partition
|
Question
Chayim and Yisroel live in two adjoining
ground floor apartments. They have a joint garden, which they decided to
divide. Now, each family uses its half of the ... more
|
Staggered Windows
|
Question
The residents of 32, Olive St. heard
that an apartment building was to be constructed on the vacant lot next to
their building. On examining the plans, they ... more
|
Facing Doors
|
Question
Aharon wishes to buy an apartment in a new development
for observant Jews. He is amazed that almost all entrance doors to these
apartments face another entrance door. ... more
|
Illegal Lighting
|
Question
Meir meets his neighbor, who just finished building an
extension to his apartment on jointly owned property without
permission. He tells him that since he had no right ... more
|
Noisy Rental
|
Question
Nachum rented an apartment for his young family. About
two months after the beginning of the rental, the owner of the adjoining
apartment began major renovations. The drilling ... more
|
Preferential Trading
|
Question
Yehoshua needs to have some electrical
work done in his apartment. One of his neighbours happens to be an
electrician. Does he have to give his neighbour preference ... more
|
Light Work
|
Question
The lights suddenly went out in
Yochanan's apartment. The kids started screaming. “Do something, quick!”
pleaded Yochanan's wife. Yochanan looked outside and saw all the
... more
|
Renter's Water Bills
|
Question
Chayim and his family went abroad to visit their
parents. When they returned, they found that a water pipe had burst in
their apartment. Chayim contacted his landlord, ... more
|
Close That Window!
|
Question
ONE: It is freezing cold outside. Fortunately, the
heating is working at full capacity inside the shul. In walks Chezky and
opens the window wide. "There's no air ... more
|
Kids In - Burglars Out! 100th Issue!
|
Question
Yankel lives on the ground floor. He wishes to install
window bars in order to prevent his children falling out - and to stop
burglars from getting in. Berel, his upstairs neighbour, objects, arguing
... more
|
Delayed Dues
|
Question
Asher is the head of the house committee. He has to
collect the monthly dues from the residents, which go towards upkeep of
the jointly-owned areas. One resident has not paid his dues for ... more
|
Friendly Rental
|
Question
Benny has moved into a new building development for
Orthodox Jews. Some of the other apartments in his block have stood empty
for some time. He now hears that one of the owners intends ... more
|
Home Help Hijack
|
Question
Yoni's wife gave birth to her fourth baby in five
years. Yoni searched desperately for a reliable home help, which seemed
hard to find. He finally located someone suitable and was content that she
... more
|
The Imprisoned Ladder
|
Question
Sheftel and Fishel, who each own a shop in the same
mall, were making renovations. Sheftel's decorator brought a ladder to
help him paint. Fishel asked whether his decorator could also use the
... more
|
Fair Competition
|
Question
Zalman would like to open a hardware store in the
neighbourhood. Shmuel, the owner of the existing hardware store, objects
on the grounds that there are not enough local customers for two hardware
... more
|
Dripping Neighbors
|
Question
Motti entered the children's bedroom. He
noticed that paint was peeling off the ceiling. When he opened the
cupboard, he observed mold on the back; the clothes inside the cupboard
... more
|
Is This Revenge?
|
Question
Yossi received an invitation to the wedding of his cousin Dovid's
daughter. He is inclined not to attend since Dovid did not come to his son's
bar-mitzvah, which took place a month ago. Yossi's father also does
... more
|
Open - Or Closed?
|
Question
The residents of 10, Chessed St. are divided. Some want the entrance door
to the building closed during the evening. Others wish it to remain open,
arguing that if the door is closed, this prevents charity collectors from ... more
|
A Cup and Coffee
|
Question
Chezkel went to visit friends from abroad who were staying in a local
luxury hotel. As he was walking briskly through the lobby, he accidentally
bumped into a waiter carrying a hot cup of coffee on a tray. ... more
|
Permission Withdrawn?
|
Question
Chanoch bought an apartment in a new block. The
construction company had added a clause in the purchase contract that they
reserved the right to build an additional apartment in part of the parking
... more
|
Pizza Partition
|
Question
At Dan's Designs they were working flat out in order to
reach the project deadline of 6 p.m. “No lunch break today,” said Dan, the
boss. The six workers asked the secretary to go out and buy pizza ... more
|
Tape Transactions
|
Question
Dan agreed to buy Gad's car. Since Gad had a top-quality tape player in
his car, he told Dan that it was not included in the deal. When Dan came to
pay, Gad observed that he was ... more
|
Choice (Un)Limited?
|
Question
The Jewish Camp Housing Association built three adjoining apartment blocks.
