LEV365 You shall not rob. Human intelligence readily recognizes that robbery must be prohibited. It is an evil in its own right and it also leads to anarchy. Civilized society cannot tolerate it.

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LEV363 See [[EXOD463]] Exodus 20:13 steal PATH 57-8

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LEV364 We are forbidden to rob. The prohibition against robbing applies to forcibly taking an article from another person. For example, grabbing someone's possession from his hand, or entering someone's house against his wishes and stealing his possessions, or openly going into someone's field and taking his fruit. (Rambam, Hilchos Gzaila v'avaida 1:3). Below are the basic laws of this prohibition: 1) The prohibition against robbing applies to any article belonging to either a Jew or a non-Jew. (Choshen Mishpot 359:1). 2) It is forbidden to rob even when the article has little value. (ibid. 359:3). 3) You may not force someone to buy something against his will. 4) If a Jew takes another Jew to a court whose decisions are not based on Torah law, it is considered robbing to accept any payment which is not in accordance with halacha. The court's decision that one person must pay the other does not render it permissible to accept the money. (Chofetz Chayim in Sfas Tomim, ch. 3). 5) If a person offers you something out of embarrassment, but really does not want to give it to you, you must not accept it because this would be similar to robbing. (Sefer Chasidim 316 and Pele Yoatz, section gezel). 6) It is an especially serious sin to rob from the poor as it is stated, "Rob not the weak because he is weak, neither crush the poor in the gate. For the Lord will plead their cause and rob the life of those who robbed them" (Mishle 22:22,23). (Shaarey Tshuvah 3:110). 7) Rabbi Chayim of Brisk used to say that robbing people of their sleep is included in this prohibition. (Heard from his grandson, Rabbi Yosef Dov Soloveitchik, Rosh Yeshiva of Brisk Yeshiva in Jerusalem). The Chofetz Chayim commented that robbing people of their sleep is worse than robbing money. Money can be returned, sleep cannot. Rabbi Eliyahu Lopian admonished his students that roommates in a dormitory must be especially careful not to wake up anyone who is already sleeping. He told them that they must be as quiet as possible in order that they should not disturb the sleep of others (Leviticus Eliyahu, vol. 1, pp. 183-4). Of course, to wake someone up for morning prayers is not only permissible but is actually a mitzvah. Rabbi Eliyahu Lopian would don his talis and tefilin and go from room to room in his yeshiva to personally awaken his students for the morning prayers. A) Be careful not to talk loudly when someone is sleeping. B) If someone has a "Do not disturb" sign on the door, do not knock unless the matter is urgent. You might wake up someone. C) Neighbors should keep the volume of a tape recorder or record player down to a minimum in the evenings. 8) An employee must not waste time during his hours of employment. When a person is hired for a job (and paid by the hour, week, or month) his time belongs to his employer. Any waste of time is considered robbing, and he must ask his employer for forgiveness. Moreover, even if the employee performed a mitzvah during the time in which he should have been working, he is guilty of transgressing. In the Talmud (Taanis 23b) we find that Abba Chilkiyah would not even take the time out to return the greeting of Torah scholars while he was working for an employer. (Mesilas Yeshorim, ch. 11).

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LEV368 It is a negative commandment not to take anything in robbery from one's fellow-man by main force as Scripture says, nor shall you rob him [this verse]. The prohibition of this injunction is on anything worth from a p'rutah [the smallest coin] and up; yet even less than that is forbidden [although not punishable], like any half of [less than] a minimum amount. If a person takes [even] something worth a p'rutah in robbery from his fellow-man, it is as though he takes his life.

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LEV366 Although lashes as administered by a court of law are not given for these types of prohibitions [i.e., that can be rectified by fulfilling a positive commandment, such as sending away a mother bird], nonetheless, some of them carry severe punishment--[the sins] reach right up into the heavens, and their judgment ascends into the upper firmament (Yirmeyahu 51:9). An example of this would be theft, as the pasuk says [this verse], "You shall not rob," which is rectified by [fulfilling] the positive commandment of (Leviticus 5:23) "He must return the robbed article." (Continued at [[GEN612]] Genesis 6:13 lawlessness GATES 195).

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LEV367 Another illustration of an important area of moral instruction that developed out of a broad rabbinic interpretation of the biblical text is the injunction against genevat da'at -- deliberately creating a false impression in a person's mind even where no monetary loss is involved. It is interesting to observe how the various texts bearing on theft or stealing were variously interpreted so as to give broad coverage. 1. "Thus shalt not steal" (lo tignov) refers to stealing people. (Exodus 20:13). 2. "nor rob him" (lo tigzol) refers to taking another's possessions openly by use of force [this verse]. 3. "you shall not steal" refers to theft of objects by stealth (Leviticus 19:11). "and if thou sell… or buy… ye shall not wrong [onoah] one another" (Leviticus 25:14) refers to cheating in price in which the seller over charges or the buyer underpays or in regard to weight, measure, or quality of goods. In all cases of onoah there is monetary damage although the buyer gave up his money voluntarily. In considering the concept of "stealing" (genevah), the rabbis perceived the unqualified nature of the injunction and realized that "stealing the mind" of a person--replacing truth with falsehood in his consciousness--constituted a grievous deprivation even where there is no monetary damage (Mekhilta, Mishpatim 13). They understood that the "psychological anguish" suffered by the victim and his loss of peace of mind was probably more damaging than monetary loss. Thus, if the seller creates an impression in the mind of the buyer that the object is other than it in fact is, he is in violation of this moral-legal rule even if the price he asks and gets is proper. This injunction applies even if a person "steals" for a joke and latter returns the "stolen" item. Therefore, Samuel teaches, "It is forbidden to 'steal the minds' of people [deceive them], even of an idolator." (Chullin 94).

