“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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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,…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Returning Charity
Judaism abhors outright hypocrisy. Therefore a mitzvah performed as a direct result of a transgression, mitzvah haba baveirah, loses its value. Thus…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Bureaucratic Bumbling
The allegations emanating from the Gomery inquiry implicating the governing Liberal Party of Canada and their friends in a taxpayer funded…
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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…