Ethics

For many years, I’ve understood it is forbidden by halacha to enter a store and examine merchandise without any intention of buying it (commonly known as window shopping). The reason is that you are giving the merchant false hopes they will earn money that they really never will earn. In the age of the internet, I have found it is possible to read about merchandise for sale and examine it online even if one has no intention of buying it. I have done this often only to satisfy my curiosity about things I could never afford. I always thought this was a benign activity. But I have noticed over the years that when I do that, I receive ads for the very merchandise I have examined online, all without asking. I recently learned from an article I read that when you do this, not only do you trigger ads. But the company whose ads are being displayed to you actually pays on a per ad basis for those ads that come to your browser. In other words, one’s examination of merchandise on a website is costing that company money, whether you buy their merchandise or not. I understand companies have budgeted for this in their advertising funds. But what is the perspective of this in halacha?

Lashon hara. A colleague of mine is is asking about doing business and building a Relationship with someone I think is disingenuous and a conflict entrepreneur. I stay away from him and no longer keep in contact on social media. He is very enthusiastic about him. He asked me why I don't have contact with him and why I don't work with him. If I were to be honest I would tell him, but it would be mostly negative. However, he keeps pressing me and I feel like I'm being dishonest by not telling him what what I really think. He respects my opinion. How much can I say without it being lashon hara? Thank you.

If one who does not have a permit parks in a handicapped space, they are violating civil law and risk a fine. What Torah laws are being broken by someone who does this?

As the story goes in the Book of Genesis, Efron offers Abraham Avinu the cave of Machpela for free. Abraham wants to pay for it. Efron then charges him a hefty sum of money. He is frowned upon for doing so. I run a business where I sometimes offer to do free charity jobs for the poor or for people who are better off economically but have been through some rough times. Sometimes when I offer to do the assignment for free, the poor person still insists on paying me, in some cases quite a lot. It might hurt their feelings if I don’t accept. If I accept a payment such a payment, is that permitted, or does this behavior resemble Efron?

Hi, I was booking my summer trip to Israel and found a “glitch” on Delta's Website. They listed the first class seat as the price for the economy seat. I immediately bought the first class ticket because it was the cheapest fare solely due to this glitch . An hour later the glitch was fixed. However I got my first class ticket and bought it for $600 when the fee should have been 3500. Is this Genava? Did I steal because of this glitch?

I found inside my purse an expensive necklace that doesn’t belong to me. I don’t know how it got there, but I think it dropped there accidentally. And I have no idea where it came from and no way of locating the owner. The purse I found it in is one I take to nice occasions. I last cleaned it out before Passover, and since then, I’ve been with it to two weddings, four graduations, a bat mitzvah, an award ceremony, plays, concerts, restaurants, on the subway, and a lot more places. I have probably been around thousands of people with it, mostly strangers I paid no attention to were there. This could belong to literally anyone. I found out this necklace is mass produced and sold at a major jewelry chain for around $300. My Facebook post failed to find an owner, but yielded a link to buy one just like it. The one in my possession has no markings to hint at its owner. While going through my purse, I found an expensive necklace that doesn’t belong to me. I don’t know how it got there. And I have no way of locating the owner. I think it must have fallen in by accident and someone is missing it, but I have no idea who or from where. The purse I found it in is one I take to nice occasions. I last cleaned it out before Passover, and since then, I’ve been with it to two weddings, four graduations, a bat mitzvah, an award ceremony, plays, concerts, restaurants, on the subway, and a lot more. In all those places, I have probably been around thousands of people, mostly strangers I paid no attention to were there. This could belong to literally anyone. I found out this necklace is mass produced and sold at a major jewelry chain for around $300. My Facebook post failed to find an owner, but yielded a link to buy one just like it. The one in my possession has no markings to hint at its owner. It is actually a necklace I very much like and wish I could have. But I wouldn’t want to obtain it in a manner that is unethical or that violates the Torah. It would really mean a lot to me if I could return it to its rightful owner, but that seems like a long-shot. What should I do about this?

Dear Rabbi, I applied for a job and during the interview process mentioned that my salary expectation is $100k. Today they offered me the job and mentioned that the salary is $110k which they understood was what I had mentioned in the earlier interview. I never corrected them at the time, but am wondering whether ethically I should correct them if they think I am worth offering $110k? Thank you for your consideration. Shmuel