The Spitsbergen chassidim were interested in buying one of the buildings
for their Rebbe and his closest followers. They agreed on a price and ... more
|
The Power Of Shaking Hands
|
Question
Tzvi wished to buy an antique book from Boruch, a fellow dealer in
Judaica. They agreed on a price and shook hands on the deal. The next day,
when Tzvi came to deliver the ... more
|
Are You Committed?
|
Question
Immaculate Jewels Inc., the well-known American jewelry
manufacturers, were interested in selling their products in Israel. They had
heard that Yofi Tachshittim were the leading wholesale distributors of jewelry
in the country. After some ... more
|
It's All Up In The Air!
6/8/2002
|
Question
With the approach of summer, Yoni wishes to install an
air conditioning system in his apartment. The most suitable place for
hanging the outside unit is above the porch of his neighbour, Benny. Benny
... more
|
Short-Circuited Contract?
|
Question
Chagai was delighted. He had just signed a contract
for the purchase of a beautiful apartment. He went about arranging the stage
payments to Amos, the present owner, with a smile on his face. ... more
|
Too Late To Complain?
|
Question
Chezky moved into his brand-new apartment at the end of summer. Towards the
end of the following winter, he noticed that the solar water-heater was leaking.
He notified the construction company, who referred him to the manufacturer.
... more
|
The Portable Marble Floor
|
Question
Danny found an apartment which suited his needs. He entered into
negotiations with the owner, who wished to add numerous conditions to the
sale. These included the owner's right to take the marble tiles in the
... more
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Sign And Share
|
Question
Menachem (on his passport he is called
Jean-Claude) arrived from France and bought himself a beautiful apartment
with a stunning view. When he moved in, Menachem went down to the storeroom,
which was included ... more
|
A Negative Commitment
|
Question
Rav Nissim bought an
entire apartment block. Of the six floors, three were for his yeshiva and
the remaining apartments he sold to private individuals. About half a year
after all the residents had ... more
|
The Curtailed Canteen
|
Question
Bentzi of Catering Delights signed a contract with the
Goldberg Cabinet Co. to supply warm, nutritious and tasty meals to the
factory canteen on a daily basis. The original contract was for one year,
... more
|
Celebrations And Thieves
8/17/2002
|
Question
There were two celebrations in town on Shabbos.
Avrohom made an "aufruf"
(the bridegroom being called to the reading of the Torah before his marriage)
for his oldest son and Boruch's youngest son became bar mitzvah. Many guests ... more
|
Contagious Messages
8/24/2002
|
Question
Yankel wished to send an e-mail message to Berel. By
mistake he sent it to Shmerel. Unfortunately, the file attached to the e-mail
was infected with the latest strain of the
Klez virus (so
new that ... more
|
Tithed Repayment
9/7/2002
|
Question
Boruch tried to help his friend Gershon. He lent him $5000
in cash and gave him goods on credit. When the time for repayment arrived,
Gershon was unable to meet his commitments. Boruch now wishes to know whether
... more
|
Not The Right Job
|
Question
Ari designs adverts. He was approached by the Jewish owner of a food business
to create designs for an advertising campaign. When Ari enquired as to the nature
of the product being marketed, he ... more
|
Destroying (Un)Abandonded Property
|
Question
Itzik had his eye on the ancient car parked at the end of
the street that was covered by layers of dust. He told his friends that the
owner had abandoned the car and there was therefore nothing wrong in "having ... more
|
The Unique Haircut
|
Question
It was Erev Yom Tov and Ze'ev had not yet managed to
get to the barber. He begged his neighbour, Noson, to give him a haircut with
his haircutting machine. "I can't walk into shul like this," he implored. Noson
... more
|
Visiting Half The Zoo
|
Question
“Come to the zoo on Chol Hamo'ed!” said all
the adverts. Yehoshua decided to take the opportunity to see the wonders of
Hashem's creation. He walked in through the main gate, thinking that
entry was free on Chol Hamo'ed. ... more
|
Eyes Down!
|
Question
As Meir was leaving the synagogue, he felt something
falling to the ground. Checking his eyes, he discovered that one of his
contact lenses had fallen out. He immediately stopped all pedestrian traffic
in the area around the ... more
|
Scraping Out
|
Question
Chanan was about to drive out of the parking lot of his apartment block. Unfortunately,
some driver had parked his car outside in a way which partially obstructed the
exit. Chanan examined the remaining space and reckoned he would be able ... more
|
Blood Confusion
|
Question
Yechiel saw the posters asking people to donate blood. He
arrived at the local blood donation station, where a registered male nurse
received him. Yechiel lay down on the bed and the nurse inserted the needle
into his ... more
|
Taken For A Ride
|
Question
Chezky wished to
ensure that he arrived at his friend's wedding on time. He therefore decided
to take a taxi instead of the bus, which traveled along a roundabout route.
The taxi driver, seeing that his passenger was ... more
|
An Unelevated Load
|
Question
Shlomo was having building work performed in his apartment. He had the
heavy blocks and other building materials loaded into the elevator. The
elevator made it to the fifth floor, where he lived, but developed a
permanent tilt ... more
|
Visiting The Infectiously Sick
|
Question
Yankel has a good friend who has unfortunately come down
with a highly infectious disease. Although Yankel very much wishes to visit
this friend, he is concerned about the possibility of his catching the
disease. Does the mitzvah of ... more
|
Unhealthy Chicken Soup
|
Question
Pinny had two pet budgies in a cage. He decided to release
them. He took the cage to the window and removed the first. The bird flew
happily away. When it came to the turn of the second bird, it was ... more
|
No Shortcuts
|
Question
Eli has two ways of getting to
the bus stop in the morning. He can either go down the hill and all the way
round, which takes ten minutes, or take a shortcut through the apartment
block across ... more
|
Happy Noise
|
Question
Simcha enjoys singing on Shabbos. Every week he invites a group of young
men to join him in loud, enthusiastic song till very late at night. His neighbour,
Chaggai, and his family want to sleep, but the noise ... more
|
Building On The Roof
|
Question
Nachman lives on the top floor of an apartment block. He
wishes to extend his apartment by building on the roof above. Thirteen out
of the other fifteen residents agree to allow him to build. There remain two ... more
|
Extended Car Rental
|
Question
Chanoch rented a car from a private individual for a
three-day trip up
North. On the last day of the trip, he felt unwell and had to be
hospitalized. As a result, he was ... more
|
Under The Roof
|
Question
Yehudah lives on the top floor of an apartment block
which has a tiled roof. For a long time he alone has been using the area
beneath the tiles for storage. He now wishes to construct rooms in ... more
|
Tree Shadow
|
Question
Benny lives on the second floor of an apartment block. Many years ago, a
tree was planted in the garden below. This tree has now grown so much that
its branches block out the light to some windows ... more
|
Sales And Repairs
3/1/2003
|
Question
Avi wishes to sell his apartment and move to a different
district. He is in the middle of serious negotiations with a potential buyer
when the head of the va'ad habayit (house committee) asks him for his share ... more
|
Non-Resident Partners
3/8/2003
|
Question
Yitzchok bought an apartment in a new development, but
continues to live in his old home. Yiddel, the head of the va'ad habayit
(house committee) in his new apartment block, approaches him for his share in
the monthly dues. Yitzchok replies that since he does not yet reside in the ... more
|
Landlord And Tenant
3/15/2003
|
Question
Simcha rented an apartment from Sasson. The rental contract
did not mention whose duty it was to pay va'ad habayit (house committee)
dues. Sasson argues that Simcha should pay since he benefits from the services
provided. Simcha replies that the responsibility for paying rests on Sasson,
since he is a ... more
|
No Benefit - No Payment?
3/29/2003
|
Question
Bentzion bought a storeroom in a new apartment block from the
construction company. He does not own an apartment in the building. When the
head of the va'ad habayit (house committee) asks him for his share in the
monthly dues, he refuses on the grounds that he has never heard ... more
|
Water Partners
5/3/2003
|
Question
As Pesach approaches, many of the residents of 56, Freedom Avenue wish to use
the fire hoses installed in the entrance lobby for cleaning their cars and their
window blinds. However, Yehudah, who does not own a car but has his own private
hose, objects. He claims that although the ... more
|
Parking On The Pavement
5/10/2003
|
Question
Chanina is on his way out of the apartment block where he lives when he finds
his path blocked once again by the neighbour's van parked on the pavement. As the
neighbour gets out of his vehicle, Chanina rebukes him for his inconsiderate parking.
The driver retorts, "Where is it ... more
|
Dangerous Cyclists
5/17/2003
|
Question
Effie was walking along the street when he suddenly felt himself thrown through
the air. On landing, he turned around to see what had hit him. He was surprised
to find that it was a boy on a shiny new bike, with a helmet - to protect him!
Effie asked ... more
|
He Belts Up - Or You Pay Up!
5/24/2003
|
Question
Nechemiah sat next to the taxi driver. He was nearing his destination when the
taxi was stopped by the police. The police officer took one look at the unbelted
Nechemiah - and slapped a hefty fine on the taxi driver, since he had not ensured
that his front passenger was ... more
|
The Overloaded Man
6/7/2003
|
Question
Shraga sees a man walking down the street, weighed down
by heavy bags of shopping. Not only is he carrying too heavy a load, but the
bags are not evenly balanced either. “Go and help him. To allow him to continue
in this way is like cruelty to animals!” says a bystander. Shraga ... more
|
Write It Down!
6/14/2003
|
Question
Zevulun wishes to lend his brother, Yissochor, a sum of money.
Since the two brothers are on good terms, Zevulun sees no need to draw up a document
or have the transaction witnessed. Is he permitted to lend money in this way? Would
it make a difference if Yissochor was ... more
|
