[Avodah] daily halachot

[Eli Turkel]

We has a lecture this morning from the advisot to the rabbanut on kashrut.
He set up a new organization for the discussion and disemmination of halachot
that affect daily life at home and work and are less known.

While he gave many examples several stood out in my mind as strange.

1. He said that the custom in bakeries (though I find it in many stores) is that
when there are many baked goods they are put into a cardboard basket and
then weighted. Thus one is paying for the cardboard but at a price that is
determined by the inside products (in Israel he estimated between 1 and
2 1/2 shekel). He claims that this is onaah from the Torah. In a meeting with
his local supermarket/bakery they agreed to put up a sign stating the facts
and giving the customer the choice of using a plastic bag instead.

2. He quoted from Rav Zilberstein that when one enters a sherut in Israel
(taxi with many passengers going to one place) one usually pays up front.
He says that for any taxi the halacha of paying that day apply. However,
one is required to pay only one the taxi/sherut reaches at least one stop.
Hence, if one wishes to have the mitzvat aseh he should not pay in advance.

In general he stressed the importance of paying workers immediately.
Even if technicality there is no "lav" he still has not performed the "aseh"

Seems strange to me that paying any worker in advance is less of a mitzva
then paying at the end becuase he is not legally required to pay in advance.

3. When driving a car one is required to give a taxi the right of way because he
is a worker and has precedence. Similarly for a bus because they are "rabim".

4. Putting on a long lasting cosmetic treatment might violate the
prohibition of tatooing.

5. Punishments in school have to fit halachic guidelines


-- 
Eli Turkel