[Avodah] Love/Mercy as a Factor in Halakhic

[Michael Makovi]

> ...This is pure
> speculation, but maybe if you pay child support to a child born out of
> wedlock, you are taking away money you really owe to your other children who
> are born to you and your lawful wife,  whereas if your only marriage is an
> illicit one, to a non-Jewish woman -- then giving money to those children
> will not take anything away from any other children you have, since you
> don't have any others.
>
>
> --Toby Katz
> =============

This seems difficult.

Where "A" and "B" are men:

Perhaps "A" has one and only one biological child, born out of
wedlock. Paying child support won't detract from other children.

Perhaps "B" has a/some child(ren) born to a gentile woman, and a/some
additional child(ren) born to a Jewish woman. Here, paying child
support will in fact detract.

For example, "B" might divorce the gentile wife and marry a Jewish one
(the fact that he's paying child support suggests he is no longer with
the gentile wife!), or perhaps he first married a Jewish wife, and
later the gentile one. In any case, he might have many children,
Jewish and not, all vying for his money.

Michael Makovi