Legislating competition

Hi,

"Rav Huna said: If an alley resident establishes a mill, and another alley resident establishes one beside him, the former is legally able to prevent this, saying, 'You are interrupting my livelihood.'"

(Talmud, Bava Batra 21b)

Note: Mordechai Bava Batra 516 explains that this is a closed alley, and the earlier mill is near the closed end, with the new mill moving in near the open end.

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Character giveaways

Hi,

"Rabbi Ila'i said: A person's character may be seen in three ways: How he handles his drink, how he deals with others in business, and whether he is quick to anger.

"Some add: Also by what makes him laugh."

(Talmud, Eruvin 65b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Honest weights and measures

Hi,

"We are commanded to make our scales, weights and measures very precise, and to be exact in their calibration when we make them, as Vayikra 19:36 says, 'Precise scales, precise stones [weights], precise ephah [dry volume measures] and precise hin [liquid volume measures] you shall have.'

"The same is true for measuring land; one must be exact in calculating the dimensions of land, based on recorded geometric principles. Even [an error of] a finger's breadth of land is evaluated as though it was full of [expensive] saffron."

(Rambam, Mishneh Torah, Laws of Theft 8:1)

Have a great day,

Mordechai

The seriousness of Business Ethics

Hi,

"Rabbi Levi said: The sin of employing corrupt weights and measures is more harsh than the sin of immoral sexual relationships... One can adequately repent for the latter, but one cannot adequately repent for the former."

(Talmud, Bava Batra 88b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai