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Beit Midrash
- Family and Society
- Financial Laws and Tzedaka
- Employer and Employee
Ayala smiled happily. She had just spent the past few hours angling her camera, adjusting lights, and telling people to smile, trying to capture the highlights of the Bat Mitzva party which she had been hired to photograph. She enjoyed photography, and got a particular thrill from turning meaningful moments into treasured memories, for her clients to enjoy in the future. She packed her equipment into her car, and drove home, eager to start working on the Bat Mitzva album, the next day.
The next morning, Ayala sat down, and began to go through the pictures from the evening before. However, the more she looked through the pictures on her camera, the more concerned Ayala became. In place of the dozens of pictures which she had taken, there were just a few pictures! Ayala looked through the pictures over and over again, hoping against hope that the missing pictures would appear. She turned off the camera, and turned it back on again. Nothing. Ayala felt a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. The pictures were gone! Ayala realized that the only way to get the pictures back would be for her to pay an expert to recover the pictures. But that would cost thousands of shekel!
Ayala didn’t know what to do. How could she tell the family of the Bat Mitzva what had happened? And what should she do about the money? Was she obligated to pay thousands of shekel to an expert to recover the pictures? Or should she pay the family money, to compensate them for the damage which she caused them? What should Ayala do?
Answer:
Rabbi Yaakov Ariel, shlita:
Ayala did not actually cause monetary damage to the Bat Mitzva girl or her family. The photographic film is the property of the photographer, and not her clients. However, because Ayala caused the family aggravation, because the pictures disappeared, she should offer them a monetary compensation.
(One might ask how it is that we know that there is an obligation to compensate another person for aggravation, and not actual monetary loss. We see an indication of this in the responsa of the Maharik (siman 173). There, the Maharik discusses the practice in which a prospective bride and groom agree, before engagement, that, if one side chooses to dissolve the engagement, that party will pay monetary compensation to the other party. The Maharik explains that mental anguish is taken into account, in Jewish law, and is not merely an insignificant factor. In truth, the case the Maharik discusses involves a prior agreement, and Ayala’s story does not involve a prior agreement regarding aggravation. Nonetheless, the case brought by the Maharik is relevant, because it shows that aggravation does factor into Jewish legal decisions.)
In conclusion, although Ayala is not required to pay an expert to recover the pictures, because the film belongs to her, if the family decides that they would like to pay to recover the missing pictures, Ayala should contribute toward that expense.
Epilogue: Ayala called up the family and apologized profusely for the awful mishap. She offered to compensate them for the lost pictures, by creating a special clip, in honor of the Bat Mitzva. The girl was so excited with the offer, and explained "The Bat Mitzva party was a disaster. I don’t know that I would have wanted to be reminded of all the details. A clip is much better! Everything worked out for the best!"
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
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Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 9 - "Seeing is Believing" (parag. 21-30)
These paragraphs elaborate on the theme that seeing and knowing is better than any attempt to prove logically, and begins explaining the difference between Israel and gentiles.
Ein Aya Various Universal Stages of the Geula Process
Rav Kook examines the various stages of redemption, explaining how (in addition to the obvious oft-mentioned stages of ingathering the exiles, reviving the Hebrew language, army, state etc.) the messianic dream of world prosperity, the State of Israel and world unity can and are realistically and logically gradually coming true.
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 8- "Answering Questions on the Kuzari's Proof from Mass Revelation
How do we know that the "claim" of mass revelation to 2,000,000 witnesses at Mt. Sinai is really true? This important class answers all of the questions skeptics ask about this claim of the Kuzari.
Ein Aya Armies Still Necessary for Balance & the War Against Wars
Rav Kook explains why the world was originally divided into the various seemingly contradicting ideologies and cultures, in order to develop each one respectively. Swords or armies symbolize how each respective ideology defends themselves, as well as deters their opposing ideologies and cultures. On the other hand, the messianic era will be one of peace, and Rav Kook explains the transition to that stage, which mankind is already undergoing.
The Land of Israel LGBT'S IN ISRAEL
The question was asked, how can one make Aliyah with the LGBT parades?
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 7 - Five Accumulative Proofs of G-d
As a preparation for the Kuzari's classic proof of G-d from the mass-revelation at Sinai, we start here with 5 other directions to strengthen our belief which also contribute to what the Kuzari will present as well.
Ein Aya Muscle & Meaning: The Dual Nature of Gevurah (Physical Strength)
Is physical strength and fitness a necessity or an ideal? Although it if often totally overlooked among topics of Judaism, Rav Kook writes that it clearly is also a necessity to deter the many enemies of Israel, but even in Y'mot HaMashiach, in the Messianic era, to a certain extent, it's ideal continues even after our enemies will have been finished off.