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LEV370 It is a negative commandment not to delay the payment of a hired man's wages for Scripture says, the wages of a hired man shall not remain with you [all night] until the morning [this verse]; and it says further, neither shall the sun go down on it (D'varim 24:15). For if he was a hired man for the day, he is to collect [his wages at any time] during the entire night; about this Scripture says, [… all night] until the morning [this verse]. And if he was a hired man for the night, he is to collect [his wages at any time] during the entire day; hence it says, neither shall the sun go down on it. A man hired for certain hours of the day is to collect [at any time] during the entire day. A man hired for certain hours of the night is the collect [at any time] during the entire night. [In the case of a craftsmen who is hired to repair an object] as long as the object is in the possession of the craftsman, even if the craftsman informed the owner that he completed it, he [the owner] commits no transgression. If he does not demand his payment from him, he [the owner] commits no transgression. And even if he demanded it of him and he did not have what to give him, or if he [the employer] passed him on to another person and the other took it upon himself [to pay], he is free of guilt. If a person delays the wages of a hired man beyond the allotted time, he disobeys the positive commandment, On the same day you shall give him his wage (D'varim 24:15), and he violates this prohibition. If after the time he delays further, he violates a prohibition from the words of the later parts of Scripture: Do not say to your fellow, "Go and come again," etc. (Mishley 3:28). It is all one whether it is the hire of a man or a domestic animal or tools and instruments; these words of Scripture apply to it: On the same day you shall give him his wage; neither shall the sun go down on it; and the wages… shall not remain with you all night. If someone wrongfully retains the wages of a hired man, it is as though he takes his life, and he violates all the prohibitions noted above, as well as the positive commandment; and he also violates the injunctions You shall not wrongfully deprive your fellow, nor rob him [this verse].

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LEV369 Do not delay payment of a worker’s wages. The context of this verse is a day laborer. The Torah gives his employer the whole night until the following morning to pay him. If one hires a worker for night labor, the Torah gives the employer the complete day until the following night to pay his wage. Hashem wants that man should live. If a worker toils all day long and is not paid his wages, he might suffer weakness because of lack of food and could die during the night. If so, you might wonder why one is not required to pay the wages of day laborers immediately at nightfall. The reason is that people occasionally fast for a day. Therefore, until a day passes, a delay in payment of wages is not regarded as posing a danger to life.

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LEV371 It was in the Greek way of life, not in ours, that a profound distinction was made between citizen and stranger. The Torah warns us to have one law for all. It is Demosthenes who bears testimony that a stranger was denied the rights of citizenship and that he had no right to protection by the local deities nor any share in the sacrifices offered to them. Since the stranger had no part in the religion of the Greeks, he had no claims to the benefits of their legislation. If he entered a sacred enclosure which the priest had set aside for the assembly, he was punished with death. In brief, the laws of the city did not exist for him. When found guilty of a crime and not enjoying legal protection, one can imagine the trial he had. He was treated as a slave and punished forthwith. These harsh rules were not a result, as in the case of Judaism, of defensive measures against persons disintegrating and corroding the empire of the Greeks, but of a cruel and barbaric strain in the "make up" of the Greeks and Romans. By way of contrast, examine the Jewish attitude towards the ger. From the Bible, it would appear that two types of such strangers are referred to: one was the ger toshav, the member of another nation who came to live in Palestine. The other was the ger tsedek, the member of another religion who sought acceptance "under the wings of the Shechinah" in his wish to embrace Judaism. The first type was the one who accepted the seven Noahidean precepts and had foresworn his idols and had become a sincere believer in monotheism. As a reward of his trust, he was entitled to civic and legally quality; he was not to be oppressed; interest was not to be charged him for any loan, nor could his wages be kept overnight [this verse]. He was to be given every opportunity for his economic welfare. This partial proselyte, who was admitted only when Israel dwelt in its own land, was respected as an honest seeker after truth. Apart from certain ritual disabilities, not having accepted Judaism in its entirety, he enjoyed equal rights in Jewish courts of law.

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LEV373 In addition to the literal meaning of the verse, referring to physically blind people, the Rabbis of the Talmud interpret "blind" metaphorically: they take it to mean anyone who is unaware of something, who does not see something, who has a "blind spot." With this principle, the Jewish tradition raises our responsibilities towards others to quite a high-level: we are not allowed to do things that would cause someone else to sin, that would cause someone else to do something wrong. We are commanded not to give bad advice. ... Contemporary ways this principle may be applied include these: ● There are many situations where being in violation of the prohibition on deception (see above) will also result in placing a stumbling block before the blind, such as creating misleading financial statements, or misleading advertising, where the actions could cause someone to be "blind" to the actual financial health of the company or the worthiness of a product and to harm himself as a result. ● A salesperson recommending an item because he gets a bigger commission on it, not because it would be best for the client, violates this norm. It is not forbidden for a manufacturer to encourage the sale of certain of their products over others. What is forbidden, where the line gets crossed, is when the best needs of the client are ignored in the process. ● Offering a bribe or a kickback is also banned by this rule. An employee is supposed to be working in the best interest of his employer, not to line his own pockets. If you offer someone a bribe, you are causing him or her to stumble because he will no longer be acting in the best interests of his or her employer. (By Barry J. Leff, "Jewish Business Ethics")

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