“Al Chet, For the sin which we have sinned before thee with our commercial dealings, B’masah umatan”. Our urge for money is all powerful and it is…
Stolen and Found
Included in the many tragedies of war are those in the economic sphere. While loss of money pales in comparison to loss of life, the economic…
Traveling Taxes
The French government recently approved plans for a new tax on airline tickets, to be levied on all passengers boarding a plane in France that would…
The Strike Price
Recently, we in Toronto awoke to news that due to an (illegal) wildcat strike there was to be no public transit. May other transit providers…
Private Eye
The right to privacy is one the Jewish law views with great seriousness. It is rooted in the Jewish concept of tzniut, modesty, which serves as a…
French Firings
Over the past few weeks French authorities have faced fierce opposition to their proposed law granting employers the right to dismiss young workers…
Hostile Takeovers
Acquisition of other companies has become a favourite method of corporate growth. With many large corporations awash in cash and the slow nature of…
Sick Leave
Western work conditions take it as a given that employees are paid for many days for which they do not actually work. Vacation time, sick days,…
Election Etiquette
The saintly Chafetz Chaim, Rav Yisroel Meir Kagan of Radin (d.1933) in his classic work on the ethics of proper speech points out that up to 31 Torah…
Layoff Policy
The recently announced massive layoffs at General Motors have employees at the many industries connected to the auto industry fearful for their own…
Appointing Judges
The role of the judiciary in North America has been at the forefront of the news in recent days. In Canada Judge Gomery has just released his report…
Returning Charity
Judaism abhors outright hypocrisy. Therefore a mitzvah performed as a direct result of a transgression, mitzvah haba baveirah, loses its value. Thus…
Get it in Writing
Get it in writing. This piece of advice has as its implicit assumption that it is the written word and not oral proclamations which carry greater…
African Aid
Should the Western world forgive African debt? The mitzvah of tzedakah contains a dual component; helping those in need and instilling in the donor…
Firing Fellows
Providing employment for the needy – and most would be needy if not for their jobs – is considered to be the highest form of “charity” as it enables…
Workers Beware
Accepting personal responsibly for ones actions is one of the fundamental precepts of Judaism. “Man is always liable” for damages caused, the Talmud…
Bureaucratic Bumbling
The allegations emanating from the Gomery inquiry implicating the governing Liberal Party of Canada and their friends in a taxpayer funded…
Taking Personal Responsibility
The conviction of former Worldcom Inc. chairman Bernard Ebbers on multiple counts of fraud and the like raises the question of executive…