Talmud Bavli
Talmud Bavli

Responsa for Bava Kamma 226:8

אבידתו מותרת דאמר רב חמא בר גורי' אמר רב מנין לאבידת הכנעני שהיא מותרת שנאמר (דברים כב, ג) לכל אבדת אחיך לאחיך אתה מחזיר ואי אתה מחזיר לכנעני

R. Bibi b. Giddal said that R. Simeon the pious stated: The robbery of a heathen is prohibited,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. B.M. 87b and Bk. 13b; v. also Tosef. B.K. X, 8 where it is stated that it is more criminal to rob a Canaanite than to rob an Israelite; cf. P.M. II, 5. ');"><sup>14</sup></span> though an article lost by him is permissible. His robbery is prohibited, for R. Huna said: Whence do we learn that the robbery of a heathen is prohibited? Because it says: <i>'And thou shalt consume all the peoples that the Lord thy God shall deliver unto thee'</i>;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. VII, 16. ');"><sup>15</sup></span>

Teshuvot Maharam

Q. A, B, C, and D, were partners in a loan made by them. In repayment they received a quantity of silver which they divided among themselves by lot. Subsequently, A bought B's silver and sold it to merchants [probably Gentile merchants]. The latter broke up the silver and found it mixed with base metal. A averted a calamity by pacifying the merchants with gifts of money, thus preventing their bringing false accusations against him. A demands that B reimburse him with the price of the silver, and also compensate him for the money he had spent in pacifying the merchants.
A. The sale of the silver to A is void, since it was made in error. Similarly, the division of the silver among the partners is void, even though made by lot, since that too was made in error. However, B is not required to compensate A for the money he spent in pacifying the merchants, since B did not know, at the time of the sale, that his silver contained base metal. Moreover, even if B knew the contents of his silver, he would still be absolved from paying A the money he had given to the merchants, since he was only an indirect cause of A's loss, though he would be liable to punishment by the Heavenly Court.
SOURCES: P. 48, 49.
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Teshuvot Maharam

Q. A owes money to B and B owes the same amount to a Gentile. B told A, in the presence of the Gentile, to pay his debt directly to the Gentile. The Gentile released B and depended upon A for payment. A successfully avoids payment to the Gentile because of an old debt due him from the latter. Since, according to Jewish law, the transaction was not valid and A's indebtedness to B was not legally transferred to the Gentile, A must pay his debt to B. But why should B be permitted to rob the Gentile? Is not robbing a Gentile prohibited? Moreover, the Gentile presses A for payment and eventually may force A to pay him his money; must A pay his debt to B?
A. Robbing a Gentile is prohibited, but one is permitted to annul a Gentile's debt (if he can do so by using plausible excuses and without causing the name of the Lord to be profaned). But, if A will be forced to pay the debt to the Gentile, he will not have to pay anything to B.
SOURCES: Cr. 227; Pr. 327; L. 385; Am II, 119.
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Teshuvot Maharam

Q. A owes money to B and B owes the same amount to a Gentile. B told A, in the presence of the Gentile, to pay his debt directly to the Gentile. The Gentile released B and depended upon A for payment. A successfully avoids payment to the Gentile because of an old debt due him from the latter. Since, according to Jewish law, the transaction was not valid and A's indebtedness to B was not legally transferred to the Gentile, A must pay his debt to B. But why should B be permitted to rob the Gentile? Is not robbing a Gentile prohibited? Moreover, the Gentile presses A for payment and eventually may force A to pay him his money; must A pay his debt to B?
A. Robbing a Gentile is prohibited, but one is permitted to annul a Gentile's debt (if he can do so by using plausible excuses and without causing the name of the Lord to be profaned). But, if A will be forced to pay the debt to the Gentile, he will not have to pay anything to B.
SOURCES: Cr. 227; Pr. 327; L. 385; Am II, 119.
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Teshuvot Maharam

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Teshuvot Maharam

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Teshuvot Maharam

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