This is not meant to rule practical halachah; rather it’s to show the sweetness of learning.
Based on Rav Yitzchok Silberstein’s seforim
Who to Ask?
Of course to Rav Yitzchok Silberstein, Shlita. Who makes Torah learning so sweet and geshmak…
This year, the Chanukah party was going to be at Ari’s house. Everyone was very excited; there was always a surprise program and singer.
Ari told his son, “I forgot to bring soda. Can you please run to our neighbor Leiby's house and ask if they have two bottles of soda?”
After putting the soda on the table, a few people were looking at it. They saw a big bug inside the bottle, and all the kids came running to see.
Ari decided to make this part of the Chanukah program and said he would call the company on speakerphone. If they didn’t pick up, he would leave a voicemail.
The company later said they would send 10 cases of soda as an apology.
When he returned the two bottles of soda he borrowed, he said, “Leiby, thank you so much. I’m getting 10 cases because of you.”
The neighbor said, “What are you talking about?”
After hearing the whole story from Ari, he said, “Now that I’m thinking about it, it was my soda bottle, then it should also be my ten cases.”
You must be joking, Ari said.
Chanukah Program
- No one lends something to their neighbor if they know there is a bug inside.
- If he had known, he would have wanted to call the company himself.
- It is considered lending by mistake (halva’ah bitaus), and it still belongs to the original owner.
- Since it was given by mistake and it still belongs to the original owner, Ari did business and made a profit with someone else’s money, which isn’t allowed. (See Chava Metzia 31b.)
All the money belongs to the original owner, Leiby, but it would be nice, proper, and appropriate to give some to Ari since he helped arranged this money.
The ten cases of soda belong to the neighbor.
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