[Avodah] daily halachot

[Micha Berger]

On Fri, January 19, 2007 5:09 am, Eli Turkel wrote his notes on a shiur by a
kashrus advisor for the rabbanut:
: 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....

How could it be, since the box is nowhere near 1/6 the total weight? The
market is allowed to vary by that much. One might find other issurim, since
the person leaves the store thinking he bought more than he did. But I don't
understand how ona'as mamon applies.

I stepped into the bakery this morning and watched. The workers consistantly
put the box (paper or plastic shell) on a digital scale and then hit the
"tare" button to re-zero it. I am sure people forget, so it pays to watch for
yourself, but I do not know why one must assume this is not the "custom" in
other bakeries (that have digital scales).

: 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.
...
: 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.

Me too. More so, paying up front means that you have less chance to forget to
pay. (Not that many drivers would forget they didn't get paid, but these
things do happen.)

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

... according to Ashkenazim it would be assur as nir'eh kekesoves kaakah, not
the de'Oraisa itself. We discussed this last June. Obviously kehillos which
have the minhag of having a Henna disagree.

See <http://tinyurl.com/2jqkve> for a search of the threaded archive on GMane.

: 5. Punishments in school have to fit halachic guidelines

I don't see a chiddush here, everything else in life does too. Did he offer
examples?

Tir'u baTov!
-mi

-- 
Micha Berger             Spirituality is like a bird: if you tighten
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Fax: (270) 514-1507                            - Rav Yisrael Salanter