[Avodah] karas hatov? required??

[Lisa Liel]

On 1/23/2012 9:32 AM, kennethgmiller at juno.com wrote:
> R' Harvey Benton asked:
>    
>> if one takes money/services (garbage collection, etc), from a
>> medina, is one required to have hakaras hatov??
>>      
> I don't understand the question. Why would the hakaras hatov for this be any less than the hakaras hatov due to a shopkeeper from whom one purchases his milk and bread?
>    
On the contrary.  If a street kid runs into an intersection while you're 
stopped and starts washing your window and demands payment, do you owe 
him hakarat hatov?  I don't think so.

In order to take money/services from a medina, it has to have taken that 
money from you or others or both.  To then receive some of it back 
doesn't seem like something requiring gratitude from the recipient.

I owe hakarat hatov to someone who gives me something of their own, or 
does something for me themselves.  Someone who robs a bank and gives me 
some of the proceeds doesn't merit my gratitude either.

Lisa