[Avodah] offering a higher salary

[Zev Sero]

On 25/10/17 13:48, Ben Waxman via Avodah wrote:
> I've seen posts claiming that it is forbidden to offer cleaners a higher 
> salary to work for you.

I believe this halacha is a subset of "hasagas gevul", not in the 
Biblical sense, but in the commonly-used sense, which in in turn a 
subset of the obligation of ahavas yisrael.

"Hasagas gevul" basically means that if you with to start a business and 
you have a choice between doing it somewhere that will harm me and 
somewhere that will not, then  all else being equal you are obligated to 
take the second option out of consideration for me, because ve'ahavta 
lere`acha kamocha.   Similarly, if I am renting a forest or an inn from 
a nochri, from which I make my living, and you offer him a higher rent, 
you are violating your obligation to value my interests equally with 
your own.

It should be obvious, however, that if the landlord is also "re`acha" 
then this does not apply, because you have the same obligation to him as 
to me; if he could be getting more rent from his property then you 
should make him that offer, though he should give me a chance to match 
it, since I am the "bar metzra".

I think the same thing is going on with the cleaners.   If I have a 
nochris who is willing to clean for me for $N, you have no right to lure 
her away by offering more.  But if she is "re`acha" then aderaba you 
have a mitzvah to offer her a chance to improve her income, but before 
taking your offer she should offer me the chance to match it.

-- 
Zev Sero                May 2017, with its *nine* days of Chanukah,
zev at sero.name           be a brilliant year for us all