SIGN THE PETITION
The Talmud is very complicated, not every statement is a
law, sometimes it is a commentary or the opinion of a certain Rabbi, sometimes
a stipulation or refutation, however the quotes below should give you a good
idea about Talmudic reasoning on certain issues.
One of the Noahide Laws prohibits theft, however some
commentators in the Jewish Talmud make the argument that Jews can lie to, steal
from, and cheat non-Jews; the only rule is that the Jew must not get caught
(“profane the name” of Jews and/or their god). According to the Talmud
Jews must return the lost items of other Jews, but they may keep the lost items
they find of “heathens”, unless they think the non-Jew will find out about the
theft. In a commercial transaction, if a non-Jew makes a mistake in a
Jew’s favor (for example, if the non-Jew undercharges the Jew), the money does
not have to be returned. Some commentators say that a non-Jew may be actively
and intentionally misled and deceived during a commercial transaction by
disguising the low quality of goods. There are even provisions for
directly stealing from non-Jews, the prejudicial thinking behind this is that a
Jew would give the objects for free while the non-Jew would ask for payment, so
it is okay to steal it from the non-Jew.
JEWS MAY KEEP OBJECTS LOST BY GENTILES, BUT NOT THOSE OF
JEWS UNLESS THEY
THINK THEY WILL GET CAUGHT (PROFANE THE “NAME” OF GOD)
. His lost article is permissible, for R.
Hama b. Guria said that Rab stated: Whence can we learn that the lost
article of a heathen is permissible? Because it says: And with all
lost thing of thy brother’s: it is to your brother that you make restoration, but
you need not make restoration to a heathen. But why not say that this
applies only where the lost article has not yet come into the possession of the
finder, in which case he is under no obligation to look round for it, whereas
if it had already entered his possession, why not say that he should return it.
— Said Rabina: And thou hast found it surely implies that the lost article has
already come into his possession. It was taught: R. phinehas b.
Yair said that where there was a danger of causing a profanation of the Name,
even the retaining of a lost article of a heathen is a crime. – 1962
Soncino Babylonian Talmud,
Baba Kamma 113b
IT IS PERMISSIBLE TO PROFIT FROM THE MISTAKE OF A GENTILE
Samuel said: It is permissible, however, to
benefit by his mistake as in the case when Samuel once bought of a
heathen a golden bowl under the assumption of it being of copper for
four zuz, and also left him minus one zuz. R. Kahana once bought of a heathen a
hundred and twenty barrels which were supposed to be a hundred while he
similarly left him minus one zuz and said to him: ‘See that I am relying upon
you.’ - 1962
Soncino Babylonian Talmud, Baba Kamma 113b
IT IS PERMISSIBLE TO HIDE THE LOW QUALITY OF PRODUCTS
FROM GENTILES
Rabina together with a heathen bought a
palm-tree to chop up [and divide]. He thereupon said to his attendant: Quick,
bring to me the parts near to the roots, for the heathen is interested only in
the number [but not in the quality]. - 1962
Soncino Babylonian Talmud,
Baba Kamma 113b
DIRECT THEFT FROM GENTILES (BECAUSE A JEW WOULD GIVE IT
FOR FREE)
R. Ashi was once walking on the road when he noticed
branches of vines outside a vineyard upon which ripe clusters of grapes were
hanging. He said to his attendant: ‘Go and see, if they belong to a
heathen bring them to me,27 but if to an Israelite do not
bring them to me.’ The heathen happened to be then sitting in the vineyard
and thus overheard this conversation, so he said to him: ‘If of a heathen would
they be permitted?’ — He replied: ‘A heathen is usually prepared to [dispose of
his grapes and] accept payment, whereas an Israelite is generally not prepared
to [do so and] accept payment. - 1962
Soncino Babylonian Talmud,
Baba Kamma 113b
Footnote
27: Especially since the branches were outside the
vineyard and thus probably overhanging a public road; cf. B.B. II, 14.
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