Talmudic Question of the Week
So I have something of a moral struggle going on. The odd part about it, is I vaguely remember discussing a very similiar if not identical "hypothetical" dilemna in the talmud class I took with the Chabad Rabbi at the QU law school after coming back from Israel my junior year.
I finally got the ball rolling on replacing my back bumper which had a nasty crack running across part of it after an incident a little while ago now. The first place I went...the guy glanced at the car from 5 feet away and then quoted me a price...approximately 300 for the parts and another 375 for labor. My total he told me, would be $692 + tax. I was looking at around 800 dollars all set and done, and decided I was definetly going out for more (and hopefully cheaper) estimates. Long story short, I found another guy in town with a smaller, family-owned garage, who (because I'm paying cash out of pocket) said he'd do it for $500. I liked him much better the second I got there with the car and he dove underneath to take a look...opened up the trunk and lifted things up to see from the inside etc....I have no doubt he's Conscientious, and will do a good job.
I gave him the first 300 in a personal check, and he gave me a reciept saying complete balance due upon completion is $200. Great, $500 dollars, just as we agreed...and way closer to my price range than what the other guy would have charged me. But here's the thing...there's no tax. Unless he's silently including it in the $500, but I REALLY don't think he is. And he requires the last 200 in cash...which I'm sure makes it really easy for him to simply not report..he doesn't even take cards. (Although I know he DOES work with insurance if you're using it).
So here's the Talmudic question (and unfortunately I don't remember the answer from when we discussed it.) Assuming that somehow he's not paying tax...is that my problem or his? I certainly need the money...but who's moral responsibility is it to make sure that the right thing is done? And even if it really is his...should I be ok with that, because regardless I am benefiting from keeping the extra 60 bucks or so...
Please weigh in...although at this point I don't exactly have a choice in the matter anyway...
Selah.
I finally got the ball rolling on replacing my back bumper which had a nasty crack running across part of it after an incident a little while ago now. The first place I went...the guy glanced at the car from 5 feet away and then quoted me a price...approximately 300 for the parts and another 375 for labor. My total he told me, would be $692 + tax. I was looking at around 800 dollars all set and done, and decided I was definetly going out for more (and hopefully cheaper) estimates. Long story short, I found another guy in town with a smaller, family-owned garage, who (because I'm paying cash out of pocket) said he'd do it for $500. I liked him much better the second I got there with the car and he dove underneath to take a look...opened up the trunk and lifted things up to see from the inside etc....I have no doubt he's Conscientious, and will do a good job.
I gave him the first 300 in a personal check, and he gave me a reciept saying complete balance due upon completion is $200. Great, $500 dollars, just as we agreed...and way closer to my price range than what the other guy would have charged me. But here's the thing...there's no tax. Unless he's silently including it in the $500, but I REALLY don't think he is. And he requires the last 200 in cash...which I'm sure makes it really easy for him to simply not report..he doesn't even take cards. (Although I know he DOES work with insurance if you're using it).
So here's the Talmudic question (and unfortunately I don't remember the answer from when we discussed it.) Assuming that somehow he's not paying tax...is that my problem or his? I certainly need the money...but who's moral responsibility is it to make sure that the right thing is done? And even if it really is his...should I be ok with that, because regardless I am benefiting from keeping the extra 60 bucks or so...
Please weigh in...although at this point I don't exactly have a choice in the matter anyway...
Selah.