Being Careful With Other People's Money: Difference between revisions

# If one stole from a parent, he must repay them or ask them to explicitly absolve him of payment, and he may not assume that his parents automatically forgive him.<ref>Igrot Moshe CM 1:88, Halachos of Other People's Money pg. 88. </ref>

# If someone steals but does not know exactly who his victims are, he should donate money to a community need that would benefit all his victims.<ref>Halachos of Other People's Money pg. 90 based on Shulchan Aruch CM 366:2 from Gemara BK 94b. Rashi there D"h Borot explains that the reason to donate to community needs is that your victim will benefit from it. [https://www.businesshalacha.com/en/newsletter/public-return see Public Return] by Rabbi Meir Orlian<br>

see Halachos of Other People's Money pg. 90 where he notes that the stealing isn't really rectified until each victim is rectified, therefore if he knows who he stole from, he should pay them back directly. This is based on Shulchan Aruch 231:19 that somebody who has dishonest measures cannot possibly do proper teshuva. The Sma 231:34 explains that since you cannot really know who you stole from or how much you took, you cannot do a proper teshuva </ref> He should determine how much he stole. If he cannot, he should estimate an amount that equals or exceeds how much he may have stolen.<ref>Halachos of Other People's Money pg. 90 based on Shu"t Igrot Moshe CM 1:88 </ref> For example, if most of his victims live in one community, he should donate to the local mikveh, hatzala, library etc. <ref>Halachos of Other People's Money pg. 91</ref>