QUESTION: One of the more successful supermarkets in Boro Park is, “KRM Kollel Supermarket.” This is a Jewish-owned supermarket that has earned a reputation for its no frills, deep discount pricing. A few blocks away, near the edge of this heavily Jewish neighborhood is a gentile-owned shoe store named, “Kollel Shoes” (not to be confused with “Kollel Shoe Repair” in Williamsburg).
I paid a visit to Kollel Shoes and discovered that, store name notwithstanding, Kollel Shoes is not a Jewish-owned store. It would appear that the owners wanted to make it seem as if the store was Jewish-owned and when they saw the success of the KRM Kollel Supermarket, decided to use the term, “Kollel” in their store name in the hopes that it would bring them similar success. I am wondering whether this is a violation of Genaivas Daas (prohibition of deception). If it is, is there anything I should do about it?
ANSWER: We tried locating the shoe store you referenced but were not successful. However, we were able to verify that such a business did exist a few years ago. But on to your question. The Chashukei Chemed on Kesuvos 15b cites the Gemorah in Chulin 94a, which tells us that it is forbidden to mislead a Gentile. The same prohibition applies in reverse, according to Rabbi Shimon Sofer, author of the Hisorerus Teshuvah and grandson of the Chasam Sofer (see Vol. I Siman 118) – gentiles are commanded not to steal and included in this prohibition, is misleading customers.
Although the concept of Arvus (meaning that Jews share a mutual responsibility to ensure that each Jew is doing the right thing) does not apply to a Gentile, it seems that if it would not cause any anti-Semitism, one should nicely try to uphold the eternal value of honesty by convincing the owner that it is not ideal to mislead the public – especially in a case where it may cause damage to others (see Ramah responsa #10).
